Dear Community Members and Friends,
Asalaamu Alaikom,
On behalf of the entire CAIR-Pittsburgh family, we write to express love for, solidarity with, and commitment to our African-American brothers and sisters, especially Black families who have lost loved ones to state-sanctioned violence.
We are heartbroken over the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Steven Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Yassin Mohamed. They are simply the latest in a long line of Black men and women struck down by police officers who were sworn to serve and protect them.
CAIR- Pittsburgh also condemns numerous incidents of police brutality that have occurred during nationwide protests against George Floyd’s murder.
SEE: Police Erupt in Violence Nationwide
SEE: Journalists Detail Being Hit By Rubber Bullets, Attacked While Covering Nationwide Protests
SEE: NYPD Officer Rams into Crowd of George Floyd Protesters in Brooklyn
SEE: Atlanta Police Tase Local College Students Driving After Curfew
In a statement, CAIR-Pittsburgh’s Executive Director Christine Mohamed said:
“The acts of violence during the protests over this weekend by infiltrators, who continue to hijack peaceful protests- across the country, needs to be addressed. However, this in no way gives the green light for law enforcement to go to extremes and harm those they have sworn an oath to protect and serve, we demand better.”
As a Muslim civil rights organization dedicated to harnessing our values in service to our society, CAIR recognizes that justice for all people in America cannot come to fruition without an unwavering and unapologetic commitment to achieving justice for African Americans. That includes an honest acknowledgment of entrenched anti-Blackness within our society.
Please read and encourage your mosque/organization to sign a public interfaith letter on the death of George Floyd, to which CAIR-Pittsburgh helped organize and edit, go to:
https://forms.gle/
Thank you for your support. Please feel free to reach out to us with additional ideas, and please reach out to us if we can assist your community in pursuing these efforts.
Onward, God willing. Jazakallahu khairyan.
In love and solidarity,
Christine Mohamed
Executive DIrector
