Civil rights group calls Zeldin a “poodle for Donald Trump with a long history of smearing Muslim women”
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/21/22) – The New York chapter and national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and other far-right extremists for their “vile, defamatory, Islamophobic” attacks against an American Muslim woman who serves as the chief diversity officer at the City University of New York (CUNY).
CUNY recently tasked the official with independently investigating a complaint of anti-Semitism made by a CUNY Kingsborough Community College professor. In response, anti-Muslim websites like The Daily Caller began publicly attacking her because of her Muslim identity and her civil rights work on behalf of American Muslims during her tenure with CAIR-Minnesota years ago.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, Republican from New York, joined these attacks, falsely accusing the CUNY official and CAIR of being “pro-Hamas” and “antisemitic.”
[NOTE: CAIR has repeatedly and consistently condemned all acts of terrorism, including acts committed by Hamas, and all forms of bigotry, including anti-Semitism].
Zeldin has a long history of anti-Muslim bigotry.
SEE: Bridge Initiative: Muslim Congresswomen Face Islamophobic Dog-Whistles
SEE: HuffPost: GOP Congressman Spent His Week Harassing Muslim Colleague On Twitter
SEE: The Forward: The Hypocrisy Of Lee Zeldin’s Attack Against Ilhan Omar – The Forward
In a joint statement, CAIR and CAIR-NY said:
“Rep. Lee Zeldin’s decision to launch a vile, defamatory and Islamophobic attack against a Muslim woman because she once worked for our civil rights organization is shameful. Mr. Zeldin, a poodle for Donald Trump with a history of smearing Muslim women, has reached a new low and sullied his office.
“Unlike MAGA Republicans and January 6th apologists like Lee Zeldin, CAIR has repeatedly condemned all forms of terrorism and all forms of bigotry, including anti-Semitism. In fact, CAIR recently condemned an anti-Semitic crime targeting Rep. Zeldin. Rep. Zeldin doesn’t care about the facts; he only cares about exploiting anti-Muslim stereotypes for his own political convenience. We join in with all those who reject such tactics.
“Like all people of conscience, CAIR and CAIR-NY plan to continue defending the rights of every person in our country and standing up against every hateful bigot, including Lee Zeldin.”
SEE ALSO: Recent CAIR Condemnations of Anti-Semitic Rhetoric and Incidents:
CAIR Condemns Distribution of Antisemitic Flyers in Delaware
CAIR-NY Welcomes Hate Crime Charge for Alleged Antisemitic Attack in Queens
Video: CAIR-MA Condemns Antisemitic Banner on Highway Overpass
CAIR Condemns 2nd Distribution of Antisemitic Flyers in Raleigh, N.C., in Less Than a Month
CAIR Condemns Distribution of Antisemitic Flyers in Omaha
CAIR-NJ Condemns Antisemitic Hate Crime Targeting a Deal Synagogue
CAIR-Kentucky Condemns Antisemitic Comments Posted to Local GOP Facebook Page
CAIR Condemns Distribution of Antisemitic Flyers in Wisconsin
CAIR Condemns Antisemitic Flyers Left Near Md. Synagogue
CAIR Condemns Antisemitic Flyers Distributed in South Dakota
CAIR-Philadelphia Condemns Antisemitic, White Supremacist Propaganda Distributed in Lehigh Valley
CAIR-SFBA Condemns Antisemitic, Racist Hate Incidents
Zeldin’s attacks on CUNY come on the heel of CAIR-NY’s release of its groundbreaking report on bias and hate crimes experienced by Muslim New Yorkers entitled “Feeling the Hate” which found that 75% of Muslim women have experienced bias incident, a hate crime, or both.
A copy of CAIR NY’s anti-Muslim bias and hate crimes report can be found here: Feeling the Hate: Bias and Hate Crimes Experienced by Muslim New Yorkers – CAIR New York (cair-ny.org)
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com; CAIR NY Legal Director Ahmed Mohamed, ahmedmohamed@cair.com; 646-481-2103; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com