Muslim civil rights and advocacy group says local police should not pursue charges against the performer
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today commended a performer at last night’s Super Bowl in New Orleans for peacefully raising awareness about war crimes in Gaza and Sudan.
That performer unfurled a flag with the words “Sudan” and “Gaza” during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show and ran in circles in empty areas of the field before being detained by security personnel.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“Peaceful acts of protest and civil disobedience in the pursuit of a just cause are an American tradition. We commend the Super Bowl performer who courageously and peacefully raised awareness about ongoing war crimes against the people of Gaza and Sudan.
“This brave act of peaceful protest should serve as a reminder that many Americans recognize the humanity of those suffering abroad as a result of American foreign policy, including Palestinians dealing with the aftermath of the Israeli genocide that our own government funded in Gaza amid complete silence from major athletic associations that have commented on other domestic and global injustices.
“The National Football League should not seek any criminal charges against this peaceful protester, nor should law enforcement pursue any baseless charges. This performer risked his career to peacefully raise awareness about human suffering without even causing any significant disruption to the halftime show, and he should be celebrated as a hero.”
The updated the death toll from Israel’s genocide in Gaza has topped 61,000 – mostly slaughtered women and children – with thousands added who are missing and presumed dead.
END
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