(PLAINFIELD, NJ, 1/30/2023) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today thanked the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office for investigating the use of a bulldozer, a symbol of anti-Muslim violence by far-right Hindutva extremists, during an India Day Parade.
SEE: No bias charges for controversial float in Indian Day Parade
No bias charges in N.J. India Day Parade bulldozer incident, prosecutor says
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:
“We thank the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s office for investigating the incident and welcome their decision to classify it as a “bias incident.”
“We also thank all of the local advocates, community leaders, and elected officials including Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker for their statements of support at the time of the incident, and Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblywoman Shama Haider, Assemblywoman Sadaf Jaffer, and Assemblywoman Ellen Park’s joint condemnation of the hateful.
“Hindutva is a growing form of anti-Muslim bigotry in New Jersey, and CAIR-NJ will continue to monitor it closely. We also call on community leaders and elected officials to continue to condemn anti-Muslim Hindu supremacist movements and incidents in a timely manner.
“CAIR-NJ documented at least two separate incidents related to Hindutva since then. In the most recent incident, a truck displaying anti-Muslim messages related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India circled the premises of multiple Islamic Centers in New Jersey. This coordinated incident remains under investigation.
“Moving forward, CAIR-NJ will continue its efforts to educate and inform the general public and elected officials about the threat that Hindutva poses to Muslims in New Jersey and India.”
BACKGROUND:
Hindutva movements are at the core of anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, and anti-minority persecutions in India. They have also stoked hatred between Muslim and Hindu groups in the U.S. and New Jersey. A report by South Asian Citizens Web found that seven Sangh-affiliated charitable groups spent nearly $160 million on their programming, which includes sending funds to Hindu nationalist groups in India.
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 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