The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said today that public officials should speak out against an anti-Muslim letter sent to a Passaic County restaurant.
CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi told News 12 New Jersey:
“We really need our officials to come forth and condemn this whether it’s issuing a statement, whether it’s posting a video on social media, whether it’s going to the mosque and speaking to the community. Because right now, the hate against Muslims has been normalized for too long.”
Earlier this week, CAIR-NJ held a press conference at Paterson City Hall alongside Mayor Andre Sayegh and other community leaders to condemn Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s defamatory and dangerous smear of Paterson and its American Muslim residents.
CAIR’s national office also condemned Gabbard’s rant against American Muslims and Islam during a Turning Point USA conference over the weekend as “delusional” and “disqualifying.”
During a speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest on December 20, Gabbard falsely claimed that Muslims in Paterson are plotting to impose “sharia law” and “Islamic principles” on the city through legal or violent means. CAIR-NJ says these claims are baseless, dangerous, and contribute to anti-Muslim hate and discrimination.
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: Selaedin Maksut Executive Director, CAIR-NJ, smaksut@cair.com, 862-264-9414; CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi, aelamroussi@cair.com, 551-208-5482