The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, along with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, today condemned an anti-Muslim rally planned for this Sunday, Aug. 23, outside the Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC) in Los Angeles.
SEE: Intelligence Advisory: Far-Right Agitators Rallying At Mosque
A flyer for the event posted to Instagram advertises a “Free Speech Rally” alongside imagery of the crusader cross, a symbol frequently used by anti-Muslim extremists. The caption accompanying the flyer states the purpose of the rally is to “stand against the war on AMERICANS by Jihadist sympathizers and Antifa Terrorists.”
ICSC takes the safety and security of its community seriously and is working closely with local law enforcement and the office of LA Mayor Bass.
CAIR-LA, MPAC, Shura Council, and ICSC call on community leaders, elected officials, and residents to reject hate and support the mosque’s efforts to continue serving the broader public.
In a statement, ICSC spokesperson Omar Ricci said:
“ICSC has served as a place of worship, community, and belonging in LA for generations. Attempts to bring hate, intimidation, or fear to the doorstep of any house of worship have no place in our city. We will not allow those who seek to divide our communities to define who we are or how we respond. We remain grounded in our faith and committed to the safety and dignity of our congregation, neighbors, and community.
“We stand firm alongside our partners of all backgrounds in rejecting hatred in every form. Our doors, our values, and our commitment to building a more compassionate and united LA remain stronger than the voices seeking to divide us.”
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“The organizer’s decision to falsely portray ICSC—a mosque where hundreds of families and community members peacefully worship every day—as the front line of a supposed ‘war on America’ is not a harmless claim. This type of hateful and dehumanizing rhetoric contributes to a political climate where Muslims are othered and seen as ‘the enemy.’ It is the same type of rhetoric that emboldened anti-Muslim extremists to carry out a horrific attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego in May.
“We firmly stand with ICSC and the LA Muslim community against hate. We urge public officials and community members to stand united against hate and violence while upholding the fundamental American principle of religious freedom.”
In a statement, MPAC President and Co-founder Salam Al-Marayati President said:
“These extremists are deliberately instigating conflict, hoping to draw communities into rancor and division. In doing so, they create the very pretext for greater federal intervention and encroachment into elections that belong to our cities and states. They are turning distortions into imagined threats and manufacturing a crisis where none exists. The only extremism here is in the threats they are inventing. We will continue to stand with ICSC and communities across the country facing this kind of organized harassment.”
In a statement, Shura Council Board Chair Deana Helmy said:
“This rally is not free speech—it is an attempt to intimidate a community that has been woven into the fabric of Southern California for generations. We are your neighbors, physicians, teachers, and first responders. Hate aimed at one house of worship is a betrayal of the pluralism this country claims to stand for, and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California stands unequivocally with ICSC in rejecting it. We will not be intimidated into silence, and we will not stand down.”
CAIR-LA recently condemned Islamophobic online smear campaigns targeting the Islamic Center of Irvine and the Islamic Society of Orange County.
CAIR’s California chapter also previously condemned online death threats directed at Hussam Ayloush, the organization’s CEO and executive director of CAIR-LA, on the public X account of former FBI agent and anti-Muslim extremist John Guandolo.
According to CAIR’s most recent civil rights report, complaints of anti-Muslim bias and discrimination have continued to rise nationwide, reflecting an ongoing pattern of Islamophobia impacting communities across the country.
CAIR recently documented 17 incidents targeting mosques and Islamic centers nationwide, including multiple in California, from May to July—a 183% increase over the same three-month period last year.
CAIR-LA urges mosque leaders to maintain increased awareness and utilize resources to maintain community safety, including CAIR’s “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet, which offers advice on how to help keep religious facilities safe. The advice in the booklet is applicable to houses of worship of all faiths. CAIR-LA also published a guide on mosque security, which advises mosque leadership on what to do if their place of worship is targeted by hate.
To report any bias or hate incidents, contact CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights Department at (714) 776-1177 (ext. 2) or click here to file a report.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’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-LA Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or [email protected]; CAIR-LA Senior Communications Coordinator Madi Hameed, [email protected]