The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today said Islamophobic smears targeting Adeel A. Mangi, a judicial nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, are meant to deter American Muslims from entering public service and highlight the danger of “Islamophobia and witch-hunts over Palestine.”
White House: Attack on judicial nominee is ‘Islamophobic smear campaign’ – Washington Post
Judge of character: Bad faith shouldn’t derail Adeel Mangi federal judgeship NY Daily News
Adeel Mangi Is Hopelessly Qualified for This Judgeship, Not That That Matters Around Here – Esquire
The Islamophobic Smear Campaign Dividing Democrats – NY Times
Last month, CAIR condemned dishonest, disgusting” anti-Muslim attack ads targeting Mangi’s nomination.
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“The anti-Muslim tropes used to target Adeel Mangi are not only meant to block a judicial nominee, but to deter American Muslims from pursuing public service.
“This manufactured controversy also shows the unintended consequences of the McCarthy-like witch-hunt that far too many Democratic politicians helped unleash against American Muslim students, workers and elected officials in recent months to silence their advocacy for Palestinian human rights.
“Although Mr. Mangi’s ‘original sin’ to senators like Ted Cruz is undoubtedly his Muslim identity, the weapon that Cruz and others used to attack Mangi is his tangential connection to critics of the Israeli government. This McCarthy-era tactic is exactly what has been weaponized against other American Muslims in various fields.
“This madness must stop, starting with Adeel Mangi’s judicial nomination. Every nominee should be assessed based on their competence, expertise and judicial philosophy, not their religious identity or their tangential connection to critics of the Israeli government.”
In a statement, CAIR Senior Trial Attorney Justin Sadowsky said:
“We can all see through Senator Cortez-Masto’s made up excuses for not supporting Mangi. Non-discriminatory reason for not hiring Jews like my forefathers, or Hispanics like Cortez-Masto’s, were as common as they were implausible. Cortez-Masto should know better.”
Months ago, CAIR condemned Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley for their “Islamophobic and un-American” questioning of Mangi.
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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 Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com