The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today designated Indiana University (IU) as a ‘hostile campus’ due to its targeting of anti-genocide students, faculty, and staff advocating for Palestinian human rights.
IU’s administration has repeatedly taken severe disciplinary measures against those expressing opposition to occupation, apartheid, and genocide. IU has reportedly enacted restrictive policies, suspended faculty members without due process, and called in militarized police forces to dismantle peaceful demonstrations, resulting in mass arrests and campus bans. Furthermore, IU’s President Whitten has allegedly admitted to working with pro-Israel organizations to suppress speech critical of Israel, raising grave concerns about the university’s role in violating constitutional free speech protections.
SEE: CAIR Designates Indiana University a Hostile Campus
“IU’s administration has created a climate of fear and hostility, disproportionately targeting those who speak out for Palestinian human rights,” said Corey Saylor, Research and Advocacy Director at CAIR. “Universities should be places of open discourse and debate, not institutions that weaponize policies and law enforcement to silence students and faculty.”
CAIR joins civil rights organizations, faculty members, and legal advocacy groups in condemning IU’s actions and urges immediate accountability for its violations of civil rights, constitutional protections, and academic freedom.
In May, CAIR released ‘Hostile’: How Universities Target Anti-Genocide Protesters, detailing unprecedented efforts across the country to suppress students from advocating for Palestinians. In August, CAIR launched its Unhostile Campus Campaign, a project aimed at fostering a campus environment where Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, faculty, and staff opposing the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza enjoy free speech and academic freedom and are not subjected to state force or university discipline due to their viewpoints.
Students, staff, and faculty who wish for their university or college campus to be potentially designated as a hostile campus should complete the ‘Report a Hostile Campus’ form. This form is intended solely to inform CAIR’s ‘UnHostile Campus Campaign.’ Individuals seeking CAIR’s legal and advocacy services should contact their local office or chapter, or if there is no local chapter, file a formal report with CAIR’s National Civil Rights Department.
In November, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), along with its Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB) released its second campus climate report titled Examining Islamophobia on College Campuses. The report, based on survey responses from students at 87 colleges and universities across California, reveals a significant rise in harassment and discrimination against Muslim students, with nearly 50% reporting negative experiences on campus.
CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@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