Muslim civil rights and advocacy group says Arkansas case was unique and distinct from other ongoing lawsuits
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/21/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said that the fight against unconstitutional, anti-BDS laws will continue after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review an Arkansas newspaper’s appeal against an anti-free speech law in that state.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court decided not to review a law that forced the Arkansas newspaper to pledge not to boycott Israel as a condition for contracting with the state, leaving in place a lower court’s decision upholding that law.
The case was unique and distinct from ongoing litigation in other states because the impacted newspaper was not engaged in or planning a boycott of Israel over its human rights violations.
CAIR, which was not involved in the Arkansas case, has successfully won court rulings against unconstitutional anti-BDS laws in Georgia and twice in Texas. The victories in those free speech lawsuits are being reviewed on appeal in the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits.
In a statement, CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas said:
“With the Fifth Circuit and Eleventh Circuit about to weigh in on the constitutionality of these anti-BDS laws, it is not surprising that the Supreme Court chose to wait, rather than settle, the issue. We are confident that these other circuit courts won’t repeat the Eight Circuit’s mistakes.”
SEE: Top US court refuses to review anti-BDS law. Here’s what it means.
The law is one of a number of similar anti-free speech measures nationwide targeting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. CAIR has challenged those laws as violations of the First Amendment right to free speech.
CAIR-NJ OP-ED: Anti-boycott laws are an affront to free speech. They also don’t address anti-Semitism
[NOTE: The term “BDS” refers to the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Modeled after the global South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS movement’s goal is to pressure the Israeli government to end its occupation of Palestinian territory.]
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, 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 Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, gabbas@cair.com; 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