The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned House Speaker Mike Johnson’s claim that Iranians follow a “misguided religion,” calling the remark irresponsible, dangerous, and beneath the dignity of his office.
CAIR said the speaker’s comments contribute to growing anti-Muslim sentiment, conflate political disputes with religious prejudice, and risk turning an illegal war on Iran into an illegal religious war.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“Mike Johnson’s claim that Iranians follow a ‘misguided religion’ that leads them to hate America is a dangerous, irresponsible and hypocritical expression of bigotry that is completely inappropriate for the Speaker of the House. At a time of heightened tensions, our nation’s leaders should be working to de-escalate tension, not inflame it with broad-brush smears of an entire religion.
“Such rhetoric echoes some of the darkest chapters of our history, when religious and ethnic minorities were demonized to justify discrimination and war. Political disagreements with a foreign government must never become an excuse to malign a faith practiced by some two billion people worldwide.
“Accusing others of religious fanaticism while turning religious fanaticism into U.S. government policy is the height of hypocrisy. Like Pete Hegseth’s derisive comment about ‘Islamist prophetic delusions,’ Benjamin Netanyahu’s reference to a biblical massacre of Amalek, and U.S. military commanders telling troops that President Trump has been anointed to bring about Armageddon, Speaker Johnson’s rhetoric risks turning an illegal war into an illegal holy war.
“We call on Speaker Johnson to retract his remarks, and we urge all elected officials to reject religious bigotry and recommit to the constitutional principle of freedom of religion for all. This war in Iran should end, and so should the dangerous rhetoric used to justify it.”
Yesterday, CAIR condemned the Pentagon’s use of dangerous anti-Muslim “holy war rhetoric” to justify bombing Iran.
CAIR also noted that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently referred to “crazy regimes like Iran, hell-bent on prophetic Islamic delusions.”
[NOTE: A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only 25 percent of Americans support the U.S. strikes on Iran.]
Earlier this week, CAIR and CAIR Action, one of the nation’s leading Muslim political organizations, released a pre-election primary survey of 1,086 registered Muslim voters from four states – Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, and Texas – showing high expected turnout among Muslim voters, overwhelming opposition to a new U.S. war in the Middle East, strong disapproval of President Donald Trump, and broad unwillingness to vote for candidates who deny that genocide has occurred in Gaza.
CAIR is encouraging all Americans to contact the White House and their members of Congress to demand an end to the Trump administration’s “unnecessary, unjustified, and unconstitutional” regime-change war launched against Iran for Israel’s benefit.
TAKE ACTION NOW: TELL CONGRESS: NO U.S. WAR WITH IRAN
Last week, CAIR urged all Americans to contact their members of Congress and demand support for the bipartisan Khanna–Massie War Powers Resolution to block President Trump from launching an unauthorized war against Iran.
Last year, 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.
CAIR previously 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.
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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