The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has launched a campaign to challenge rising bigotry by showing that Muslim Americans were involved in 9/11 rescue operations and that Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in the same Golden Rule.

CAIR launched a national public service announcement (PSA) campaign September 1 featuring Muslim 9/11 first responders and designed to counter the spreading Islamophobia sparked by plans to build an Islamic center near Ground Zero.

As part of the campaign, CAIR is releasing three PSA that will be aired nationwide on television stations and spread across social media sites. Two of the announcements feature Muslim first responders to the 9/11 terror attacks, with the theme "9/11 happened to us all." The third announcement shows Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders describing the "Golden Rule" that each of their faiths agrees upon. The PSA ends saying, "We have more in common than we think."

CAIR's National Executive Director Nihad Awad, said, "The stepped-up rhetorical and physical attacks on the American-Muslim community and Islam require a positive, proactive response that will help counter the almost hysterical campaign of misinformation by a vocal minority of bigots. These public service announcements have the potential to reach millions of Americans with a message of religious inclusion and mutual understanding."