(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/4/22) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called out YouTube for its “ridiculous censoring” of Amnesty International’s video “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity.”
CAIR is calling on YouTube to investigate why the video promoting Palestinian human rights was flagged and urged all social media companies to stop blocking voices for justice.
Until earlier today, YouTube flagged the video with the content warning “This video may be inappropriate for some viewers” and required viewers to tap “I UNDERSTAND AND WISH TO PROCEED” to watch the video.
After being called out on social media for its inappropriate content advisory, YouTube removed the warning an hour ago.
In a statement by CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw:
“All those who value international norms of justice must call out YouTube for its ridiculous censoring of Amnesty International’s research report video that documents the Israeli government’s human rights abuses and oppression targeting Palestinians.
“While we welcome YouTube’s removal of its content warning, the video streaming company should investigate why this video was censored in the first place, and how to ensure that it stops obstructing information and voices in support of Palestinian human rights.
“We call on all social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, to stop blocking Palestinian and Muslim voices and allies, and stop hosting Islamophobic and far-right white supremacist content.”
Amnesty International’s video highlights the findings of its recent research report “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity.”
On Tuesday, CAIR welcomed the landmark report, which details the Israeli government’s decades-long human rights abuses against the Palestinian people in both the Occupied Territories and Israel itself as a system of apartheid.
In June 2021, CAIR published the opinion piece “Pushing Back Against Big Tech’s Censorship of Palestine Advocacy,” which documented how Palestinian voices are digitally censored on social media.
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 Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com