Former speechwriter for the Bush Administration Joshua Treviño tweeted to his 5,716 followers a message encouraging the IDF to shoot flotilla activists. Such careless and pro-violence remarks made by an individual who represents American leadership ought to be called into question.

Contact Dave Syverson’s office and tell him that as a public servant what he posted was unacceptable and he cannot defend racist sentiments – even jokes. Request that he make an immediate apology to anyone that he offended.

Becky Fogel, CAIR-Chicago intern, discusses State Senator Syverson’s hateful sense of humor and disdain for political correctness.

CAIR and the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Race and Gender today released “Same Hate, New Target,” the first-of-its-kind annual report outlining the disturbing growth of Islamophobia in the United States during 2009-2010.

“It’s a very timely and much needed initiative,” Ahmed Rehab said. “There has been a very one-sided conversation from Congress on Muslim rights and the Durbin hearing promises to balance the conversation… There have been a lot of politicians who are in denial as to the growing threat of Islamaphobians to the U.S. itself, this fear mongering, paranoid approach to anything Muslim.”

CAIR-Chicago denounced a vote by the DuPage County board to reject a requested height variance that would have allowed the construction of a minaret and dome at a proposed mosque on 91st Street in unincorporated Willowbrook. A decision on whether to allow the construction of the Muslim Educational Cultural Center of America (MECCA) has still not been made.

CAIR-Chicago participated in an interfaith press conference held on behalf of the Muslim Education and Cultural Center of America (MECCA), the third mosque denied a permit in DuPage County in the past year.

“Islamophobia is the last form of racism that is tolerated in mainstream America,” said Amina Sharif, CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator. “You won’t see Fox News go out of its way to defend anti-black or anti-Semitic comments but they went out of their way to defend an Islamophobic statement.”

Faux liberal and pro-occupation advocate, New Republic editor Martin Peretz is back at it again. Last fall, he caused a firestorm with his racist comments that “Muslim life is cheap”. On Monday, he dished out some raw Islamophobia-denial in a gullible column entitled “The Invention of Islamophobia.”

Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, discusses the tragic bombing of a Coptic church in Egypt and the strong response of everyday Egyptians – Muslims and Copts.