The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned neo-Nazi vandalism targeting a church in Billings, Montana, and welcomed the ongoing hate crime investigation into the apparently bias-motivated attack on a house of worship.
According to local media reports, Billings police are investigating vandalism at Mayflower Church that included Nazi swastikas and hateful messages. Authorities are treating the incident as a possible hate crime.
SEE: Billings Police Investigate Hate Crime at Mayflower Church
In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:
“A bias-motivated attack on any house of worship is an attack on the fundamental American values of religious freedom and human dignity. We strongly condemn this neo-Nazi vandalism and commend law enforcement for investigating this incident as a potential hate crime. Those responsible must be held fully accountable.”
He noted that in October, CAIR similarly condemned a reported neo-Nazi antisemitic attack in Missoula, Montana. In September, CAIR repeated its condemnation of the distribution of White supremacist propaganda in Montana.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly condemned neo-Nazi activity nationwide.
Hooper said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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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