The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (DOE) investigation into Portland State University (PSU) over racist, anti-Palestinian flyers appearing on campus.
“We welcome this federal investigation of the promotion of racist anti-Palestinian hate on campus and hope it sends the message that those who oppose the far-right Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza have the right to free speech without facing harassment or intimidation,” said CAIR Research & Advocacy Coordinator Farah Afify.
She noted that last Month, CAIR called all institutions of higher education to protect anti-genocide students and urged them to be aware of their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) to provide all students, including students who are or are perceived to be Palestinian, Arab, or Muslim, a school environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin.
From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
SEE: New CAIR Data Shows Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian Hate Remain Elevated in First Half of 2024
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints.
Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@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