County’s Committee on Hate/Violence and Commission on Human Rights Host Civil Rights Forum

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 8, 2010

Montgomery County’s Office of Human Rights, Commission on Hate/Violence, and the Commission on Human Rights are sponsoring a panel discussion on civil rights issues on Tuesday, May 4 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., in the Executive Office Building, Lobby Level Auditorium, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville. The discussion will center around civil rights in a post-9/11 world.

Communities across the nation, including Montgomery County, have had to address post-9/11 hate and bias incidents and their potential effect on the civil rights of several groups, including Muslims, Arabs, South Asians and Sikhs. The panel discussion will share information on ongoing civil rights concerns in the ensuing years, and explore ways government and advocacy organizations can respond.

The discussion will be moderated by George Washington University Law School Professor Robert W. Tuttle. Participants will include Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Mazen Basrawi; Sikh Coalition Director of Law and Policy Rajdeep Singh Jolly; Counsel for the Bill of Rights Defense Committee Sahar Aziz; and South Asian Americans Leading Together Executive Director Deepa Iyer. A question and answer period will follow the panel discussion.

The forum is free and open to the public. County residents, students, government leaders and area civil rights organizations are encouraged to attend.

The Commission on Human Rights advises the County Executive, County Council and County agencies about the spectrum of issues related to hate violence and ways to reduce the problem in Montgomery County. Members work towards promoting a community environment of equality, understanding and respect for all through education, collaboration, legislation and public policy programs.

For more information, call Anis Ahmed in the Office of Human Rights at 240-777-8454. 

Release ID: 10-171
Media Contact: Sue Tucker 240-777-6507