Christina (name changed for this story to maintain privacy), a woman living in California, contacted CAIR-WA via our online “Report Discrimination” form on November 10, 2012. She reported having experienced many incidents of discrimination which have caused her a lot of problems. At that time in particular she was having difficulties with finding housing and was living in a motel.

After speaking with her on the phone it became clear that because of her distant location, as well as her lack of affiliation with Islam (she is of the Christian faith and is alleging racial discrimination), her case lies outside of the scope of CAIR-WA’s purview.

To be clear, CAIR-WA has assisted members of other faiths when they are mistakenly perceived to be Muslim and experience discrimination on that basis. However, we do not process cases from members of other faiths who are alleging discrimination for reasons other than being perceived as being Muslim. In this case, as many others, we still sought to help Christina.

On the same day that a member of CAIR-WA’s civil rights department spoke with Christina, we were able to provide her with contact information to four different organizations that operate in her county and serve the needs of individuals who are in situations like hers.

After calling her recently to follow up and find out how the referrals that we gave to her had panned out, she expressed great gratitude and said that she will share the information we gave her to anyone she meets who may need it. This case is an excellent example of the importance of the work done by organizations like CAIR-WA and the many others that exist to serve individuals in need around the nation.

Even though CAIR-WA simply researched various organizations and their contact information and then passed them along to Christina, it meant a lot to her to know that a well-established organization like CAIR-WA was providing the referral and we were there to offer support if everything else fell through.

Our mission is to empower and protect the civil liberties of American Muslims; additionally, we care about the welfare of persons of other backgrounds and understand the importance of having a supportive voice on the other end of the phone line. We encourage anyone who is in need of help to reach out to one or more of the invaluable organizations around which exist solely to help the wider public.

If CAIR-WA does not provide the services you are seeking, we have provided a list below of some that will hopefully offer a good starting point, and organization to which we commonly refer callers:

Catholic Community Services of Western Washington (CCS):

http://www.ccsww.org/

Phone: 206.328.5696

Catholic Community Services and Catholic Housing Services are outreaches of the Catholic Church in Western Washington, under the leadership of the Archbishop of Seattle and the Boards of Trustees. CCS and CHS employees and volunteers come from many faith traditions to serve and support poor and vulnerable people through the provision of quality, integrated services and housing. Our focus is on those individuals, children, families, and communities struggling with poverty and the effects of intolerance and racism. We actively join with others to work for justice.

Equal Rights Washington (ERW)

http://www.equalrightswashington.org

Phone: 206.324.2570

Equal Rights Washington (ERW) is a statewide political advocacy organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community of Washington State. ERW works to ensure and promote dignity, safety, and equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Washingtonians.

Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington (MELAW)

MELAW is a non-profit legal organization which seeks to advance the goals of its members, provide a legal voice for the Middle Eastern community in Washington, address and educate the public on legal and political issues facing Middle Easterners, and offer resources as well as networking and mentorship opportunities for its members and the public.

Individuals may call the phone line at any time of day, any day of the week and leave a message detailing (at a minimum) who they are, how they can be reached in a safe manner, and a general description of the area of law at issue. MELAW will in turn check the voicemail for this phone line on at least a weekly basis and contact the individual.

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP)

http://www.nwirp.org/

Western Washington Office: 206.587.4009

Granger Office: 509.854.2100

Moses Lake Office: 509.570.0054

Northwest Detention Center Detainees: 253.383.0519

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project promotes justice for low-income immigrants by pursuing and defending their legal status. We focus on providing direct legal services, supported by our education and public policy work.

Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA)

www.rewa.org

Phone: 206.721.0234

Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) is a multi-ethnic, community-based organization that provides comprehensive culturally and linguistic appropriate services to refugee and immigrant communities throughout King and Snohomish Counties.

Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR)

http://www.cityofseattle.net/civilrights/

Phone: 206.684.4500

TTY: 206.684.4503

FAX: 206.684.0332

Applying both federal and local laws, the SOCR addresses illegal discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations and contracting within the Seattle city limits.

Washington Human Rights Commission (WHRC)

The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) is a state agency responsible for administering and enforcing the Washington Law Against Discrimination – Chapter 49.60 of the Revised Code of Washington. The mission of the WSHRC is to eliminate and prevent discrimination in Washington State through fair application of the law, efficient use of resources, and establishment of productive partnerships in the community.