Muslim Advocates protects the rights of American Muslims and defends our nation’s promise of freedom, justice, and equality for Americans of all faiths.  In addition, Muslim Advocates provides American Muslims the legal knowledge, tools, and resources to understand their rights and defend themselves and their institutions from discriminatory policies and anti-Muslim hate.  Our report issued this year, Click Here to End Hate, one of our significant accomplishments this year, documents the scope of anti-Muslim hate online and offers tools for American Muslims and all Americans who reject fear and hate to report abusive content to Internet companies and to engage in effective counter speech.

2014 Key Accomplishments

Ending Racial and Religious Profiling

• In June 2012, Muslim Advocates filed the first lawsuit against the NYPD challenging the constitutionality of its discriminatory spying program that targets Americans in NY, NJ, PA and CT simply because they are Muslim, not based on evidence of wrongdoing.  After nearly 2 years of litigation by Muslim Advocates and its partners, the NYPD announced plans in April 2014 to disband the Zone Assessment Unit (formerly known as the Demographics Unit), one of the main units of the Intelligence Division that has carried out the Muslim spying program.  While this was an important step forward, our litigation against the NYPD continues as the NYPD stopped short of saying it has ceased the spying program entirely.

• In December 2014, the U. S. Department of Justice announced revisions to its 2003 Racial Profiling Guidance.  The revised guidance includes a long-sought change to expand the guidance to include the targeting of Americans on the basis of religion or national origin, as well as data collection and training provisions.  In 2014, Muslim Advocates played an active role in seeking these changes. The Guidance, however, failed to adequately address concerns about profiling at the border or in the national security context, and so, much work remains as we seek a permanent end to racial and religious profiling by law enforcement in all its forms.

• In 2014, Muslim Advocates participated in amicus briefs on religious freedom and anti-Muslim cases.
• In June 2014, Muslim Advocates conducted a lawyer training webinar for FBI interviews with 50 attendees.  Throughout the year we grew our internal volunteer referral list for FBI interviews.  Today, the list is over 130 lawyers nationwide who are ready and able to assist community members contacted by the FBI.

Combating anti-Muslim Bigotry and Hate

• Muslim Advocates published and promoted the landmark report Click Here to End Hate: Anti-Muslim Bigotry Online & How to Take Action.  The report received a strong positive response and is being used as a foundation for our continued efforts to combat anti-Muslim hate online.

• In February 2014, Muslim Advocates filed a brief in a case where public officials in Bridgewater, New Jersey prevented the local Muslim community from building a mosque after an outpouring of anti-Muslim protests.  After the appellate hearing, the parties reached a settlement.
• In partnership with Aasif Mandvi, an award-winning actor, writer, filmmaker, producer, and a Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show, and Miles Kahn, producer for The Daily Show and known filmmaker and screen writer, we pursued a new strategy of producing a four-part comedic web video series.  These videos will be aimed at the “persuadable middle” of America, i.e., Americans who may not be the sources of hate speech, but who are bombarded with negative stereotypes of Muslims and may harbor fear and suspicion of Muslims.  Muslim Advocates reviewed scripts and provided feedback to the creative team.

Strengthening American Muslim Charities and Civic Organizations

• Muslim Advocates continued to expand its reach to civic organizations, now reaching over 1,240 institutions nationwide with our legal and financial educational seminars and technical assistance.

• In 2014, Muslim Advocates held legal and financial educational seminars in Nashville, TN, Atlanta, GA, and Fullerton, CA.
• During the charities educational seminars, Muslim Advocates seeks participant feedback on an evaluation form that is collected at the event.  The results of this data and other lessons learned from staff are incorporated into improving the next seminar to ensure that our programs improve on a continual basis and are responsive to community needs.

Roster of Board of Directors

Awais Sufi
Chairman of the Board of Directors
International Youth Foundation
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Baltimore, MD

Nahid Aliniazee
Philanthropist & Community Activist
Los Altos, CA

Rashid Alvi
Chair of the Finance Committee
Islamic Legal Studies Program, Harvard
Deputy Director
Boston, MA

Mohammad Fadel
University of Toronto Faculty of Law
Associate Professor
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

LaDale K. George
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
Partner
Chicago, IL

Faiyaz Hussain
Grant Thornton, LLP
Managing Director & Associate General Counsel
Chicago, IL

Amber Khan
Corporate Secretary
Nonprofit Communications Consultant
Silver Spring, MD

Farhana Khera
Muslim Advocates
President & Executive Director
San Francisco, CA

Shahzad A. Malik
Strandling Yocca, Carlson & Roth
Shareholder
Newport Beach, CA

Mohamed Yusuf Mohamed
Tesla Motors, Inc.
Associate General Counsel
Buford, GA

Asifa Quraishi-Landes
University of Wisconsin Law School
Associate Professor
Madison, WI

Eyhab Aejaz
Treasurer
Liberty Mutual Benefits – Global Accident & Health
Director, Business Development
Boston, MA

Financials

Total Income: $2,134,298

Expenses for Program to End Profiling: $1,072,806

Expenses for Program to Counter Hate: $422,894

Expenses for Program to Strengthen Charities: $260,065

Total Program Expenses: $1,775,765

Total Fundraising Expenses: $372,254

Total Administrative Expenses: $151,680

Net Assets: $926,260

To view our 2014 Audited Financial Statement, click here.

To view our Form 990, click here.