The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, today urged a Tennessee state lawmaker who called for banning Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other non-Christian religions to visit a local mosque, Buddhist temple, and Hindu temple to learn firsthand about those faiths and the Americans who practice them.
State Rep. Monty Fritts claimed the First Amendment protections of religious freedom only apply to the federal government, not the states.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“Calls to ban entire faiths and prohibit Americans from practicing their religion are fundamentally incompatible with the U.S. Constitution and the core American principle of religious freedom. Suggesting that Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and other religious minorities should be stripped of their constitutional rights is both dangerous and irresponsible.
“Rather than promoting religious hatred, we encourage this lawmaker to visit a mosque, Buddhist temple, and Hindu temple, meet with members of those communities, and learn that they are fellow Tennesseans and fellow Americans who are freely practicing their religions, contribute positively to our society, and deserve the same constitutional protections as everyone else.”
Yesterday, CAIR said it has documented 17 incidents targeting Islamic places of worship in May, June, and July to date. The 17 incidents represent 51 percent of the previous year’s total and a 183 percent increase over the same three-month period last year, during which CAIR documented six such incidents.
CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
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, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]