CAIR and the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR and CAIR-Florida) today joined a diverse global coalition of over 70 global, national, and local faith and human rights groups urging U.S. officials to hold perpetrators accountable for the murder of the Florida resident and other American citizens.
SEE: Letter to Secretary Rubio
The letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demands accountability and an independent, U.S.-led investigation into the killing of American citizens, including 20-year-old Tampa, Florida ice cream shop owner, Sayfollah ‘Sayf’ Kamel Musallet. This letter was launched in tandem with an effort led by U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), whose congressional letter was signed by 25 U.S. Representatives.
Rep. Castor’s initial letter highlighted a critical lack of accountability by the Israeli government regarding the brutal July 11, 2025, murder of Musallet—who was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers while protecting his family’s land—as well as the recent killings of other American citizens, including Khamis al-Ayyad and 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam, who was shot and killed by an Israeli settler on February 18, 2026. The coalition letter reaffirms the urgency and further demands the latest developments concerning American families killed by Israel and the steps taken on behalf of U.S. government officials to investigate and deliver justice.
In response to the initiative, CAIR-Florida Executive Director Hiba Rahim stated:
“We are profoundly grateful for and heartened by the powerful wave of global solidarity from this diverse, international coalition standing with us in the pursuit of justice. This collective global support sends an undeniable message: the world is watching, and we will not allow the lives of American citizens to be taken with impunity.” The executive director added:
“We explicitly and unequivocally condemn the horrific, systemic Israeli settler violence targeting American citizens and Palestinians in the West Bank. For nearly a year, Sayfollah’s grieving family in Tampa has been met with unacceptable silence while state-enabled extremist violence goes completely unchecked. The U.S. government has a fundamental duty to protect its citizens abroad. We join our global partners in demanding that Secretary Rubio, Ambassador Huckabee, and the Department of Justice immediately launch an independent, U.S.-led investigation to deliver the absolute accountability these families deserve.”
CALL TO ACTION FOR FLORIDA CITIZENS AND LEADERS:
CAIR-Florida is urgently calling on all Florida citizens, religious leaders, and civil rights organizations to amplify the demand for justice and email your US officials, urging them to take stronger measures to curb Israeli settler violence against U.S. Citizens in the West Bank:
LINK to Call to Action: https://bit.ly/ActionForSayf
CAIR-Florida’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-Florida es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT:
Wilfredo Ruiz, CAIR-Florida Communications Director, (305)502-6749, wruiz@cair.com
Chelsea Mandrigues, CAIR-Florida Communications Coordinator, (813)705-5440, cmandrigues@cair.com