The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said the planned return of a Confederate statue to Washington, D.C., is an attempt to “turn back the clock” to the pre-civil rights era.”
The National Park Service says a statue honoring Confederate general Albert Pike will be returned to Washington’s Judiciary Square. It was removed by demonstrators during protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Pike was the only Confederate honored with a statue in the nation’s capital.
In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:
“Returning a statue of a Confederate general to public display in our nation’s capital is an insult to the legacy of the civil rights movement and to all Americans who continue to fight for racial justice and equality.
“This is not about preserving history – it’s about glorifying a past rooted in slavery, white supremacy, and treason. It’s an attempt to turn back the clock to a time when Black Americans and other marginalized communities were denied their basic rights.
“Symbols matter. Honoring those who fought to preserve slavery sends a clear and dangerous message – especially to minority communities. We urge the National Park Service and D.C. officials to reject this effort and instead continue working to build a more inclusive and just society.”
He noted that as early as 2017, CAIR offered support for a request by officials in Washington, D.C., to remove Pike’s statue.
Hooper said CAIR has repeatedly called for the removal of Confederate names, holidays, flags, statues, and symbols nationwide.
END
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