- CAIR: Sharp Rise in Hate Crimes During Trump's First Year: FBI
Earlier this year, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released its own report on anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US, recording a 17-percent jump in anti-Muslim bias incidents nationwide and a 15-percent increase in hate crimes targeting American Muslims.
"Of particular alarm", however, was "the fact that federal government agencies instigated 35 percent of all anti-Muslim bias incidents" recorded last year, the group said.
"This represents an almost unprecedented level of government hostility toward a religious minority within the United States, and is counter to the American value of religious freedom," CAIR said.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAIR Offers Condolences on Passing of Dr. Sulayman Nyang, Funeral Services to Be Held Nov. 14 in Silver Spring, Md.
 (WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/13/2018) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today offered condolences on the passing of internationally-respected diplomat, scholar, teacher, and community leader Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang, who died yesterday following a long illness.
Dr. Nyang was one of CAIR's first national board members. Last year, CAIR presented Dr. Nyang with its annual "Lifetime Achievement Award."
"We offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Dr. Nyang, a kind and gentle soul who was a respected teacher and mentor of so many in the American Muslim community," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "To God we belong, and to Him is our return."
Janazah (Funeral) Prayer for Dr. Sulayman Nyang WHEN: Wednesday, November 14
WHERE: Islamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA), 2701 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring, MD
12:45 p.m. - Formal Remarks Begin
1:15 p.m. - Adhan (Call to Prayer)
1:30 p.m. - Dhuhr Prayer Followed by Janazah (Funeral) Prayer, Funeral Procession to 12005 Clarksville Pike (21029) for burial.
5 p.m. - Return to ISWA for Quranic Recitation
Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang
Dr. Sulayman S. Nyang was the former chairman of the African Studies Department at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He was a co-director of Muslims in the American Public Square (MAPS), a research project funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and a former deputy ambassador and head of chancery of the Gambia Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Nyang acted as a consultant to several national and international agencies and served on the boards of the African Studies Association, the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies, America's Islamic Heritage Museum, and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists.
He was an advising scholar for the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentaries "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet" (2002) and "Prince Among Slaves" (2007), produced by Unity Productions Foundation.
A native of The Gambia, West Africa, Dr. Nyang spent much of his career working to foster a greater understanding of Islam in America. He wrote and spoke extensively on Islam, Africa and Middle Eastern issues, publishing 11 books, including the highly-acclaimed "Islam in the United States of America."
He was the lead developer of the Smithsonian Institution's 1999 African Voices Project and served as an advisor to the White House and international organizations, such as the World Bank and the United Nations.
Dr. Nyang was a regular contributor to the Washington Post's "On Faith" online forum. One of the most significant being a commentary entitled, "What Near Death Taught Me About Life," a reflection on his recovery from a serious cardiac arrest in 2004.
He mentored and supervised the work of hundreds of graduate students and many more undergraduates, both at Howard University and at other institutions of higher learning outside the United States.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]
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