From the Sunnah

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The best of fasting after Ramadaan is fasting Allah’s month of Muharram."

[Sahih Muslim]

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Returning from Hajj?

Hajj was an enlightening occasion for all Muslims who had the opportunity to visit Makkah this year. The hujjaj were surrounded by millions of Muslims all worshipping Allah alone day and night.

Just as you’ve told your friends and relatives about these and many other experiences during Hajj, CAIR-Houston would like to know about your experiences afterwards. This year, our office had the opportunity to give a “Hajj Awareness Presentation” to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at George Bush Airport (IAH) and it was very successful. With that and other efforts to create awareness at the airport system, it is our hope that after your return from this trip you faced absolutely no trouble at all.

If you've experienced any negative accounts with government personnel at the airports, please let us know.
 It is very important to report all negative incidents to CAIR-Houston so we can better assess the situation and provide any possible assistance. Your reports also enable us to turn around and confidentially present them to the government with a demand for action. If there are no reports, nothing will ever be done. We ask your assistance in helping change the system for the better for ALL people!

If you feel like you've been set aside to be searched, your baggage intentionally mishandled, interrogated or questioned, or any other act you feel is unfair or inappropriate due to your religion or race, then you need to REPORT IT NOW!

Please visit our website and fill out an incident report at http://www.cairhouston.org/fwm.htm.

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Coalition of Muslim Travel Agents

CAIR-Houston is working to create a coalition of local Muslim travel agents.Disseminating information to Muslim travelers about their rights, and gathering information about their positve and negative experiences is best done through those who book their flights. Most of the incident reports received in our office deal with international travel, which are primarily booked through agencies.

Creating a coalition of Muslim travel agents helps to ensure:

This coalition will not form an “organization”, but will however, empower the agencies to take part in protecting the rights of their customers and Muslims overall.

If you are a travel agent or know of a travel agent who would be interested in this endeavor, please contact the Director of CAIR-Houston, Shariq Abdul Ghani at sghani@cairhouston.org.

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Reaching Out To Muslim Immigrants

One of CAIR-Houston’s many priorities is to reach out to Muslim immigrants in Houston and inform them of their rights.  It is imperative for all Muslims to be aware of their constitutional rights, and it is similarly important for everyone to know that one of the many ways their rights can be protected is by filing reports of violations.

We have pursued several avenues such as, posters in restaurants and ethnic grocery stores, and advertisements in ethnic newspapers and radio stations. Currently, we are working closely with the Egyptian, Pakistani, and Indonesian Consulates to reach their constituents in Houston. Our office will provide brochures and literature in English and the respective language of the consulate for distribution to foreign nationals in the greater Houston area.

We are currently looking for volunteers who can translate our material into Hindi, Indonesian, and Turkish. If you are interested in being a part of this project, please send us an e-mail to info@cairhouston.org.

To learn more about your civil rights, please visit our website at http://www.cairhouston.org/rights.htm.

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