Join the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in urging your U.S. senators to formally censure Republican senator John Kennedy (R-LA) for his brazen display of anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim hate during a Senate Judiciary hearing meant to address the rise in hate crimes against minority communities amid the Gaza genocide.
TAKE ACTION NOW: URGE THE SENATE TO CENSURE ANTI-MUSLIM BIGOT JOHN KENNEDY
Join CAIR in demanding that the Senate rebuke and censure Senator Kennedy for using a Senate hearing to perpetuate harmful anti-Arab and anti-Muslim tropes. His actions represent one of the most blatant displays of divisive and bigoted rhetoric by an elected official in recent history. We need a firm, unified response to combat hate crimes and protect all communities from such harmful attacks.
During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Tuesday hearing titled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America,” Senator Kennedy, along with others, resorted to anti-Arab and Islamophobic stereotypes during his questioning of Maya Berry, Executive Director of the Arab American Institute.
SEE:Witnesses Testify on Hate Crimes Before Senate Judiciary Committee
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“Senator Kennedy’s hateful attacks on the executive director of the Arab American Institute during a Senate Judiciary Committee on hate crimes hearing exemplifies the anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim hate that Arab Americans and American Muslims face daily. His aggressive badgering and incoherent attempts to slander her showed a troubling disregard for integrity and decency.
“CAIR urges Senate Democratic and Republican leadership to sponsor a joint resolution censuring Senator Kennedy. Failure to act would condone anti-Arab racism and anti-Muslim bigotry in Congress and undermine the values of our political institutions. This behavior demands swift and serious consequences.”
CAIR attended the hearing and submitted a detailed written statement for inclusion in the official record of the hearing.
CLICK HERE: READ CAIR’S STATEMENT
CLICK HERE: TO WATCH THE HEARING
CAIR’s statement highlights alarming statistics on the rise of Islamophobic hate crimes, discrimination, and violence against American Muslims and Palestinians, particularly in the wake of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and its expanding occupation and violence in the West Bank. The submission details disturbing incidents, including the brutal murder of six-year-old Palestinian-American Wadee AlFayoumi in Chicago, the firing of Muslim employees, and discriminatory policies targeting students. It also offers recommendations for addressing systemic discrimination and strengthening legislative protections for Muslim, Palestinian, and allied communities.
CAIR’s statement calls for the adoption H.Con.Res. 99 & S.Res.589, 9, which honor Wadee AlFayoumi’s memory and recognize his death as a hate crime targeting his Palestinian-Muslim identity.
Following the hearing, CAIR issued a condemnation of Senator Kennedy.
SEE: CAIR Condemns U.S. Senator Kennedy’s Anti-Arab Hate During Hate Crimes Hearing
CAIR recently reported a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate. From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 complaints, a 69% increase over the same period in 2023.
SEE: New CAIR Data Shows Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian Hate Remain Elevated in First Half of 2024
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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