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CAIR launches 'I am an American Muslim' campaign WASHINGTON, D.C., June 16, 2004 - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today launched a nationwide television and radio public service announcement (PSA) campaign, called "I am an American Muslim," designed to help reduce anti-Muslim discrimination and stereotyping. CAIR's 30 and 60-second PSAs feature American Muslims of European, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American heritage. Each person in the spots states how they and their families have served America and ends by saying, "I am an American Muslim." Both PSAs were distributed by satellite to television public service (PBS). "Our experience shows that Islamophobic stereotyping and bias are most often based on ignorance and unfamiliarity with the American Muslim community," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Tolerance and mutual respect will flourish if Americans of all faiths get to know each other as real human beings, not as religious or ethnic stereotypes." Awad said the PSAs are a result of growing demand for accurate and objective information about Islam and Muslims in America. Other CAIR projects designed to meet that demand include sending Islam-related materials to public libraries and publishing ads in newspapers nationwide. Today's PSA campaign kick-off also ties into CAIR's recent "Not in the Name of Islam"online petition drive designed to disassociate the faith of Islam from the violent acts of a few Muslims. The PSA launch comes following release of CAIR's annual report on the status of American Muslim civil rightsthat revealed a disturbing 70 percent increase in anti-Muslim incidents nationwide during 2003. That report blamed Islamophobic stereotyping for much of the sharp jump in discrimination cases. CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 28 regional offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. |
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