The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned Harvard University for adopting as part of its antidiscrimination policies the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) highly controversial definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of the Israeli government with religious discrimination.
In part due to this latest act, CAIR today designated Harvard University as a “Hostile Campus” for targeting anti-genocide protesters and creating a hostile environment by repressing free speech and academic freedoms on campus.
“If you want to learn about human rights, free speech, and critical thought, we suggest Harvard is not the place to go. Harvard leaders must be aware of the problematic nature of the IHRA definition, yet they went with it anyway, further dehumanizing anti-genocide and anti-apartheid voices,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor.
In a 2023 letter to the UN from 104 civil society organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, urging the UN not to endorse the IHRA definition the coalition observed, “the IHRA definition has often been used to wrongly label criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus chill and sometimes suppress, non-violent protest, activism and speech critical of Israel and/or Zionism, including in the US and Europe.”
The original drafter of the IHRA definition himself called it a “working definition” and testified to the U.S. Congress that if government bodies “enshrine this definition into law, outside groups will try and suppress – rather than answer – political speech they don’t like. The academy, Jewish students, and faculty teaching about Jewish issues, will all suffer.”
In a report released today, CAIR documented the different ways in which the administration at Harvard displayed apparent discrimination based on religion, race, and ethnicity by actively suppressing the free speech of Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, staff, and faculty who oppose occupation and apartheid. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) 2025 Free Speech College Rankings, Harvard University was ranked 251st, or last, compared to other top American colleges.
SEE: CAIR Designated Harvard University as a Hostile Campus
SEE ALSO: FIRE’s Free Speech Ranking of Harvard University
Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, CAIR-MA Executive Director, said:
“Since October 2023, CAIR-MA has advised dozens of Harvard students, faculty, and staff of all religious faiths who have been falsely accused of antisemitism for supporting Palestinian human rights. We have seen the fear and disruption that is sown when criticism of a foreign government threatens academic careers. We are both saddened and alarmed that such a prestigious university would choose to punish the free exchange of ideas.”
Amatul-Wadud added: “Harvard’s decision to embrace the IHRA definition is intended to insulate the Israeli government from criticism. Harvard could have adopted the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism. That thoughtful and non-partisan declaration was issued in 2020 by Jewish scholars who objected to how the IHRA definition was being used to punish open debate on an issue of intense international concern. But instead, Harvard has opted to align itself with a foreign power at the cost of quelling political dissent.”
“Massachusetts residents should be aware that this is not just an issue for a private institution like Harvard,” warned Barbara J. Dougan, CAIR-MA Legal Director. “It is also playing out within our state government, due to language tucked into the 2025 state budget, without any opportunity for public comment. That language created Massachusetts’ Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism, which is charged with, among other things, recommending new laws and policies that would only apply to antisemitic discrimination.
In response to the back-door manner in which the Commission was created as well as its mission to elevate antisemitism above all other forms of oppression, the Together for an Inclusive Massachusetts (TIM) coalition mobilized. TIM is comprised of religious, civil rights, educational, labor, and other groups, including CAIR-MA. TIM unequivocally condemns antisemitism while simultaneously urging that anti-Jewish bias be seen as interrelated with other racist ideologies grounded in white supremacy. No one can be safe unless all are safe, and elevating one group’s safety at the expense of all others is the wrong way to address legitimate concerns.
BACKGROUNDER:
In August, CAIR launched its Unhostile Campus Campaign, a project aimed at fostering a campus environment where Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, faculty, and staff opposing the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza can enjoy free speech and academic freedom and are not subjected to law enforcement or university discipline due to their viewpoints. Since then, CAIR has designated 14 colleges and universities as hostile due to their creation of a thoroughly hostile and dangerous environment for anti-genocide students.
Students, staff, and faculty who wish for their university or college campus to be potentially designated as a hostile campus should complete the ‘Report a Hostile Campus’ form. This form is intended solely to inform CAIR’s ‘UnHostile Campus Campaign.’ Individuals seeking CAIR’s legal and advocacy services should contact their local office or chapter, or if there is no local chapter, file a formal report with CAIR’s National Civil Rights Department.
In November, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), along with its Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB) released its second campus climate report titled Examining Islamophobia on College Campuses. The report, based on survey responses from students at 87 colleges and universities across California, reveals a significant rise in harassment and discrimination against Muslim students, with nearly 50% reporting negative experiences on campus.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations – Massachusetts (CAIR-MA) is a chapter of America’s largest Muslim civil rights organization.
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-MA Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, Esq, 413-206-9839, tamatul-wadud@cair.com; 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