(WASHINGTON, D.C., 1/19/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a decision by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to rename a hospital previously named for a Confederate military surgeon.
The VA has changed the names of the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center. That facility was named for a prominent Confederate military surgeon who wrote that Black people were “deteriorating morally and physically” and would eventually “disappear from this continent.”
SEE: Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Hospital is changing name, dropping reference to Confederate surgeon
“We welcome the decision to change the name of this medical center as a clear sign that those who defended treason, slavery and white supremacy will no longer be honored in our nation,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “Individuals who fought against this nation and expressed racist and hateful views do not deserve to be honored, but instead should be repudiated.”
He noted that Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly called for the removal of Confederate names, holidays, flags, statues, and symbols nationwide.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Plan to Drop Confederate Street Names in Alexandria, Va.
CAIR Welcomes Arkansas City Resolution Allowing Removal of Confederate Flag, Urges That It Be Removed
CAIR Welcomes Removal of Last Publicly Owned Confederate Monument in Richmond, Va.
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