Muslim Organization Calls on Public Leaders to Condemn Anti-Islamic Sentiment
The Alabama chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on public officials to condemn growing anti-Islamic sentiment, specifically a flier they say has been distributed in northern Alabama. CAIR says the recruitment flier from the Ku Klux Klan has been seen in Cullman and Decatur and urges people help the group “fight the spread of Islam” in the United States.
The flier adds to tensions among Alabama Muslims sparked by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the United States and a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, last week which left 14 dead. Investigators believe the act was committed by a radicalized Muslim couple.
Birmingham area mosques have increased security. Birmingham resident Labeebah Abdullah is among those troubled by Trump’s comments.
“[I’m concerned] that someone with some type of ideology that connects with him will want to do something crazy,” said Abdullah. “And that’s the danger of that kind of rhetoric.”
Meanwhile Birmingham Islamic Society President Ashfaq Taufique says he’s contacted the FBI after several members received suspicious messages on social media. He says mosque members received friend requests from an unknown person. He says one member received a message from that unknown contact saying, “We are at war and we must stick together.”
Taufique says the communication came before the San Bernardino shootings and that the message is unclear, but it could be tied to extremism.
Block on Trump’s executive orders restricting DEI programs is lifted
An appeals court on Friday lifted a block on executive orders seeking to end government support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, allowing the orders to be enforced as a lawsuit challenging them plays out.
Transgender veterans’ health services in question as VA rescinds guidance on care
In an internal VA memo seen by NPR, the VA says it's rescinding a directive that contains detailed guidance on the kind of care transgender veterans can receive at VA facilities.
Trump reclaims a Justice Department reshaped in his wake
The rare speech at the Justice Department comes as the Trump administration has spent the last several weeks trying to reconfigure the agency, including demoting attorneys who worked on cases related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and firing officials who investigated the president himself.
The NWSL is adopting a tool to protect players from online abuse, commissioner says
NWSL's Jessica Berman says the league is adopting a tool to monitor and protect players from online abuse. The NWSL was scrutinized for not doing more to protect player Barbra Banda from harassment.
Zelenskyy wants U.S. to hit Russia with ‘maximum’ sanctions if it refuses a ceasefire
Ukraine's president said he hopes the U.S. applies "maximum additional sanctions" on Russia if it refuses to accept a 30-day ceasefire, describing the Russian leader's "bravado" as a stalling tactic.
More Norwegian ski jumpers have been suspended due to a major cheating scandal
Team officials are accused of altering athletes' suits to enhance their aerodynamics. The suspension by International Ski and Snowboard Federation (IFS) follows last week's FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
