The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned marches by neo-Nazis in South Dakota.
A group of more than a dozen neo-Nazis, who wore all red clothes and black face masks and posed with a Nazi flag, reportedly marched through the streets of South Dakota’s capital Pierre before stopping at the front steps of the capitol building Saturday. A similar neo-Nazi event also reportedly took place in Deadwood, South Dakota. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and the NAACP condemned the marches.
SEE: Masked group displays Nazi flag in front of Pierre Capitol building
“We join in the condemnation of this display of hatred and bigotry, which targets every minority community and must be repudiated by all Americans,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “Hate groups will never prevent diverse communities in South Dakota or anywhere in our nation from exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and speech.”
He added that CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@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