The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the George Washington University’s (GW) suspension of the anti-genocide group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), calling the move an unacceptable act of viewpoint discrimination and a violation of students’ fundamental rights.
The university in Washington, D.C., reportedly suspended JVP through May 2026, citing vague allegations related to conduct and campus disruption. CAIR said the move appears to be part of a broader trend of silencing campus activism critical of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and U.S. complicity with that genocide.
Earlier this year, 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.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We condemn George Washington University’s suspension of Jewish Voice for Peace, a group whose courageous anti-genocide advocacy reflects the values of justice, equality, and human dignity. This action is not only a blatant violation of students’ First Amendment rights — it’s also part of a dangerous trend in which universities and institutions punish those who speak out against Israel’s genocide and apartheid.
“Silencing Jewish students who oppose genocide undermines academic freedom and contributes to a climate of fear and repression. Universities should be spaces for critical inquiry and moral courage — not genocide complicity and censorship. We call on George Washington University to immediately reverse this decision and uphold the rights of all students to speak out for justice.”
Last year, CAIR called on the George Washington University to allow medical access and legal observers for an anti-genocide student sit-in in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
On Saturday, CAIR condemned the silence of the Trump administration after eight more people, including two children, were starved to death in Israel’s U.S.-backed campaign of forced starvation in Gaza.
Last week, CAIR said that the United Nations official declaration that a man-made famine is occurring in Gaza “must mark the end” of the complicity of the Trump administration and Congress in the Israeli government’s ongoing and escalating genocide.
CAIR also called on members of Congress to recognize Israel’s obvious and documented genocide in Gaza after data from a secret Israeli intelligence database showed that least 83 percent of Palestinians slaughtered in Gaza were civilians – not combatants.
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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