The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) strongly condemns outgoing Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s recent statements opposing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and falsely framing it as discriminatory.
See: Mayor Steven Fulop’s Tweet
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:
“It is disappointing to see an outgoing mayor of one of New Jersey’s most diverse cities endorse a policy that undermines constitutionally protected political expression. BDS is a nonviolent human rights movement grounded in accountability—not bias. Activism necessarily focuses on where there is leverage. When U.S. taxpayer dollars, U.S. weapons, and U.S. veto power are used to shield a government from accountability, U.S. residents have both the right and responsibility to speak out.
“You do not excuse a crime by pointing to other crimes. You stop the crime. That is precisely what BDS seeks to do: end complicity in human rights violations through peaceful, lawful means. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that boycotts are a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.
“Claims that BDS applies a “unique standard” to Israel are inaccurate. What is unique in today’s world is the scale, duration, and international legal violation of Israel’s decades-long military occupation, system of apartheid, and ongoing genocide against an indigenous population, especially given the level of U.S. political, military, and financial support.
“By Mayor Fulop’s logic, unless advocates condemn every injustice everywhere, they have no right to condemn any injustice anywhere. That standard is impossible, unserious, and would silence all human rights advocacy. No civil rights movement in history has ever been held to such a test. The Mayor should repeal the policy, and Jersey City council members should speak up in support of the first amendment.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director, Selaedin Maksut, smaksut@cair.com, 862-264-9414