The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for an investigation of alleged Islamophobic harassment of Muslim students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln by a teaching assistant.
Video reportedly shows the teaching assistant insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, falsely claiming the students “worship the prophet Muhammed” and stating, “until you stop doing that, the true god, Jesus, will let your people die.” The alleged harassment reportedly occurred after an event by Students for Justice in Palestine discussing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
“We urge University of Nebraska officials to investigate this disturbing incident, take appropriate actions based on the results of that investigation and ensure the safety of Muslim and all other students,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.
Last month, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
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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