Muslim American organizations, meanwhile, say they are being flooded with reports of anti-Muslim bias since Israel invaded Gaza. The Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a rise in incidents of anti-Muslim bigotry at school, at work, after attending street protests or in criticizing Israel online.
“It’s a trope at this point that if you’re a Muslim who speaks up for Palestinian human rights and freedom, you’re going to be accused of being a terrorist,” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR’s national deputy director.
CAIR: SCOTUS Unanimously Moves No-Fly List Case Forward – KPFA
Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled with a full consensus – a 9-to-0 decision, that the government must allow Yonas Fikre to pursue a court case in which he claims that being on the official No Fly list caused him reputational harm and violated his due process. The FBI argued that since they took him off the list, the case was moot. Essentially, the Supreme Court ruling admits that the FBI’s No Fly list can continue to be interrogated in court. Joining us to discuss the case is Justin Sadowsky, a trial attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR. CAIR is the organization that brought Fikre’s lawsuit and successfully argued it in the Supreme Court. Justin, our guest, co-wrote many of the briefs in that case.
CAIR: A Biden Judicial Nominee Is Facing an Islamophobic Smear Campaign. Why Is It Working? – The New York Times
Of course, the crucial background for the attacks on Mangi is the wave of Islamophobia that has swept the country over the past six months. The Council on American-Islamic Relations reported at the end of 2023 that it saw a 216 percent increase in reports of bias and requests for assistance from the previous year.
CAIR: U.S. Supreme Court says former Portland man can challenge his no-fly status even after FBI removed him from its list – The Oregonian
Brandon Mayfield, who won a $2 million settlement against the FBI after the federal agency wrongly identified him as a suspect in the 2004 Madrid train bombings in a separate case, has represented Fikre, along with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The council has argued that the FBI often altered the status of dozens of Muslims who were on the government watchlist after being sued to avoid federal court scrutiny and the FBI’s ability to maintain its secret lists.
The council’s executive director, Nihad Awad, on Monday applauded the ruling, calling it a “major victory” and a “historic milestone for American Muslims, including tens of thousands unjustly targeted by our government.”
“We vow to continue our fight until the FBI’s secret watchlists no longer target our communities and undermine the Constitution,” Awad said in the statement.
CAIR Says ‘Bad Faith Bill’ Passes House Without Provisions Targeting Muslim Community’s Chosen Rep – WJZ
CAIR-Sacrmento: Sacramento council approves cease-fire resolution proposed by local Jewish, Muslim leaders – Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations formally supported it. Basim Elkarra, executive director, said he has lost over 70 family members in Gaza since Oct. 7. “This resolution is not perfect,” Elkarra, who is also a Twin Rivers Unified School District member, told the council. “It doesn’t have all the details we wanted. In negotiations we don’t always get what we want. However this resolution has a strong and clear call for a cease-fire which is the primary goal.”
CAIR-Sacramento: Sacramento mayor, supporters talk Gaza cease-fire resolution – KCRA
Video: Basim Elkara, executive director of CAIR, speaks in support of Gaza cease-fire resolution
CAIR-Sacramento: Dozen arrests, chambers cleared during Sacramento City Council discussion of Gaza cease-fire resolution – CBS
CAIR: American Muslim Groups Plan to Boycott White House Ramadan
Should an invitation come, it’s “widely understood” that American Muslim community leaders and organizations will decline, said Robert McCaw, director of the Government Affairs Department at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR.
“This decision is due to the administration’s failure to address Muslim community demands for an immediate and permanent cease-fire,” McCaw told VOA. “And its refusal to stop supplying manufactured weapons to Israel, which are being used in a genocide against our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza.”
CAIR-Ohio: Columbus cancels Ramadan dinner after Muslim group RSVPs no, citing no call for cease-fire – Columbus Dispatch
The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced on Tuesday that it would not attend this year’s annual “iftar” dinner because the city council has not passed a cease-fire resolution for the ongoing war in Gaza. Hours later, the city sent invitees an email saying the program was canceled.
CAIR-Ohio: Columbus City Council cancels annual Ramadan event after Muslim group denied support
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-Ohio, said in a Tuesday statement that it could not “partake in festivities with those who refuse to acknowledge the unimaginable suffering” in Palestine.
CAIR: Muslim Activists Demand Ceasefire Resolution From Fort Bend County Judge; Iftar Celebration Canceled
This pressure campaign is not confined to Fort Bend alone, but is seen nationwide. The Council on American Islamic Relations-Texas along with 20 other Muslim and Arab community organizations had called on community members and organizations to boycott the Houston Mayor’s Iftar until Mayor John Whitmire called for a ceasefire. Despite protest, the Houston event was held as scheduled on March 17.
CAIR-LA: Gaza war threatens to divide O.C.’s Human Relations Commission from within – Los Angeles Times
“We’re glad the statement passed,” said Monica Rahim, senior policy and advocacy manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Los Angeles chapter. “But for an organization whose role is to ease tension, conflict, discrimination and intolerance, we hope that all commissioners would adhere to those values.”
FBI surveilling Muslims in US amid Israel war on Gaza, CAIR lawyer reveals
CAIR: FBI puts Muslims in US under scrutiny after Israeli attacks on Gaza – Daily Sabah
Daily Sabah
CAIR calls for federal probe after Bridgeport mosque targeted in potential bias incidents – Connecticut Public
The Masjid An-Noor mosque in Bridgeport has reported two potential bias incidents this week, the first of its kind this year, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations’ Connecticut chapter (CAIR).
CAIR-Chicago: Vandalism at Chicago mosque investigated as possible hate crime – AsAmNews
CAIR-FL: Puertorriqueño convertido al islam y celebrando el Ramadán – VOA News
Más de dos décadas después, él mismo ha confirmado que ese acercamiento con el islam no era algo anecdótico de su juventud. Ahora, residiendo en el sur de la Florida, participa activamente en el Consejo de Relaciones Americano-Islámicas (CAIR, por sus siglas en inglés), una organización que trabaja en pro de los derechos de los musulmanes en esta región del país, donde se estima que viven más de 100.000.