The North Carolina Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the NC branch of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today stands in solidarity with the North Carolina State University Muslim Student Association (NCSU MSA), regarding the recent strongly bigoted anti-Muslim and anti-Catholic comments shared from a recent NC State Chapter Turning Point USA (NCSU TPUSA) event.
At a recent NCSU TPUSA event “hot-takes” were written by attendees on notecards, which were then later shared in a post on the chapter’s Instagram page.
One notecard posted included a statement that read “Islam is completely incompatible w[ith] Western [D]emocracy and belief[s, ] and should be eliminated entirely from the United States.”
Another notecard posted included a statement that read “Catholicism is a false religion[, and it is] separate from being [a] true believer.”
In its public statement, the NCSU MSA said:
“As Muslims, we are accountable to God for how we choose to conduct ourselves, especially when we are hurt, or faced with hostility. We cannot control the words or actions of others, but we can choose what we contribute to the conversation. We believe hateful rhetoric is not harmless. Words shape the environments we create, and publicly amplifying rhetoric that targets a community can add fuel to an already difficult environment. A disclaimer does not erase the impact of giving those words a platform.
The Muslim Student Association exists to provide a space where Muslim students can feel supported, and safe on campus. We recognize that recent words and actions have left many students feeling hurt and unsettled. We take those concerns seriously.
Our organization also has a long history of interfaith dialogue and conversation. We believe people can hold deeply different beliefs and disagree with one another while still treating each other with dignity. Criticism and disagreement are not barriers to dialogue.
We believe in loving our neighbors and extending dignity and care to those around us, even when we do not share the same beliefs.
Religious freedom is one of the principles that allows people with deeply different beliefs to build a shared community. The American constitution suggests religious freedom for all. Such freedom does not mean only tolerating the religious values of those we feel comfortable with. It means making room for people whose beliefs may be different from our own, and recognizing their right to practice, worship, and live according to their faith. That freedom is not a favor extended to Muslims. It is a right that belongs to Muslims as much as it belongs to everyone else.
Muslims are not new to America, nor are we guests in this country. Muslims have been part of American history for centuries, from Mustafa Zemmouri, who traveled through North America in the 1500s, to the estimated 10 to 30 percent of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas who were Muslim. Muslims have been part of the Raleigh community for generations, and the Muslim Student Association at NC State has been part of this campus for more than half a century, with university records documenting the organization as early as 1968. Our presence here is not new, temporary, or conditional. Muslim students have been part of this university for generations. We did not simply arrive in America; we are interwoven into American and North Carolinian History.
Meaningful dialogue requires respect. We will always be willing to engage in sincere and productive conversation. At the same time, we will not participate in exchanges that are intentionally disrespectful, antagonistic, or demeaning toward members of our community.
We choose to respond by remaining grounded in our faith, caring for our community, and holding ourselves to the standards we hope to see from others. We hope our campus can be a place where students can disagree openly and deeply while still feeling safe, respected, and welcome. And Free Palestine.”
SEE: Designated: CAIR’s 2025 Hostile Campus Ratings Report
In a statement, CAIR Office in North Carolina Regional Manager Al Rieder said:
“We commend the NC State MSA for their courage and good character in standing up against hate on their campus. And we also stand by our Catholic neighbors for the hate they also received in this incident. This country was founded on religious freedom and religious pluralism, as dreamed by and defined by the likes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Hate against any religious group should not be tolerated anywhere, and especially not in our backyard.”
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CONTACT: CAIR North Carolina Office Regional Manager Al Rieder, [email protected]; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]