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For Immediate Release
December, 28 2008, 07:32pm EDT
Contact:
National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,
202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com
US Muslim Leaders to Address Gaza Crisis
On Monday, December 29, the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil
Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of 12 major Islamic
organizations, will hold a 10 a.m. news conference at the National
Press Club in Washington, D.C., to release an open letter to
President-elect Obama outlining suggested domestic and foreign policy
priorities for the new administration. At that news conference, the
Muslim leaders will also address the growing humanitarian crisis in
Gaza.
WASHINGTON
On Monday, December 29, the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil
Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of 12 major Islamic
organizations, will hold a 10 a.m. news conference at the National
Press Club in Washington, D.C., to release an open letter to
President-elect Obama outlining suggested domestic and foreign policy
priorities for the new administration. At that news conference, the
Muslim leaders will also address the growing humanitarian crisis in
Gaza.
SEE: Gaza Humanitarian Plight 'Disastrous,' U.N. Official Says (CNN)
CAIR ACTION ALERT #556
Urge Congress, President to Stop Israeli 'Massacre' in Gaza
Contact President-elect Obama and media outlets to demand a balanced Mideast policy
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/28/08) The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) today called on American Muslims and other people of
conscience to contact their elected representatives and urge them to
condemn Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip that have killed almost 300
people and injured hundreds more, including women and children. In its
bombardment of Gaza, Israel has targeted at least one mosque, a
university and a warehouse for medical supplies.
SEE: Israel Pounds Gaza for Second Day, 296 Killed (Reuters)
CAIR also called on anyone concerned about the "disproportionate and
counterproductive" Israeli attacks to call radio talk show programs,
write letters to the editor and use social media websites such as
Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to voice their concerns. Those contacting
the media or using social media networks are being asked to offer
support for the Palestinian right to freedom from occupation, to call
for an end to the Israeli blockade of humanitarian supplies to Gaza and
to demand a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Yesterday, CAIR issued a statement condemning the Israeli attacks
and calling on President-elect Obama to speak out on the crisis. CAIR's
statement read in part:
"American Muslims join our fellow citizens who
respect international law and the sanctity of human life in repudiating
this massacre carried out using U.S. taxpayer-funded weapons."It
must be clear by now that the only future offered to the Palestinian
people by the outgoing administration was one of perpetual subjugation
and humiliation at the hands of the Israeli occupiers. Unfortunately,
our nation's timid response to this tragic episode will only serve to
fuel anti-American sentiments in the Muslim world."We
therefore call on President-elect Obama to demonstrate his commitment
to change our nation's current one-sided Mideast policy by speaking out
now in favor of peace and justice for all parties to this decades-long
conflict."
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUESTED: (Always be polite and respectful.)
1) CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES and ask them to publicly condemn Israel's "disproportionate and excessive" attacks on the Gaza Strip.
Point out that such attacks block efforts to bring peace with
justice to the Middle East, harm our nation's image and interests
worldwide and strengthen voices of extremism in the region. Ask your
elected officials to adopt an ever-handed Middle East policy that is in
our nation's, not Israel's interest.
Other points:
- The Palestinian people must be given some hope of freedom from Israeli occupation and domination.
- Israel's immoral and illegal collective punishment of the Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip must end.
-
America must support a just and comprehensive resolution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict that takes into account the rights and
responsibilities of all parties.
Contact President George W. Bush:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2461
E-Mail: comments@whitehouse.gov, vice_president@whitehouse.gov
Contact Your Congressional Representatives:
2) CONTACT PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA to ask that he speak out now in
favor of a more balanced and pro-American policy in the Middle East
that takes the rights of all parties to the conflict into consideration.
Contact the Obama administration transition team here.
3) CONTACT THE MEDIA. Call in to radio talk shows
and write letters to the editor to express your views. To find local
and national media contact information, click here.
Post comments on media websites and blogs that discuss the crisis.
Begin you own blog and link to other sites that support a balanced
American policy in the region. Start a free blog at: https://www.blogger.com
Use social media tools such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr to make your views known and to share your views with like-mined individuals and groups.
4) CONTACT THE STATE DEPARTMENT. Call 202-647-4000 and ask for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs or go click here.
5) PUT YOUR CELL PHONE AND E-MAIL LIST TO GOOD USE.
Contact all of your colleagues, friends and family members to ask that
they contact their elected officials, President-elect Obama and the
media.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. 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.
(202) 488-8787LATEST NEWS
Trump Accused of 'Abandoning Kids With Disabilities' in New Assault on Education Department
"By moving special education from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services, the administration is taking us back to a dark period in American history."
Jun 17, 2026
The Trump administration accelerated its assault on the US Education Department on Tuesday by announcing that the agency's work defending civil rights and students with disabilities will be placed under the authority of other federal departments, a move that teachers, Democratic lawmakers, and advocacy organizations condemned as illegal and disastrous for vulnerable children.
Linda McMahon, the billionaire education secretary who has enthusiastically advanced the destruction of her own agency, announced the transfer of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services—which oversees the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—to the US Department of Health and Human Services, headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Additionally, the Justice Department will oversee the work of the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, McMahon said, claiming the changes would "break down the bureaucratic barriers and strengthen the coordination of resources to improve programs that serve infants, toddlers, children, and adults."
Critics argued the moves would do the opposite, scattering crucial programs across departments that lack the expertise and resources to fulfill the education offices' mandates, ultimately depriving children and their families of support.
“Moving IDEA out of the Department of Education is not an administrative adjustment—it is an attack on the educational and civil rights foundation of the law," said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association. "It would drag us backward by treating disability as a medical issue instead of an educational right and by unraveling decades of progress. The Department of Education is the only federal agency with the expertise, infrastructure, and specialists needed to protect students’ rights and ensure they receive the services they are guaranteed."
"Relocating the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice as part of this scheme would further erode federal oversight and endanger disability-rights enforcement nationwide," Pringle added.
The Arc of the United States, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, said that "moving special education to HHS and civil rights enforcement to DOJ would split apart the offices responsible for making disability rights real in schools, leaving families chasing answers across the federal government instead of getting accountability from one education agency."
"Moving IDEA oversight into HHS pushes students with disabilities toward a medical model, where disability is treated as a diagnosis to manage instead of a natural part of human life," said Katy Neas, the group's CEO. "When that mindset drives education decisions, students are more likely to be segregated, underestimated, or treated as separate from the school community."
"It’s an outrageous betrayal that undoes decades of hard-won progress for students."
The changes that McMahon announced Tuesday are part of the Trump administration's effort to completely dismantle the Education Department, which cannot be legally abolished without congressional approval. The Washington Post noted that the newly targeted offices were among the last Education Department segments to "outsource major functions," underscoring that the administration's assault "has advanced far more than most observers predicted would be possible."
In addition to displacing agency functions, the Trump administration has gutted the Education Department's staff, firing nearly half of its workers in what opponents say is an obvious effort to decimate public education.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said the transfer of critical functions out of the Education Department is unlawful, "usurping the power of the purse while the Republican majority stands idly by, forfeiting their authority as a co-equal branch of government." DeLauro pointed to language in a 2026 appropriations measure enacted earlier this year that prohibits the Education Department from transferring responsibilities to other federal agencies without congressional approval.
“This is a disgraceful violation of the law," DeLauro said Tuesday. "By moving special education from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services, the administration is taking us back to a dark period in American history. One where individuals with disabilities were viewed not as whole persons deserving of an education, but as medical patients whose education is not a priority."
The top Democratic appropriator in the Senate, Patty Murray of Washington, warned that "the Trump administration is abandoning kids with disabilities and its most basic legal responsibility to protect the rights of every student in the classroom."
"Instead of helping kids get a great education, this administration is spending its time, energy, and taxpayer resources fixated on where employees sit and illegally trying to shutter the Department of Education," said Murray. "It’s an outrageous betrayal that undoes decades of hard-won progress for students."
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'Slash the Pentagon Act' Would Cap Trump's Military Budget to Fund Healthcare, Education, and More
"It’s time to put people before the Pentagon and make major cuts to Trump’s bloated and wasteful defense spending," said Sen. Ed Markey, who introduced the bill.
Jun 16, 2026
Democratic US Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts took aim Monday at President Donald Trump's illegal war of choice on Iran and request for a record $1.5 trillion in total military-related spending authorization by introducing legislation that would cap the Pentagon budget at half that amount.
Markey introduced the Slash the Pentagon Act at a Capitol Hill press conference that took place "as Americans struggle to pay for healthcare, rent, electricity, groceries, and gas, while Trump has spent over $100 billion on his expensive, dangerous, and unnecessary war with Iran."
“Instead of funding Medicaid and education or investing in veterans’ care, Republicans want to pad the pockets of gold-plated defense contractors with billions more dollars for weapons and wars we do not need,” Markey said at the press conference.
“Just before SpaceX’s IPO made Elon Musk a trillionaire, Trump gave SpaceX billions in contracts for his expensive and ineffective ‘Golden Dome’ system," Markey continued. "Coincidence? No, corruption."
"It’s time to put people before the Pentagon and make major cuts to Trump’s bloated and wasteful defense spending," the senator added. "We should invest in our hospitals, schools, affordable housing, and the real security American families need right now—not expensive wars and weapons that make us less safe.”
Markey's bill comes just days after the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 18-9 to advance the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027, and the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Appropriations Bill during a closed-door markup. The House bill provides $1.072 trillion for the Pentagon and other military-related activities, a $234 billion increase from this year’s enacted level.
The Trump administration’s broader national security proposal requests nearly $1.5 trillion in total defense-related spending for 2027, which includes $350 billion in supplemental funding for munitions production, shipbuilding, missile defense, drones, artificial intelligence, and other long-term military programs.
During his press conference, Markey highlighted "better ways to use a $750 billion cut from Trump’s $1.5 trillion military budget":
- Build high-speed rail across the nation, expand existing passenger rail service, and electrify the most heavily polluting railyards and corridors ($205 billion);
- Cancel 100% of Americans’ medical debt ($220 billion);
- Fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and feed hungry families nationwide over the next two years ($200 billion); and
- Provide children with Head Start and Early Head Start for the next decade ($125 billion).
Markey was flanked by supporters of his bill.
“For decades we’ve been told there is always enough money for weapons and war but never enough for the challenges our communities face day to day,” said Shayna Lewis, deputy director of Win Without War.
“Now, as families grapple with rising costs, President Trump is demanding an unthinkable $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget—all while brushing aside the concerns and struggles of the American people," Lewis added. "Thankfully, a growing coalition of lawmakers is listening, and gearing up to bring spending back into line with people’s needs.”
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Family Seeks Answers, Justice After Mississippi Cop Kills Toddler Kohen Wiley in Walmart Lot
"A 1-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot," said attorney Ben Crump.
Jun 16, 2026
Relatives of a toddler shot dead on Sunday by police in rural Mississippi are demanding answers and accountability.
"I don’t know anything right now," Carlos Haynes told Memphis channel WMC. "My grandson gone. I just want justice."
Carolyn Sokes, the slain toddler's great-grandmother, said: "The police department not telling us anything. They removed the baby's body without anybody seeing it. All we know is that a car was shot up and a 1-year-old baby was killed, and then nobody tells us anything, like we're not anybody."
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was being held by his mother in the front passenger seat while his aunt was behind the wheel, was shot and killed by police in Senatobia, 40 miles south of Memphis, during an incident in a Walmart parking lot. The baby's aunt was also shot and critically injured.
Cellphone video footage obtained by Fox 13 Memphis shows a vehicle driving away from officers, but does not appear to capture the moment of the shooting. A photo of the car shows bullet holes in the windshield.
An eyewitness told WREG that “I seen the officers take off running, not in the car, I’m talking about on feet."
“They’re running through the parking lot and I see the car take off, you know, so in my head, I’m like, I know they’re not chasing the car, they don’t think they’re going to catch the car. Then I hear gunshots, and I’m like, I know they’re not shooting at a car that’s leaving in public; this is Walmart."
Another witness said that he heard two gunshots fired by officers who were already waiting in the Walmart parking lot as the two women left the store holding a box of diapers and the baby.
According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS):
Law enforcement officers responded to a shoplifting call at Walmart on US 51. Upon arrival, officers encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene. The subjects arrived at a local hospital where one juvenile child in the vehicle was pronounced deceased, and another subject had critical injuries. No law enforcement officers received any serious physical injury.
The responding law enforcement agencies—the Senatobia Police Department (SPD) and Tate County Sheriff's Office (TCSO)—have yet to release the names of the involved officers or any video footage of the incident.
TCSO said deputies were in the area investigating an unrelated matter when their assistance was requested. On Monday, Tate County Sheriff Luke Shepherd declined to comment about the shooting, including whether anyone had been charged, citing pending investigations, according to Mississippi Today.
SPD issued a statement saying it is "committed to full transparency" and "will share as much information as possible" with the public.
Walmart said in a written statement, “We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS store."
Relatives of the slain toddler said his mother and aunt were not shoplifting and expressed wariness about local police, who have been embroiled in multiple brutality scandals involving Black victims in recent years.
“Senatobia Police Department get away with too much stuff,” Stokes, the great-grandmother, told WREG. “I hear about it all the time, it’s in the news all the time."
Licole Wiley, the child’s grandmother and the sister of the critically injured woman, lamented that the toddler died "allegedly over some Pampers."
"Whatever the incident may have come to, it still didn’t need for you to shoot two adults and a baby that was not even a threat to you," she added.
Another one of the child's grandmothers, Lasandra Williams, said that “everybody that was involved needs to be held accountable."
"I’m not giving up until I get justice,” she added. “Justice will be served. If it has anything to do with me, it will be served.”
Mississippi Today reported Tuesday that Wiley's relatives have hired national civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
"A 1-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot," Crump said in a statement. "Kohen Wiley was a baby. His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.”
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