The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called the Trump administration’s expulsion of South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool “racist” and “Islamophobic” retaliation for his nation’s opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Rasool is no longer welcome in the U.S., declaring him “persona non grata” in a social media post after the diplomat accused President Trump of promoting white supremacy.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said of Rubio’s post: “Your declaration of Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool as persona non grata is a racist, Islamophobic, transparent act of retaliation for South Africa’s opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”
In a further statement, CAIR said:
“Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool is a widely respected diplomat and a vocal advocate for justice who was also one of the South African Muslim community’s most prominent anti-apartheid activists.
“It is deeply ironic and dishonest for Secretary Rubio to accuse Ambassador Rasool of race baiting because he correctly noted that Trump administration officials have been pushing white supremacist movements globally, like the AfD in Germany.
“The Trump administration must stop obsessively picking fights with the free, democratically-elected South African government because it successfully held the genocidal Israeli apartheid government to account before the International Court of Justice.
“We applaud the South African people for their courageous, steadfast opposition to racism, apartheid and genocide.”
Last week, CAIR said President Trump’s use of “Palestinian” as a racial slur is “beneath the dignity of his office.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR 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: 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