FLORIDA MUSLIM LEADERS TESTIFY AT UNITED NATIONS RACISM HEARING
FOR PHOTOS OF THE EVENT CLICK HERE: http://picasaweb.google.com/amanavoice/FLORIDAMUSLIMLEADERSTESTIFYATUNITEDNATIONSRACISMHEARING
For UN press release:
http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpNewsByYear_en)/808A7271B513A6D9C125744B003A78A7?OpenDocument
A.M.A.N.A. was asked to form a panel to present cases and issues related to racism and discrimination that Muslims and Arabs have suffered, especially after 9/11. AMANA Director Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout has been appointed since 2002 to serve as board member at FL Advisory committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights and also was appointed by Commissioner Javier Soto to the CRB (the Community Relation Board of Miami-Dade County). Sofian Abdelaziz Zakkout presented various issues such as those related to immigration delay, profiling, the discrimination against the Muslim woman’s dress, Muslim discrimination in prisons, and last but not least cases presented by the Muslim and Arab community involving the workplace and educational institutes. Also, he spoke devotedly at the hearing about his personal experiences of bias and discrimination. Mr. Aesop Ameen, the Director of the Prison committee at A.M.A.N.A., spoke about the difficulties Muslims experience in prisons when trying to adhere to their faith. He touched upon the challenges that they go through when offering their prayers. Also, he described the difficulties and humiliation they face by the prison guards and some of the chaplains who are supposed to be fair with members of all religions. Muslim civil rights advocate Ahmed Bedier, who took part in the panel, relayed how Islamophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric by officials and pundits are contributing to hate crimes against Muslims across Florida. Recommendations presented to SR Diene: - Muslims, Christians, Jewish clergies and leaders must come together to fight racism and hate crimes and Sofian Zakkout mentioned at the hearing that working together will prevent future attacks especially against the Jewish Synagogue which was burned last month at Miami Beach.- Our Government should give more attention and support to agencies of Civil Rights such as CAIR, Council on American-Islamic Relations and others.
- Our Government should provide programs and project to bring America together.
- The Media should give more attention to all group when it comes to events and celebrations. neglecting any group will not serve a healthier society which will lead to a stronger nation.
- The law should control and punish those who promote hate and anti-Islam and Muslims, anti-Black and anti-Semitic. People who promote hate especially online are great factors which contributed to the discrimination and hate crimes against Muslims and Arabs. The government should shut down their websites to stop promoting hate.
At the end of the meeting SR Diene assured the participants that the rise of global Islamophobia is alarming and of great concern to the United Nations. He vowed that the issue will be included in the final report about his visit due in 2009.
“We thank SR Diene for hearing our concerns about the rise in anti-Muslim bigotry in the United States, and we appreciate his concern about Islamophobia’s growing threat to world peace,” said Ahmed Bedier. “Civilized nations must take concrete action to curb incitement of racial and religious hatred by supporting dialogue and education.”
CONTACT: SOFIAN ABDELAZIZ ZAKKOUTDirect: 305-898-9314E-mail: info@al-amana.org
—-The following organizations participated in planning Mr. Diene’s visit to Miami: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation of Florida, Florida State Conference NAACP-Miami-Dade Branch, American Muslim Association of North America (A.M.A.N.A.), Tampa Human Rights Council (T.H.R.C), Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami (FANM) / Haitian Women of Miami, Farmworkers Association of Florida, Florida ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), Florida Immigration Advocacy Coalition (FIAC), Haitian American Grassroots Coalition (HAGC), Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc. (HOPE, Inc.), Miami Dade County Office of the Public Defender, Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Miami Workers Center, Power U, South Florida Jobs with Justice
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