In commemoration of the UN’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, today joined an international coalition of Muslim advocacy organizations in “calling the attention of those committed to advancing justice for all people to injustices being perpetrated by the governments of Israel, India, China, and France.”
Domestically, CAIR reports that the last three months of 2023 saw a relentless wave of Islamophobic bias.
SEE: Joint International Statement for UN’s Second International Day to Combat Islamophobia
The joint declaration was signed by Muslim organizations active in more than 30 different countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In their joint statement released today, CAIR and Muslim community groups around the world said the following:
“Israel’s decades of occupation and apartheid have arrived at a predictable conclusion: genocide in Gaza. Some states, such as South Africa, have asserted international humanitarian values. Other states, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, have provided military aid and political comfort to Israel while ignoring the daily stream of videos documenting Gaza’s reduction to rubble and Palestinian civilians crying for food, medicine, or over their dead children. This latest cycle of Middle East violence has impacted our constituencies as a spike in hate against Muslims in Western countries who speak up for Palestinian human rights accompanies Israel’s onslaught.
“India’s far-right, anti-Muslim government continues its repression of religious and racial minorities in that nation, particularly Muslims. Early this year, Prime Minister Modi continued to weaponize faith in his nation when he inaugurated a temple on the site of the former Babri Mosque, which was destroyed in 1992 by Hindutva nationalist mobs.
“The Chinese government advanced efforts to ‘Sinicize’ Islam in that nation by erasing mosques and Muslim cemeteries and implementing policies of internment and forced labor for ethnic and religious minorities in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang province.
“France continued efforts to erase visible clothing associated with an individual’s Islamic identity from public spaces. Most recently, the government banned Muslim students from wearing the abaya, a long, flowing robe-like garment worn by many Muslim women. Education Minister Gabriel Attal said in an interview with TV channel TF1, ‘When you walk into a classroom, you shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at them.’ Other French Ministers even admitted that though the abaya is not a religious garment, students will be targeted based on their assumed religion thereby further legalizing religious discrimination against French Muslims.”
In the statement the groups urge nations to “recognize the UN International Day to Combat Islamophobia and in particular strongly call on the above nations to abandon anti-Muslim activities.”
In a statement, CAIR Research & Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said:
“The year 2023 saw a resurgence of anti-Muslim hate in the United States. It also saw the use of state-power against Muslims around the world with Israel, India, China, and France acting as centers of gravity for Islamophobic hate.
“Ramadan is a time for Muslims to double down on speaking a word of truth to those in power. We will continue our faith’s imperative to advocate for basic human decency and freedom of conscience. We in particular call on Muslims in government worldwide to use this holy month to repudiate Islamophobic hate being perpetrated other states.”
The groups endorsing the 2024 statement are:
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) (Australia)
Collective for Countering Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE) (Europe)
Comité Justice & Libertés Pour Tous (France)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) (USA)
Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), Europe
March 15th Forum, Combating Islamophobia (USA)
MPower Change (USA)
Muslim Rights Watch Netherlands (Netherlands)
Islamophobia Studies Center (USA)
Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project (USA)
International Islamophobia Studies and Research Association (multiple nations)
Islamophobia Studies Journal (multiple nations)
Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) (UK)
US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO) (USA)
BACKGROUND:
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) first commemorated March 15th in 2021. OIC member states then encouraged the United Nations to adopt a similar resolution commemorating the day, which the international body did in 2022. The date coincides with the fourth commemoration of the Christchurch, New Zealand massacre when 51 New Zealand Muslims were murdered by an agent of hate. Member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation first commemorated the day in 2021 and subsequently pushed for UN recognition.
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 Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, [email protected]; CAIR Research and Advocacy Coordinator Farah Afify, [email protected]@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]