(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/21/22) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today decried the re-appointment of anti-Muslim activist and possible 9/11 truther Laurie Cardoza-Moore to Tennessee’s Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission. Cardoza-Moore leads the Franklin, Tenn., group Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN).
CAIR had previously called on Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton to rescind Cardoza-Moore’s appointment to the 16-member commission overseeing Tennessee’s list of textbooks and other educational materials recommended for use by public schools.
SEE: CAIR Renews Call for Tennessee Legislature to Drop Appointment of Anti-Muslim Activist, Possible 9/11 Truther to Textbook Commission
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“Students in Tennessee should be able to attend school and obtain an education without being distracted by political extremists or hateful bigots. Laurie Cardoza-Moore, a conspiracy theorist whose anti-Muslim rhetoric has endangered Tennessee families, has no business serving on any government commission, especially one that can influence what students read in their textbooks.”
Mitchell noted that just recently, Cardoza-Moore sparked controversy by claiming that the United States was “founded on Torah.”
SEE: Tennessee anti-Muslim activist, Christian Zionist sparks controversy by saying U.S. ‘founded on Torah’
BACKGROUNDER:
In questioning by lawmakers for her initial appointment to the commission, Cardoza-More, Sen. Akbari cited a textbook review that seemed to promote the 9/11 truther hoax.
CAIR Video: Is Islamophobic Candidate for Tennessee Textbook Commission a 9/11 Truther?
In responding to another question by a lawmaker, Cardoza-Moore stood by her false 2010 statement that a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., was a “terrorist training camp.”
SEE: Anti-Black Lives Matter, Vax-Hoaxer One Step Closer to Picking Textbooks
https://www.memphisflyer.com/anti-black-lives-matter-vax-hoaxer-one-step-closer-to-picking-textbooks
Tennessee textbook commission appointee criticized as anti-Muslim
https://news.yahoo.com/tennessee-textbook-commission-appointee-criticized-080100575.html
PJTN initiatives include “Stop Access Islam.” Cardoza-Moore led opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and opposed a mosque in New York City. On “The Daily Show,” she falsely claimed that “30 percent” of Muslims “are terrorists.”
CNN: Laurie Cardoza-Moore is leading opposition to the Murfreesboro mosque
https://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/13/muslim.tennessee.mosque/index.html
Israel approved grant to anti-Muslim ‘hate group’ PJTN
Video: Laurie Cardoza-Moore speech at the rally against Islamic Center in NYC (Aug. 22, 2010)
Cardoza-Moore says, “Islam is a political system of global domination,” that 30 percent of Muslims are terrorists and there are already 35 training camps in America.
SEE: Faith, fear clash in middle Tennessee over proposed mosque
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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 Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com