Photo courtesy of zilupe
Holiday Travel Edition
Passport, plane tickets, toothbrush: check, check, check! Forgot your rights? Have no fear, CAIR-WA is here to make sure you're fully prepared to enjoy your travels this holiday season! 
 
In this month's newsletter, we bring you some tips for what to know at the airport, the latest news on anti-Muslim threats at Kent-Meridian High School, and upcoming events for Thanksgiving and for Google employees! The CAIR-WA staff has been hard at work to protect your rights, and don't want you to miss us! We will be closed for business on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. Safe travels! 
 
Your Monthly Tips!

5 Things to Remember Before You Travel
1. Prepare your travel documents in advance, ensure that your documents will not expire within six months of your scheduled return date
2. Remove all sensitive information from your technology devices(phone, laptop, etc.) 
3. If you are frequently referred to secondary screenings by security, consider filing a DHS TRIP complaint (contact CAIR-WA for assistance with this process)
4. If you are referred to secondary screening, document what agency (TSA, CBP, FBI, etc.) is questioning you and searching your belongings. Write down the names of officers and any questions that you were asked
5. Call or email CAIR-WA for assistance

Q13 Story
In the News: Kent-Meridian High School
In October, CAIR-WA was informed of threatening and Islamophobic graffiti found at Kent-Meridian High School. In response, CAIR-WA met with students, their families, attorneys, school administration, and district representatives to discuss the incident and coordinate a quick response to ensure student safety and inclusion at school. School administrators agreed to expand their efforts in contacting parents as soon as possible about safety issues, translate such efforts into more languages, and drive a coordinated effort to host a meaningful forum discussing school safety and hate speech. Additional graffiti was discovered at KNHS in November. Taking into consideration the steps agreed upon by the school district and the parents and CAIR-WA, e-mails were sent out that same day to the parents and a recorded phone message through an automatic calling system. Letters were also sent out the next day with all students. The main message was to ensure the safety of the students and that both incidents are still under investigation. You can see a copy of the letter here.

If you or someone you know has been targeted in school for being Muslim please call CAIR-WA at 206-367-4081 and our Civil Rights Department will contact you and find the best way to help. 
Take Action Now: Upcoming Events

MCRC Thanksgiving Dinner
You are invited to MCRC's Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, 11/22 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at MAPS Redmond! Bring your family and friends!  

Join us for a Bystander Intervention Training
Have you ever wondered what you do if you saw someone being harassed because of their religious identity- or for any other reason? How would you intervene?

Join CAIR-WA for a Bystander Intervention Training on Saturday January 13, 2018 from 11-1 at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Seattle! This training will teach you how to engage in situations of public harassment and violence without escalating the danger.

The training will be led by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Washington State.

FREE ENTRY

Seats are limited! To RSVP, please send your name, telephone number, and occupation to info@cairseattle.org.

Do you work at Google's Seattle or Kirkland offices?
If so, we welcome you to attend a presentation by CAIR-WA Civil Rights Director Jasmin Samy on November 28! She will be discussing pressing issues facing the Muslim community and what you can do to effectively respond to the current socio-political climate.

If you are interested in organizing such a presentation at your work place, please contact us at info@cairseattle.com!


CAIR-WA now accepts Stock Donations!
Hurry and donate before the end of year! For more information: please e-mail us at info@cairseattle.org!
CAIR-WASHINGTON | info@cairseattle.org | 206.367.4081 | cairseattle.org