The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed a vote by the general assembly of the National Education Association (NEA) to stop using materials provided by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) due to concerns over its anti-Palestinian bias, misuse of antisemitism to silence advocacy for human rights, and its history of opposing racial equality movements for the Black community, among other issues.
Earlier this week, the NEA’s 7,000-member Representative Assembly voted to cut all ties with the ADL, citing the ADL’s history of anti-Palestinian extremism and discouraging anti-racist organizing, including attacking the South Africa anti-apartheid movement and the Black Lives Matter movements.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We welcome the NEA’s vote to stop exposing public school students to biased materials provided by the Anti-Defamation League due to its long history of spreading anti-Palestinian rhetoric, using false allegations of antisemitism to silence advocacy for Palestinian human rights and opposition to Black movements for racial equality, including Black Lives Matter and the South African anti-apartheid movement.
“The ADL has only become worse under its increasingly unhinged director Jonathan Greenblatt, who has repeatedly smeared and endangered students in recent years. This principled move is a significant step toward fostering respect for the rights and dignity of all students in public schools, who must receive an education without facing biased, politically-driven agendas.”
Last month, CAIR condemned an “unhinged, racist rant” by ADL national director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who was reportedly caught on tape denigrating the Black Lives Matter movement and equating pro-Palestinian student protesters to ISIS and Al-Qaeda during a speech to Republican attorneys general.
Last year, CAIR joined 60 American Muslim, Palestinian, Arab and allied organizations in strongly condemn Greenblatt for hateful, dangerous attacks he has launched on the Palestinian-American community and supporters of Palestinians human rights during recent appearances on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, as well as the ADL’s pattern of targeting diverse communities.
Also last year, CAIR commended Georgia Rep. Ruwa Romman for publicly exposing a racist anti-Palestinian incident involving Greenblatt.
CAIR said this is part of a pattern for the ADL. The ADL has launched dishonest attacks on Black Americans, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, and others who stand up for the rights of the Palestinian people.
It has also platformed anti-Muslim hate speakers like Pastor John Hagee, shared the same stage as anti-Palestinian racists, dehumanized Palestinians by justifying the Israeli government’s attacks on civilians in Gaza, questioned the Palestinian death toll, pressured colleges and other institutions to silence students who peacefully advocate for Palestinian freedom, and downplayed hate crimes against Palestinian-Americans.
The ADL did not even initially acknowledge the Palestinian identity of six-year-old hate crime victim Wadea Al-Fayoume.
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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