The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned alleged “racist hate” targeting members of the Utah women’s basketball team at a hotel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
According to media reports, the team had to switch hotels after experiencing those bias-motivated incidents ahead of its first NCAA tournament game. One incident reportedly occurred as the team gathered at a restaurant for dinner. While walking to the restaurant, someone yelled the N-word toward the team before speeding off in a truck.
“We condemn these alleged hate incidents targeting the Utah women’s basketball team and hope tournament officials and university authorities will take all actions necessary to protect the team members from bias-motivated harassment and intimidation,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
He added that CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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CONTACT: 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 Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com