The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the scheduled celebration as an official state holiday in Mississippi of Confederate Memorial Day, honoring the racist and white supremacist legacy of the Confederacy.
Confederate Memorial Day is celebrated in Mississippi on the last Monday of the month, this year on April 29. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas also celebrate the holiday.
“No state should celebrate the racist and white supremacist legacy of the Confederacy,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “The traitors to our nation who defended racism and slavery should be repudiated, not honored.”
He noted that earlier this year, CAIR reiterated its condemnation of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves’ decision to sign a proclamation naming April as Confederate Heritage Month. CAIR similarly condemned the declaration in past years.
Hooper said Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly called for the removal of Confederate names, holidays, flags, statues, and symbols nationwide.
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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