The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today encouraged all Americans to contact their members of Congress and demand that they oppose the launch of an “illegal and unjustified” U.S. war on Iran for the Israeli government’s benefit.
Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie have announced plans to trigger a War Powers Resolution vote blocking President Trump from waging a war of choice against Iran without congressional approval.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We call on all Americans to tell their members of Congress to oppose another U.S. regime change war; we call on the media to ask the tough questions it failed to ask in the march to the Iraq invasion; and we call on the Trump administration to put American interests first—not the interests of Netanyahu’s rogue, warmongering government.
“This latest march to war with Iran has nothing to do with keeping the American people safe, protecting Iranian protesters, or blocking Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons that it is not pursuing and cannot build, according to our own intelligence agencies. This march to war is about risking American lives to topple another adversary of the Israeli government.
“The Trump administration and the Iranian government should reach a reasonable compromise in ongoing nuclear negotiations. Regardless of the outcome, our nation must not waste American lives and American money on another regime change war for Israel.”
In January, CAIR expressed support for the right of Iranians to peacefully protest, condemned attacks on peaceful protesters, and condemned violent attacks by rioters, including arson attacks on mosques and desecrations of the Quran.
CAIR also called for the Trump administration to re-enter negotiations with Iran to reach a lasting compromise regarding its civilian nuclear program and U.S. economic sanctions, saying:
“Even though signatories to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty have the right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes, even though U.S. intelligence has confirmed that Iran was not and is not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and even though Israel maintains a real rogue nuclear weapons program that should face sanctions, a compromise could entail Iran voluntarily giving up its right to enrich the uranium for its civilian nuclear program for some long period of time in exchange for the Trump administration lifting the sanctions that have devastated Iran’s economy and harmed the Iranian people.
“The alternative to reasonable compromise between the United States and Iran–and moral consistency in upholding international law–is more death, destruction, oppression and instability, egged on by the Israeli government. Our nation and the world must not fall into this trap again.”
Before the 12-day U.S.-Israel war against Iran last summer, CAIR called on President Trump to avert an “unnecessary and disastrous” all-out U.S. war with Iran by dropping Israel’s “poison pill” zero enrichment demand meant to doom nuclear negotiations.
CAIR issued a statement warning President Trump that the Netanyahu government’s insistence that the U.S. adopt a “zero-enrichment” demand in negotiations was meant to scuttle the talks and lead to war, which is exactly what happened.
CAIR also condemned Israel’s unilateral offensive strikes on Iran and called on the Trump administration to immediately halt all U.S. weapons transfers and military aid to the Netanyahu government.
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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