(WASHINGTON D.C., 12/22/2022) – 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. Military Academy at West Point to remove, rename or modify anything that commemorate the Confederacy or those who served it.
West Point’s superintendent, Lt. General Steven Gilland said that a portrait of Confederate leader Robert E. Lee and his stone bust will be removed. A bronze plaque with the phrase “Ku Klux Klan” will also be removed. In August, CAIR joined a call for the removal of the “shameful” plaque.
SEE: West Point to Remove All Assets Commemorating the Confederacy
https://westchester.news12.com/west-point-to-remove-all-assets-commemorating-the-confederacy
West Point to Begin Removing Assets Commemorating Confederacy
“We welcome the removal of all items honoring the traitors of the confederacy and their racist legacy from one of our nation’s military academies,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “All public institutions nationwide should follow the military’s example in repudiating the systemic anti-Black racism and white supremacy the Confederacy sought to defend.”
He noted that earlier this year, CAIR welcomed the announced review of more than 750 “Department of Defense items,” include military bases, streets signs and bridges, to determine whether their names “commemorate the Confederacy.”
Washington, D.C., based CAIR has repeatedly called for the removal of Confederate holidays, flags, statues, and symbols nationwide.
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 Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]