(WASHINGTON D.C., 7/14/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today supported the removal of a statue dedicated to the “grand cause” of the confederacy in Newton, N.C., and apparent hate vandalism of a “Black Lives Matter” sign in Holly Springs, N.C. Police say a man took the sign from a front yard and smeared it with feces.
SEE: Feces smeared on Black Lives Matter sign could be a hate crime, Holly Springs police say
In Newton, N.C., the Confederate monument was debated at a meeting of the Catawba County Board of Commissioners Monday, with some members of the public supporting removal and others urging the board to keep it on display.
The efforts to have the statue removed were started by the Catawba County Truth and Reconciliation Committee, who say Confederate monuments on public property pose a threat to public safety and are inconsistent with the principle of equal protection under the law. The committee has created a petition to remove the statue, which now has 1,385 out of 1,500 signatures.
SEE: 2 speak on opposite sides of Confederate monument debate
“When a society honors traitors, racists and white supremacists, targeting of minority communities will be the inevitable result,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We repeat our call to remove every monument to Confederate racism in North Carolina and urge community leaders to denounce all acts of hate.”
He noted that CAIR has repeatedly urged and supported the removal of Confederate symbols nationwide.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Removal of Confederate Monument from North Carolina County Courthouse
CAIR Welcomes Decision to Remove Confederate Statues that Sparked Deadly White Supremacist, Neo-Nazi Rally in Charlottesville, Va.
CAIR Joins Call for N. Virginia County to Rename Roads Named for Confederate, Segregationist Leaders
Hooper said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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 Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com