(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/29/2020) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, today condemned racist vandalism in Walland, Tenn., at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and called for consideration of hate crime charges against two white men who allegedly attempted to run over two Black teens in Yazoo County, Miss.
Vandals at Great Smoky Mountains National Park place a bear pelt and head on a park sign with the words “from here to the lake black lives don’t matter.”
SEE: Great Smokies superintendent Cassius Cash condemns racist vandalism as ‘despicable act’
In Mississippi, two white men allegedly shot at and attempted to run over two Black teens on ATVs with their truck in Yazoo County. A father and son have been apprehended for the attack.
SEE: Authorities researching hate crime statutes after 2 white men allegedly shoot at, try to run down black teens
In a statement, CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ayan Ajeen said:
“All incidents of anti-Black racism and white supremacy must be treated with the seriousness they deserve if we are to move forward to a more just and equitable society.”
Washington, D.C.-based CAIR and the American Muslim community are standing in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy.
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CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its 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 Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw, 202-999-8292, [email protected]