The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for the resignation of Lino Lakes City Council Member Christopher Lyden for writing that a hate-filled, anti-Muslim email was the “best [he] ever received.”
[NOTE: CAIR-MN recently condemned a vote by the Lino Lakes City Council to halt progress on the Madina Lakes project designed to provide much-needed facilities for the community, including a mosque, houses and commercial beneficials to the Lino Lakes community.]
In response to an New York Times article on the Madinah Lakes development project, an individual sent a hate-filled, anti-Muslim email to the reporter, Lyden, and CAIR National and CAIR-MN staff.
In the email, the individual said, “Islam hates us,” “Islam’s our declared enemy,” “don’t believe the lying Muslims,” and referred to the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, as “hate speech against Jews and Christians.” He also wished Lyden “good luck halting the Muslim conquest of Minnesota” and asked him to put “the kibosh on the Muslim development.”
Lyden responds: “Might be the best email I have ever received! Thank you Sir!”
In a statement, CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein said:
“Mr. Lyden gave his enthusiastic approval for a hateful, anti-Muslim screed. How can someone who endorses such views be expected to represent Muslim citizens of Lino Lakes? We urge the city council to repudiate Mr. Lyden and his anti-Muslim bigotry. We call on Mr. Lyden to resign.”
Hussein noted that he believes Minnesota leads the nation in bias attack on mosques.
SEE: CAIR-MN Director Says Minnesota Leads the Nation in Number of Attacks Against Mosques (Video)
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints. Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
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CONTACT: CAIR-MN Director of Advocacy Osman Ahmed 612-459-0334, o-ahmed@cair.com or CAIR-Minnesota Executive Director Jaylani Hussein, 612-406-0070, jhussein@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