(LOS ANGELES, CA – 11/20/2023) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today denounced Commissioner Rabbi Richard Steinberg and Commissioner Rhonda Shader of the Orange County Human Relations Commission (OCHRC) for voting against a statement condemning Islamophobia.
On Nov. 9, the OCHRC held their regularly scheduled meeting, which included two resolutions to address hate in Orange County on the agenda. The resolutions, titled “OC Human Relations Commission Mourns with Jewish Community and Denounces Antisemitism” and “OC Human Relations Commission Mourns with Palestinian-Americans and Denounces Islamophobia,” were drafted to address and denounce the rising incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in Orange County.
During the meeting, the resolution condemning antisemitism was passed unanimously, while the resolution condemning Islamophobia was passed with six commissioners voting in favor and two commissioners—Steinberg and Shader—voting against it. The resolution condemns the murder of Wadea Al Fayoume—a six-year-old Palestinian American boy who was murdered by his family’s landlord last month, recognizes the humanity of Palestinians, acknowledges the tragic loss of over 12,300 Muslim and Christian Palestinians killed by Israel’s ongoing assault, and takes a clear stance against hate in our country.
Commissioner Steinberg is an executive board member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in Orange County and has served on the boards of the Jewish Federation, the American Jewish Congress, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Commissioner Shader serves as a Councilmember for the City of Placentia.
SEE: CAIR-LA Receives ‘Unprecedented’ Increase in Reports of Islamophobia and Anti-Palestinian Bias
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“It is deeply disappointing that two OCHRC commissioners decided to vote against the recent resolution condemning Islamophobia. Part of the Commission’s mission is to ‘eliminate discrimination and intolerance,’—yet the actions of Commissioner Steinberg and Commissioner Shader, who also serves as a public official, are indicative that they do not believe this extends to eliminating intolerance and hate against Muslim and Palestinian communities in Orange County.
“The Commission unanimously upheld these values by rightfully voting in favor of a resolution condemning antisemitism. As hate rhetoric continues to spread widely during this time, all communities must receive that same unconditional support when facing hate, discrimination, and harassment. We thank the six commissioners who voted in favor of the resolution condemning Islamophobia and standing with the Muslim and Palestinian communities.”
Anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric have been on the rise across the country, as have hate incidents targeting Muslim and Arab communities—especially students and workers. From Oct. 8 to Nov. 20, 2023, CAIR-LA received 160 requests for help and reports of bias—a 300% increase in cases compared to the previous month.
CAIR-LA thanks the Commission for passing both resolutions and their commitment to standing against hate to make Orange County a safe and welcoming community for all and denounces Commissioner Steinberg and Commissioner Shader for their vote against publicly condemning Islamophobia.
If you or someone you know are the victim of a hate crime or incident, contact CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights department at (714) 776-1177 or click here.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com