The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on law enforcement authorities to investigate multiple reports of demonstrators peacefully advocating for a Gaza ceasefire at a Howard County rally last evening who were reportedly harassed, insulted, assaulted and provoked by anti-Palestinian protestors, some who carried the Israeli flag and held signs calling for the “nuking of Gaza.”
The incidents targeted at least 14 community members according to complaints CAIR has received and reviewed so far, all of which occurred last evening outside the George Howard Executive Building in Ellicott City during a Howard County Council hearing on resolutions including CR22-2024 Ceasefire Resolution introduced by Councilmember Liz Walsh.
At least one anti-Palestinian protestor was arrested by police and charged after physically assaulting a community member.
Examples of other incidents observed by or reported to CAIR include:
- a Muslim teen who was allegedly assaulted with a megaphone by an anti-Palestinian protestor;
- several peaceful ceasefire protestors who endured repetitive abusive taunts of ‘terrorists,’ ‘Hamas’ and racist slurs;
- a child whose keffiyeh was yanked by a protestor carrying an Israeli flag; a young child with red paint on his hands taunted that he has ‘Israeli blood’ on his hands;
- and a protestor carrying an Israeli flag who pushed past a woman in a manner that allegedly made her fall to the ground.
Complaints have been filed with police in some of these cases.
In a statement,CAIR Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“The virulent anti-Palestinian hate on display last night by those defending the genocidal government of Israel by resorting to violent, aggressive behavior themselves is a mere extension of the unprecedented hate bias facing our communities since last October. Council members compromising Palestinian human rights over concerns about divisiveness are feeding into and emboldening this type of hate. Each of these reports deserves to be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
“These attempts to silence and intimidate our communities won’t be successful. Amidst 122 days of enduring genocide and relentless war crimes, Gaza has taught the world powerful lessons in courage. While cowardly, bullying tactics might work in school yards and in council hearing rooms, they only serve to reinforce our communities’ determination to expose the facts, speak truth to power and advocate for justice.”
The civil rights group is urging anyone who experienced a hate bias incident to seek medical attention if warranted, take photos of any injuries, draft a statement of the facts, collect any documentation and report it to the Howard County Police Department and to CAIR regardless of whether they wish to pursue legal action.
File a Police Report:
Howard County Police Department
Northern District Headquarters
3410 Court House Dr
Ellicott City, MD 21043
410-313-3200
CAIR is asking the Office of the Howard County Executive to promptly provide CCTV/surveillance footage from the property of the George Howard Executive Building and adjacent parking lots to community members who may need assistance identifying suspects.
The civil rights group is also urging the Howard County Police Department to swiftly and thoroughly investigate any complaints it receives, and to bring hate crime charges as appropriate.
CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
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 Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com