Penn. governor-elect urged to ban surveillance by Jon Hurdle in Philadelphia at Reuters.com Civil rights activists on Wednesday urged Pennsylvania Governor-elect Tom Corbett to order State Police and state Homeland Security officials to halt any surveillance of protest groups deemed…

“Comments and things that people say,” warned Rugiato Conteh, Outreach Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Philadelphia, “they increase Islamaphobia. They increase hatred against Muslims. They increase hate crimes.” “I did not plan the terrorist attacks on 9/11,” said Conteh, “so why are people associating me with the people who did?”

On Oct. 7, her first day of work, a district manager visited the Dover store and ordered her to remove the scarf or work in the store's stockroom. She told the manager that she wore the scarf for religious reasons. He told her the chain did not allow anyone to display their religion and then dismissed her in front of the other workers, said Moein Khawaja, executive director for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

CAIR-PA Executive Director Moein Khawaja comments on cartoonist Lars Vilks, who is visiting Philadelphia.

CAIR-PA Outreach and Communications Director Rugiatu Conteh appears on an ABC Good Morning America special about Muslim Women in America.