The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released a special report, “Terminated: Employment Discrimination at the Core of Islamophobia and Anti-Palestinian Racism,” which reveals a surging crisis in employment discrimination across the country, largely sparked by efforts to prevent employees from displaying signs of Palestinian culture or sympathy with Palestinians.
SEE: Terminated: Employment Discrimination at the Core of Islamophobia and Anti-Palestinian Racism
In 2024, CAIR received 1,329 complaints of employment discrimination, making it not only higher than education-related concerns but also the highest reported category to CAIR offices for the first time in the organization’s 30-year history.
The organization notes that employers across various sectors of American society were reneging on commitments to inclusive work cultures even before the Trump Administration’s more recent attempts to crack down on diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“For years, workplaces have been encouraging their employees to be expressive about their identities at work, as well as causes important to them,” said Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “But now that it’s Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees displaying signs of their culture, and other employees expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, it’s enough to get you disciplined and even terminated. What we’re seeing is nothing short of a double standard.”
The report notes two main patterns in employment discrimination:
1. Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab employees have been encouraged to share their cultural and religious identity at work only to the extent that it does not threaten to express a criticism of the Israeli government, even as it continues to engage in a campaign of destruction of Palestinian and Muslim cultural and religious heritage in Gaza.
2. Workplaces that had in the recent past encouraged all employees to share support for political and social movements have punished even the slightest expressions of sympathy with Palestinian civilians from Muslim, Arab, and other employees.
The report reviews incidents across workplaces in tech, education, healthcare, and media/arts.
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
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 Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857; 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