CAIR-Philadelphia

On Monday afternoon, October 26, Walter Wallace, Jr. was killed by 14 bullets fired by two police officers in West Philadelphia. Mr. Wallace was a Black man suffering from mental illness and was holding a knife. Mr. Wallace was shot in front of his mother, who was attempting to calm her son and defuse the situation. Almost immediately, protests against the killing broke out in the neighborhood where Mr. Wallace lived, as well as other locations around Philadelphia.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today published its 2020 Presidential Voter Guide and Congressional Scorecard, which offers resources to assist Muslims and their allies nationwide as they prepare to vote in the November 3 election. CAIR also released an election PSA video titled: “What is Your Plan to Vote?” The PSA encourages American Muslims to finalize their voter plans, whether it is registering to vote where applicable, vote by mail, vote early and in-person with safety precautions.

CAIR-Philadelphia and CAIR-Pittsburgh, in partnership with CAIR National, contacted the Upper Merion Township Police Department on behalf of Mr. Hashmi and advocated for the identification, arrest, and charging of Mr. Hashmi’s assailant.

CAIR today called on local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate an assault – captured on video – on a Muslim man by an alleged attacker who is shown shouting "Go back to your country" during the incident.

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations today condemned the arson attack on the Chabad Jewish Center on the University of Delaware campus. According to the UD Campus Police, the Newark Police Department, and the Delaware State Fire Marshal, the fire, which took place late Tuesday night, August 25, has been officially ruled arson and caused approximately $75,000 in damage.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called for "immediate action against any and all officers who violated the law" during a police encounter Sunday in Kenosha, Wis., that ended when an officer shot an unarmed African-American man numerous times in the back in front of his young children.