(WASHINGTON D.C., 8/3/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the resignation of Ann McLean, a historian who made comments defending the Confederacy, from Virginia’s Historic Resources Board.
SEE: Youngkin’s pick for Virginia’s historic resources board resigns after comments on Confederate statues, slavery
Washington, D.C., based CAIR previously called on Governor Youngkin to withdraw his appointment of McLean to the board.
A spokesperson for Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed yesterday that McLean had resigned from her position. McLean was the subject of controversy after she defended the Confederate statues on a Richmond radio show. She later returned to the show and said the southern states had a right to secede and did not commit treason. She also compared President Lincoln calling up troops against the Confederacy to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
CAIR also condemned the distribution of flyers promoting the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in Virginia’s Pittsylvania County.
Flyers promoting a KKK organization were distributed to homes in the Pittsylvania town of Hurt. Virginia state police are investigating the incident. Hurt’s director of public safety Mike Jones said that those responsible for the distribution of the flyers could potentially be charged with trespassing or littering.
SEE: ‘Not welcome here:’ Hurt community concerned over alleged white supremacy, KKK flyers
“We welcome Ms. McLean’s resignation as a sign that Virginians reject the racist legacy of the Confederacy,” said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw. “Communities and leaders in Virginia and nationwide must come together and repudiate white supremacy and systemic racism.”
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