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Council hosts Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium; CARE asks council to consider sanctuary designation
Summary
Members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Northern Ohio and students from a Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium visited council to describe the program and urged the council to consider sanctuary protections.
Council members welcomed students and organizers from the Muslim Youth Leadership Symposium (MYLS), presented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Northern Ohio chapter, and CAIR leaders encouraged the city to consider sanctuary protections for vulnerable residents.
Councilmember Slife introduced the visitors and described the symposium’s civic-education activities. An organizer identified as Gia said the program’s theme encouraged youth to be proud of being both Muslim and American and to learn how to participate in civic life. Student speakers described leadership workshops, activities on local needs (including discussion of benefits of a halal grocery), and exercises on balancing faith and civic ambition.
An adult speaker who identified herself as Fatima (introducing CAIR’s local chapter) said CAIR promotes understanding of Islam and civil liberties. “CARE does, encourage the city of Cleveland to make this a sanctuary city to protect our most vulnerable populations,” she told the council.
Why it matters: The appearance connected youth civic engagement with broader policy questions about protections for religious and immigrant communities; CAIR’s public request for sanctuary designation was made during the presentation and entered into the meeting record.
Council presented the participants with a recognition and invited them to continue engagement with City Hall. The council did not take immediate action on the sanctuary request during the meeting.
