Jaylani Hussein ’11. Photo courtesy Islamic Resource Group.
A leading civil-rights activist and spokesman for Minnesota Muslims will discuss unfounded fears about Islam during a 5 p.m. Feb. 9 address in Ritsche Auditorium.
Jaylani Hussein ’11, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), will also discuss experiences of Muslims in America and related local, national and international issues.
He will be introduced by President Earl H. Potter III. Hussein’s presentation is free and open to the public. Parking is $1.50 an hour in the 4th Avenue Parking Ramp.
Hussein’s “Islamophobia in Minnesota” talk comes on the heels of rising anti-Muslim sentiment on websites, television, radio and social media.
Some of those attitudes are part of a wave of anti-immigrant feeling in America. Some attitudes are fueled by a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, the November 2015 Paris attacks and other incidents attributed to a followers of the Islamic State. Known variously by the acronyms ISIS, ISIL and Daesh, the Islamic State is at war with an international coalition of armed forces.
CAIR-MN recently helped sponsor a “Challenging Islamophobia” conference in Fridley. It also is leading an effort to document anti-Muslim incidents in Minnesota on the http://cairmn.com website. Citing Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, the Washington Post last year reported that anti-Muslim hate crimes are five times more common than before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the U.S.
Related links
America’s largest Islamic civil liberties and advocacy group, CAIR has 35 offices and chapters, including a headquarters in Washington D.C. Among its goals: “Enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.”
Christianity, Islam and Judaism, the three largest Abrahamic religions, share a common link to the prophet Abraham, an important figure in the Christian Bible, Quran and Hebrew Bible.
Hussein holds a St. Cloud State bachelor’s degree in community development and a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Dakota State University. Among other jobs, he has worked as a community liaison officer for Metropolitan State University and a planner for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
For more information, contact Semya Hakim at [email protected] and 320-308-3264. Hakim is an associate professor of human relations and multicultural education and adviser to the Muslim Student Association.
Hussein’s presentation was rescheduled from Feb. 2, due to snowy travel conditions.
