The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the stabbing death of a Muslim worshiper at a mosque in France by an attacker reportedly shouting Islamophobic slurs and called on French political leaders to stop fanning the flames of Islamophobia in the country.
The suspect is still on the run following the attack that French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called “Islamophobic.”
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“We strongly condemn this vicious hate crime, which was an attack against not only a French Muslim worshiping in peace at his mosque but was also an attack on the broader French Muslim community. This heinous crime was also, sadly, predictable. The French government and French politicians aspiring to power have been fanning the flames of anti-Muslim bigotry and racism against French Muslims for years, even smearing and shutting down mosques and the nation’s most prominent anti-Islamophobia civil rights group.
“Arresting and prosecuting this killer is important. So is ending the state-sponsored anti-Muslim bigotry that can contribute to such hateful crimes.
On March 15 of this year, CAIR joined an international coalition of Muslim organizations and human rights civil society organizations in marking the UN’s 2025 International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
Yesterday, CAIR and its New York chapter (CAIR-NY) called on the New York Police Department (NYPD) to pursue hate crime charges against members of a pro-Israel mob seen in a video posted online chasing and attacking a woman they thought was an Arab-American while shouting slurs like “death to Arabs” and making threats of rape.
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
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 Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com