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Islamic Civil Rights Group to Hold News Conference in Michigan, Coordinates
Statement From U.S. Muslim Leaders
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A prominent national Islamic civil
rights and advocacy group today announced that it is sending a delegation to
Iraq to call for the release of American journalist Jill Carroll who was
abducted January 7th while on assignment for the Christian Science Monitor
newspaper.
Al-Jazeera yesterday aired a brief video from the hostage-takers showing
Carroll and threatening to kill her within 72 hours unless U.S. military
authorities released all Iraqi women in their custody.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said
that because of the short deadline, its delegation will hold an initial news
conference late Thursday in Amman, Jordan, to make a public appeal to the
kidnappers for Carrolls freedom. A second news conference will be held in
Baghdad on Friday.
CAIR also announced that it will hold a news conference January 19th in
Michigan, Carrolls home state, at which local Muslim leaders will also call
for her immediate release.
WHAT: Michigan Muslims to Call for Release of U.S. Journalist Held in Iraq
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, 2006
FOR DETAILS, CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid,
248-842-1418, 248-569-2203, E-Mail: cairmichigan@yahoo.com
According to the BBC, Iraqi officials now say that six of the eight women
being held by coalition forces in Iraq will be released.
Along with the delegation to Iraq and the Michigan news conference, CAIR
is also coordinating a joint appeal by national Muslim leaders for Carrolls
safe return to her family.
Yesterday, CAIR issued a statement, which was translated into Arabic and
distributed to Middle Eastern media outlets, calling for Carrolls "immediate
and unconditional" release.
In December, CAIR held a news conference at its national headquarters in
Washington, D.C., to call for the release of members of the Christian
Peacemakers Teams also taken hostage in Iraq.
CAIR has 31 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is
to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil
liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice
and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail:
ihooper@cair-net.org; Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441, E-Mail:
rahmed@cair-net.org.
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalists window to
the American Muslim community. To SUBSCRIBE to the list, go to:
http://cair.biglist.com/islam-infonet/
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