CAIR-LA Marks a Week of Action against Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law
Los Angeles , CA: The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today marked a week of activities in solidarity with the immigrant community and to voice opposition to Arizona's anti-immigrant law SB 1070.
Last Thursday, CAIR-LA Executive Director and Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) Board Member Hussam Ayloush joined an 11-bus caravan of activists to Arizona to protest SB 1070. The caravan was organized by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor along with CLUE-LA (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice). Some 575 people from Los Angeles participated in the bus ride, including CLUE-LA Incoming Chair and Islamic Shura Council of Southern California Executive Director Shakeel Syed and Taha Hassane, Imam of the Islamic Center of San Diego and Board Member of Interfaith Worker Justice.
Also on Thursday, the California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) issued support for a district court ruling that blocked the most controversial parts of SB 1070 and urged a more lasting immigration fix.
Earlier last week, CAIR-LA Executive Director also joined national faith leaders on a telephone press conference to denounce SB 1070 and push for comprehensive immigration reform. The press conference, organized by IWJ, featured IWJ Executive Director Kim Bobo, Arizona Interfaith Alliance for Worker Justice Rev. Trina Zelle, and Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Peter Morales.
"As a Muslim, I can personally attest to the destructive nature on racial profiling on my community," Ayloush said about SB 1070. "I refuse to see this unjust and un-American practice in the form of SB1070. It is an ill-advised and extremely ineffective way to fix the country's broken immigration system."
SEE: Union, Religious Leaders Protest AZ anti-immigrant law
CAIR-LA urges the Muslim community to continue pushing for comprehensive immigration reform which will preserve the dignity and humanity of immigrants and not sow seeds of division among Americans along racial lines.
