The Michigan chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declining to back the recent prosecutions of anti-genocide protesters at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
When Governor Whitmer was questioned on CNN yesterday about Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) criticism of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel prosecution of eleven anti-genocide protestors at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Whitmer declined to criticize Tlaib nor support the prosecutions.
Governor Whitmer stated:
“I can just say this: You know, we do want to make sure that students are safe on our campuses, and we recognize that every person has the right to make their statement about how they feel about an issue, a right to speak out. And I’m going to use every lever of mine to ensure that both are true.”
“We welcome Governor Whitmer declining to support the stifling of freedom of speech through prosecutions, and her verbal support that all people including anti-genocide student protesters have the right to feel safe at the University of Michigan,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid.
Walid also stated that CAIR-MI echoes other community leaders’ demand for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to drop charges against the UofM Eleven for their protesting against genocide in Gaza by the Israeli military. Walid noted that only three of the eleven are Muslims, and that a number of those charged are Jewish Americans.
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CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, 248-842-1418, dwalid@cair.com; CAIR-MI Staff Attorney Amy Doukoure, 586-943-8823, adoukoure@cair.com