The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed its full support for the California Faculty Association (CFA) and condemned what it says is a disingenuous, politically motivated smear campaign by the California Legislative Jewish Caucus (CLJC) and allied organizations.
The controversy centers on a single question in a CFA candidate questionnaire asking about endorsements or contributions from several special interest sectors, including “AIPAC/JPAC, the oil industry, the tobacco industry, police associations, etc.” CAIR-CA said that framing this as “deeply offensive and discriminatory” toward the Jewish community mischaracterizes a legitimate inquiry into lobbying influence and academic freedom.
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“Let’s be clear about what this is: a bad-faith attack to bully and silence a labor union and anyone else who dares to question the influence of the pro-Israel lobby on academic freedom. CFA is a key partner for educational equity and racial and social justice. Casting a standard question about lobbying as antisemitic is a shameful tactic we’ve seen used repeatedly to shut down criticism of Israeli government policies. We won’t let these smears deter our collective work.”
CFA has apologized for the imprecise wording of the question and any unintended harm while reaffirming its intent to foster discussion on academic freedom. That debate was front and center during the recent legislative session, when a broad coalition opposed AB 715, a bill sponsored by JPAC and championed by the CLJC. Nearly every major education group in California, including the CFA, viewed the bill as chilling classroom speech and censoring educators by equating criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism. JPAC’s staunch support of that bill, in the eyes of many educators and civil rights advocates, aligns the organization with broader efforts to shield the Israeli government from criticism by using legislation to silence legitimate academic and political discourse.
CAIR-CA echoes partners at Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), who called the attacks a “shameful weaponization of antisemitism.” Conflating a political lobby or foreign government with an entire faith community is dangerous and wrong. As JVP notes, “Israel is a sovereign state that must be held accountable for its actions. …These two things are not the same.”
Antisemitism is real and must be fought. However, deploying false accusations of bigotry to silence dissent not only harms advocacy for Palestinian rights but also trivializes genuine incidents of antisemitism.
CAIR-CA stands in full solidarity with the thousands of educators represented by the CFA. We urge the CLJC to cease its divisive campaign against the union and instead engage in an honest conversation about the critical policy issues facing California’s students and faculty.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, 714.851.4851, eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Communications Director Zaid Hisham, 916.441.6269, zhisham@cair.com; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, 760.201.7626, tnizam@cair.com; CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com.