(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/1/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed initial efforts to remove Confederate memorial containing racist imagery of enslaved Black people at Arlington National Cemetery.
Arlington National Cemetery has initiated a process to prepare for the careful removal and relocation of its Confederate Memorial, located in Section 16 of the cemetery. All bronze elements of the memorial will be relocated. The memorial has been criticized for its distortion of history in the characterization of Black people as “loyal slaves.” A description of the memorial states: “The elaborately designed monument offers a nostalgic, mythologized vision of the Confederacy, including highly sanitized depictions of slavery.”
SEE: ANC Starts Interagency and Public Consultation Process for Removal of the Confederate Memorial
https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Media/News/Post/12992/ANC-Starts-Interagency-and-Public-Consultation-Process-for-Removal-of-the-Confederate-Memorial
“We welcome the efforts to remove these racist images from Arlington Cemetery,” said CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison. “Such distorted depictions gloss over the brutal history of slavery and the Confederacy.”
He said Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly called for the removal of Confederate names, holidays, flags, statues, and symbols nationwide.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Dropping of Confederate Name from Va. Military Base
CAIR Repeats Call for Elimination of Confederate Memorial Day Holiday in Alabama
CAIR Welcomes Removal of Confederate General’s Name from Louisiana National Guard Complex
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 Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com