The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed solidarity with the Muslim community of Newton and the Islamic Center of Boston, Wayland (ICB), following an anti-Muslim hate campaign prompted by last month’s Eid al-Adha celebration marking the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) held at Newton’s War Memorial Auditorium.
Eid al-Adha is one of the holiest days in Islam when Muslim families across Massachusetts gather to pray. That celebration became the catalyst for a coordinated campaign of anti-Muslim rhetoric that has not stopped.
[NOTE: Eid ul-Fitr (EED-al-FITTER), or “feast of fast-breaking,” is the first of the two major Muslim holidays after the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan. The second holiday, Eid ul-Adha (EED-al-ODD-ha), comes near the end of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.]
In the days leading up to the Eid al-Adha celebrations, individuals in a closed social media group circulated a petition to the mayor of Newton, raising baseless allegations against Muslims in general, ICB Wayland, which is a house of worship, CAIR, and others, through a series of guilt-by-association claims intended to cast suspicion on Muslim neighbors.
The Eid celebration was not the end of the hate campaign, which continued to pick up steam and has caused fear and concern among Muslims and other neighbors.
SEE: Group blasts City Hall for allowing Eid celebration at War Memorial Auditorium
“We refuse to accept the premise that Muslims must continually prove their innocence and worthiness to celebrate and gather, in ways never demanded of other faith communities,” said Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, executive director of CAIR-MA. “We call on elected officials, neighbors, and interfaith partners: join us in rejecting anti-Muslim bigotry in all its forms. Dehumanizing rhetoric directed at an entire religious community is unconscionable. CAIR-MA remains committed to working with those who seek to build communities rooted in justice and shared humanity.”
She noted that attacks on the Muslim community come amid an uptick in anti-Muslim sentiment, with local Muslims experiencing a 65 percent increase in hate violence.
Last week, CAIR and its Texas chapter announced the filing of a lawsuit in federal court in Fort Worth on behalf of Shayma Alzubi, whom the Fort Worth Independent School District illegally removed from her principal position in May following an “anti-Muslim witch hunt.”
Earlier today, CAIR’s Texas chapter called for an end to incitement against Islam and Muslims after a disturbing anti-Muslim hate incident at an H-E-B store in Conroe, Texas, in which two visibly Muslim women were reportedly subjected to an unprovoked, hate-filled verbal assault.
Over the weekend, CAIR’s Arizona chapter welcomed Governor Katie Hobbs’ veto of legislation targeting so-called “Sharia law,” saying the measure was rooted in anti-Muslim misinformation and would have further stigmatized Arizona’s Muslim community.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
Last month, CAIR commended Democratic members of Congress who defended American Muslims and constitutional religious freedom during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on “Sharia law.” CAIR also condemned Republican members and witnesses for promoting anti-Muslim fearmongering and dangerous smear tactics amid rising anti-Muslim hate incidents nationwide.
CAIR previously designated the so-called “Sharia-Free America Caucus” organizing the hearing as an anti-Muslim hate group after multiple caucus members publicly called for banning the practice of Islam, expelling Muslims from the United States, or targeting mainstream Muslim organizations and communities.
Community members who experience or witness discrimination, harassment, or bias targeting Muslims or other marginalized groups are encouraged to report incidents to CAIR at: https://www.cair.com/report/
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: Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, Esq., CAIR-MA Executive Director, (617) 862-9159, tamatul-wadud@cair.com; 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