Rabya Khan conducts "Know Your Rights" training for young Muslims

CAIR-Chicago Staff Attorney Rabya Khan conducted a "Know Your Rights" training on July 7. There were approximately 80 attendees who were there as a part of a Young Muslims, a national youth group that is part of ICNA. The conference consisted mainly of high school, college and post graduate students. This "Know Your Rights" seminar was a part of CAIR-Chicago’s summer "Know Your Rights" campaign. The goal of this campaign is to increase community awareness of civil rights. Each "Know Your Rights" training lasts approximately two hours. This specific "Know Your Rights" seminar focused on being knowledgeable about rights when dealing with law enforcement, which includes both the police and the FBI.

Khan said the summer "Know Your Rights" campaign is important so people can understand what their rights actually are. “People generally want to know what their rights are without violating the law,” Khan said. She said respect for the law is imperative but people should still understand what rights they have.

Khan explained the value of the event by saying its participants learned how to assert their rights without being confrontational. She said that many people are either uninformed or unaware of their rights and may also not know that they are protected by the United States Constitution even if they are not U.S. citizens.

This can especially be an issue for the American Muslim community. “Many times the Muslim American community is just not aware that they have rights in certain situations, or they’re too afraid to assert their rights. It’s important for individuals to know that they have certain rights and are protected by the Constitution regardless of their immigration status.” Khan said.

CAIR-Chicago will be conducting training sessions all summer, to request a "Know Your Rights" training, contact Staff Attorney Rabya Khan at rabya.khan@cair.com.