Council On American Islamic Relations California   

Representing the half-million American Muslims who reside in Orange, Los Angeles and surrounding counties, the Greater Los Angeles Area office (CAIR-LA) is one of the oldest and largest CAIR offices in the country. The CAIR-LA branch was organized in 1996 by a group of dedicated volunteers in Southern California who saw a need for a unique kind of Muslim organization – an organization that would work to uphold civil rights of American Muslims, foster a better understanding of the Islamic faith and its followers, and help find avenues for American Muslims to integrate more fully into a healthy democracy and broader society.  Since its founding, CAIR-LA has been at the forefront of the fight against Islamophobia, exposing bigotry and the lack of integrity of elected officials and media outlets. The expansion and growth of CAIR-LA began with only a handful of volunteers and has grown into the largest CAIR office in the nation. We have stood up for America’s principles of democracy, freedom, and justice, provided an uncompromising voice to uphold the Constitution, and have followed, and will lead, the honored tradition of great leaders and communities who have contributed to this beautiful democratic landscape.   Today, CAIR-LA is a household name among Southland Muslims, and a reliable resource and partner for media, public officials, and policymakers. In a census survey of the SoCal Muslim community, the CAIR-LA chapter was selected as the most trusted information source among many options, including regular and ethnic news outlets and mosques. With the help of indispensable partners and allies, CAIR-LA expanded its civil rights work and became a stalwart defender of Muslim Americans’ First Amendment rights to freedom of worship and freedom of expression, producing public service announcements, starting an innovative national library project, conducting thousands of media interviews and lectures, challenging negative depictions of Islam and Muslims in film and media, and resolving hundreds of civil rights complaints from community members on an annual basis. CAIR-LA has become well-known as an organization structured to protect and support the civil liberties of American Muslims. Even beyond its mandate to advocate for Muslim Americans, CAIR-LA has established a reputation as an advocate for any group or individual whose civil rights are in jeopardy partnering with local minority and legal aid organizations. The establishment of CAIR-LA has helped to grow a stronger culture of engagement and activism among American Muslims as well as created a space from which Muslims may claim their rightful place within the national fabric of America.