CAIR-NY Celebrates Hiring First Full-Time Attorney
(NEW YORK, NY, 10/03/16) – The New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today celebrated the hiring of its first full-time attorney. The Muslim civil rights organization announced the hiring of Albert Fox Cahn as CAIR-NY’s inaugural Director of Strategic Litigation.
Mr. Cahn is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a former litigator at the firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP. A native of New York City, Mr. Cahn has long worked towards building bridges between the city’s Muslim and Jewish communities.
“Mr. Cahn adds to our NY family with both credentials and a passion for our mission.” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. “In the current climate, it is vital for CAIR to build our capacity to respond to bias, harassment, and violence directed at Muslim New Yorkers.”
Nasher noted a spike in anti-Muslim incidents in recent months, which the civil rights group attributes at least in part to Islamophobic rhetoric used by public figures. Recently, the civil rights organization has seen a significant increase in requests for services from members of New York’s Muslim community.
“I could imagine no better opportunity to defend the constitutional values I’ve always treasured,” said CAIR-NY Director of Strategic Litigation Albert Cahn. “I’m excited to work with all New Yorkers in support of our Muslim neighbors in their time of need.”
CAIR-NY’s announcement comes in the wake of several widely-publicized attacks on Muslim New Yorkers. Earlier this month, CAIR-NY welcomed a hate crime charge for an attack on two Muslim women pushing babies in strollers. The alleged attacker punched and kicked the victims and tried to pull off their Islamic head scarves, or hijabs.
SEE: CAIR-NY: 2 Muslim Women, Babies Attacked in Alleged Hate Crime (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/…/brooklyn-muslim-women-attac…/index.html
In August, CAIR-NY welcomed the announcement of charges of murder in the first degree brought against the alleged killer of a Queens imam (religious leader) and his associate. CAIR-NY similarly urged the NYPD and the district attorney to continue the investigation of a possible hate motive in that case.
SEE: CAIR-NY Welcomes Charges Against Alleged Killer of Queens Imam and Associate, Urges Hate Crime Probe
https://www.cair.com/…/13708-cair-ny-welcomes-charges-again…
The Muslim civil rights group is asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-NY at 646-665-7599 or by filing a report at: https://www.cair-ny.org/incident-report/
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com; Director of Strategic Litigation Albert Cahn, 571-766-6273,acahn@cair.com,CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com