CANTON — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) has launched a safety toolkit for mosques and Islamic schools amid what the organization described as a rise in anti-Muslim threats nationwide.

The civil rights organization’s Safe Spaces Department met with local police departments to help guide the development of the toolkit.

The Canton Township-based organization said it is releasing the resource as Muslim communities across the country face safety concerns, including physical attacks, violent threats and vandalism targeting mosques. The organization also pointed to the deadly May attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego as part of the broader concerns facing Muslim institutions.

The toolkit begins with a self-assessment checklist that allows participating institutions to examine several areas, including the physical security of their facilities, personnel and responsibilities, community relationships and existing plans and procedures.

The checklist is followed by simplified guidance for responding to specific situations, including suspicious or escalating behavior, threatening communications and active-assailant incidents involving imminent danger.

Soobia Kidwai, director of CAIR-MI’s Safe Spaces Department, said the goal is to provide Muslim institutions with a practical starting point for evaluating their security.

“This toolkit gives them a starting point to look at their facility, their procedures and their people and ask: Are we prepared? Do our staff and volunteers know what to do?” Kidwai said.

She added that these steps provide institutions with tools to improve their emergency preparedness and build proactive relationships with local law enforcement.

Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR-MI, said the Safe Spaces initiative encourages mosques and Islamic schools to contact their local police departments to request safety and security assessments of their facilities and to establish cooperative relationships before an emergency occurs.

During those assessments, law enforcement officers can visit a facility, review its existing safety measures and identify potential gaps.

Kidwai said that relationship is one of the most important aspects of the toolkit.

“The goal is to be proactive, to have the conversations, relationships and procedures in place before they are needed,” she said.

Kidwai noted that the initiative’s success will ultimately depend on whether institutions take practical steps based on the information provided.