Council on American–Islamic Relations

Template:Short description Template:Infobox organization Template:Use mdy dates Template:Islamophobia The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a Muslim civil rights<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and advocacy group.<ref name=prnewswireactivism/> It is headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with regional offices nationwide. Through civil rights actions, media relations, civic engagement, and education, CAIR works to promote social, legal and political activism among Muslims in America.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

History

Early years (1994–2001)

CAIR was founded in June 1994.<ref name="north american muslim resource guide">The North American Muslim resource guide: Muslim community life in the United States and Canada Template:Webarchive. Mohamed Nimer, Taylor & Francis, 2002, Template:ISBN.</ref> CAIR's first office was located in Washington, D.C., as is its present-day headquarters on Capitol Hill. Its founding was partly in response to the film True Lies, which Arab and Muslim groups condemned for its stereotyping of Arab and Muslim villains.<ref name="jack shaheen">Shaheen, Jack, "Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People", 2001, Template:ISBN, Olive Branch Press</ref> The offices opened a month before the film's release. CAIR's first advocacy campaign was in response to an offensive greeting card that used the term "shia" to refer to human excrement. CAIR led a national campaign and used activists to pressure the greeting card company, which eventually withdrew the card from the market.<ref name="north american muslim resource guide" /><ref>"News, July 2000" Template:Webarchive. Islamic Voice. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref><ref>Noakes, Greg. "CAIR Counters Anti-Islam Card". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs November/December 1994: 62–64</ref>

In 1995, CAIR handled its first case of hijab discrimination, in which a Muslim employee was denied the right to wear the hijab; this type of complaint became one of the most common received by CAIR's civil rights department.<ref>Muslim minorities in the West: visible and invisible Template:Webarchive. Hadda, Yazbeck, and Smith, Jane I. p. 35, Rowman Altamira, 2002, Template:ISBN, 9780759102187, accessed November 30, 2009.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

CAIR continued its advocacy work in the aftermath of the April 19, 1995 Oklahoma City bombing of the Murrah Federal Building. Following the attack, Muslim-Americans were subjected to an upsurge in harassment and discrimination, including a rise in hate crimes nationally;<ref>A Rush to Judgment: A Special Report on Anti-Muslim Stereotyping. Harassment and Hate Crimes Following the Bombing of Oklahoma City's Murrah Federal Building, April 19, 1995 (Washington, D.C.: Council on American-Islamic Relations, 1995), 9–20.</ref><ref>"Arab-Americans Suffer Hatred after Bombing", Chicago Sun-Times, May 13, 1995</ref> 222 hate crimes against Muslims nationwide were reported in the days immediately following the bombing.<ref>Richard Roper (April 24, 1995). "Media Stumble Badly in Rush to Judgment". Chicago Sun-Times.Template:Subscription required</ref><ref>James Brooke, (August 28, 1995) Attacks on U.S. Muslims Surge Even as Their Faith Takes Hold Template:Webarchive The New York Times (accessed 10 October 2020)</ref> The bombing gave CAIR national stature for their efforts to educate the public about Islam and religious bias in America; their report was featured on the front page of The New York Times on August 28, 1995, and was subsequently mentioned on ABC World News Tonight.<ref name="north american muslim resource guide" />

In 1996, CAIR began "CAIR-NET", a read-only e-mail listserve aimed to help American Muslims identify and combat anti-Muslim prejudice in the U.S. and Canada. CAIR-NET contained descriptions of news, bias incidents or hate speech and hate crimes, often followed by information as to whom readers may contact to influence resolution of an issue.<ref>Smith, Jane. Islam in America. New York. Columbia University Press, 1999.</ref> CAIR also held its first voter registration drive in 1996; CAIR continues to encourage active political participation by American Muslims, for them to address political candidates and elected representatives with greater frequency.<ref>Wilgoren, Debbi. "Making Muslim Voices Heard: To Promote the Vote, Leaders Provide Answers and Forms". The Washington Post. September 14, 1996: B01.</ref>

In 1996, CAIR published a report The Usual Suspects regarding its perception of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the media after the crash of TWA Flight 800. Their research showed 138 uses of the terms "Muslim" and "Arab" in the 48 hours after the crash in Reuters, UPI, and AP articles covering the incident. The official NTSB report said that the crash was most likely caused by mechanical failure.<ref>The North American Muslim resource guide: Muslim community life in the United States and Canada Template:Webarchive. Mohamed Nimer, p. 134, Taylor & Francis, 2002, Template:ISBN. Accessed December 9, 2009.</ref>

In 1997, CAIR objected to the production of sneakers made by Nike with a design on the heel similar to the Arabic word for "Allah".<ref>"Nike Recalls Disputed Logo" Template:Webarchive The Cincinnati Enquirer, June 25, 1997. Accessed October 24, 2011</ref> As part of an agreement reached between CAIR officials and Nike representatives, Nike apologized to the Muslim community, recalled the products carrying the design, launched an investigation as to how the logo came about, and built a number of children's playgrounds near some Islamic centers in America.<ref>Nike and Islamic group end logo logjam Template:Webarchive. Mohamed Nimer, p. 134, Taylor & Francis, 2002, Template:ISBN. Accessed December 9, 2009.</ref>

In 1997, as depictions of Muhammad are seen as blasphemous by some Muslims, CAIR wrote to United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist requesting that the sculpted representation of Muhammad on the north frieze inside the Supreme Court building be removed or sanded down. About the request, CAIR spokesman Nihad Awad said, "We believe the court had good intention by honoring the prophet, so we appreciate that. We want to be flexible, and we're willing to pay for the changes ourselves." The court rejected CAIR's request in the end.<ref>Supreme Court Frieze Brings Objection Template:Webarchive March 8, 1997.</ref><ref>How the "ban" on images of Muhammad came to be Template:Webarchive January 19, 2015.</ref>

Post-9/11 (2001–present)

CAIR strongly condemned the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has a long history of condemning and combating extremism.<ref>CAIR’s Condemnation of Terrorism</ref> In October 2001, CAIR opposed the United States invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> By January 2002, four months after the attacks, the CAIR said that it had received 1,658 reports of discrimination, profiling, harassment, and physical assaults against persons appearing Arab or Muslim, a threefold increase over the prior year. The reports included beatings, death threats, abusive police practices, and employment and airline-related discrimination."<ref>Cole, David. Enemy Aliens. New York. The New Press, 2003. Page 47</ref>

A CAIR initiative funded in part by a $500,000 donation from Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud sent a set of 18 books and tapes to public libraries written by Muslim and non-Muslim authors on Islamic history and practices, as well as an English translation of the Quran.<ref name="tro">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2005, CAIR coordinated the joint release of a fatwa by 344 American Muslim organizations, mosques, and imams nationwide that stated: "Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is haram or forbidden—and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs."<ref>"Full text of July 2005 Fatwa against terrorism with list of signatories" Template:Webarchive. CAIR.com.</ref> The fatwa cited passages from the Quran and hadith that prohibit violence against innocent people and injustice, and was signed by the Fiqh Council of North America. Authors Kim Ezra Shienbaum and Jamal Hasan felt it did not go far enough in that it did not address attacks on military targets.<ref>Shienbaum, Kim Ezra and Hasan, Jamal (2006). Beyond jihad: critical voices from inside Islam Template:Webarchive. p. xxi. Academica Press LLC. Template:ISBN. Accessed November 30, 2009.</ref>

Also in 2005, following the Qur'an desecration controversy of 2005 at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, CAIR initiated an "Explore the Quran" campaign, aimed at providing free copies of the Quran to any person who requested it.<ref>Tariq Ghazi, Muhammad (2006). The Cartoons Cry Template:Webarchive. AuthorHouse. p. 119. Template:ISBN, accessed November 30, 2009.</ref>

In 2006, during the protests over cartoons depicting Muhammad, CAIR responded by launching an educational program "Explore the Life of Muhammad", to bring "people of all faiths together to learn more about the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and to use mutual understanding as a counterweight to the tensions created by the cartoon controversy".<ref>Explore the Life of Muhammad Template:Webarchive. CAIR. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref><ref>CAIR Launches Campaign to 'Explore the Life of Muhammad' Template:Webarchive. PRNewswire.com. February 14, 2006. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref> It provided free copies of a DVD or book about the life of Muhammad to any person who requested it. Almost 16,000 Americans requested materials.<ref name="ReferenceB">"25 Facts About CAIR" Template:Webarchive. Cair.com. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref><ref name="Muslimnews">Template:Cite news</ref>

In June 2006, CAIR announced a $50 million project to create a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US. ($10 million per year for five years), in a project to be spearheaded by Paul Findley, a former US Congressman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Also in 2006, CAIR sent a group of representatives to Iraq to urge kidnappers to release American journalist Jill Carroll.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Carroll was eventually released unharmed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

in December 2006, California Senator Barbara Boxer withdrew a "certificate of accomplishment" originally given to former CAIR official Basim Elkarra after Boxer's staff looked into CAIR, and she became concerned about some of CAIR's past statements and actions, and statements by some law enforcement officials that it provides aid to international terrorist groups.<ref name=tro /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2007, the U.S. filed an action against the Holy Land Foundation (the largest Muslim charity in the United States at the time<ref name="mistrial"/>) for providing funds to Hamas, and federal prosecutors filed pleadings. Along with 245 other organizations, they listed CAIR (and its chairman emeritus, Omar Ahmad),<ref name="NYSun">Template:Cite news</ref> Islamic Society of North America (largest Muslim umbrella organization in the United States), Muslim American Society and North American Islamic Trust as unindicted co-conspirators, a legal designation that can be employed for a variety of reasons including grants of immunity, pragmatic considerations, and evidentiary concerns. While being listed as co-conspirator does not mean that CAIR has been charged with anything, the organization was concerned that the label will forever taint it.<ref name=NationalLawyers>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2007, the organization was named, along with 245 others, by U.S. Federal prosecutors in a list of unindicted co-conspirators or joint venturers in a Hamas funding case involving the Holy Land Foundation,<ref>Islamic Groups Named in Hamas Funding Case Template:Webarchive – June 4, 2007 – The New York Sun (June 4, 2007). Retrieved on 2011-03-19.</ref> which in 2009, caused the FBI to cease working with CAIR outside of criminal investigations due to its designation.<ref name="foxnews.com">Fox News: FBI Cuts Ties With CAIR Following Terror Financing Trial Template:Webarchive, January 30, 2009, retrieved November 29, 2012</ref> CAIR was never charged with any crime, and it complained that the designation had tarnished its reputation.<ref>Gerstein, Josh. (October 20, 2010). Judge: Feds violated U.S. Islamic group's rights – Josh Gerstein Template:Webarchive. Politico. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref> It has also been criticized for allegedly publishing propaganda.Template:Citation needed

On October 22, 2007, the Holy Land Foundation trial ended in a mistrial.<ref name="mistrial">Template:Cite news</ref> All defendants were convicted upon retrial in 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2008, the FBI discontinued its long-standing relationship with CAIR. Officials said the decision followed the conviction of the HLF directors for funneling millions of dollars to Hamas, revelations that Nihal Awad had participated in planning meetings with HLF, and CAIR's failure to provide details of its ties to Hamas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>FBI severed contacts with CAIR in last days of Bush administration Template:Webarchive. Worldtribune.com (February 3, 2009). Retrieved on 2011-03-19.</ref> During a 2008 retrial of the HLF case, FBI Special Agent Lara Burns labeled CAIR "a front group for Hamas".<ref>Trahan, Jason (October 14, 2008). "Judge due to rule on Holy Land defense evidence challenge" Template:Webarchive. The Dallas Morning News.</ref> In January 2009, the FBI's DC office instructed all field offices to cut ties with CAIR, as the ban extended into the Obama administration.<ref>Abrams, Joseph (January 30, 2009). "FBI Cuts Ties With CAIR Following Terror Financing Trial", Fox News. Retrieved December 3, 2009 Template:Webarchive</ref>

U.S. Congressmen Sue Myrick (R-N.C.), Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), and Paul Broun (R-Ga.) wrote Attorney General Eric Holder on October 21, 2009, that they were concerned about CAIR's relationships with terrorist groups, and requesting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) provide a summary of DOJ's evidence and findings that led DOJ to name CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism trial.<ref name="thehill.com">Yager, Jordy, "House Republicans accuse Muslim group of trying to plant spies" Template:Webarchive, The Hill, October 14, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009</ref> The four Congressmen also wrote House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms Wilson Livingood a letter the same day asking that he work with members of the House Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intelligence Committees to determine if CAIR was successful in placing interns in the committees' offices, to review FBI and DOJ evidence regarding CAIR's Hamas ties, and to determine whether CAIR is a security threat.Template:Citation needed Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), "appalled", said "I urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in denouncing this witch hunt."<ref>Sherman, Jake, and Kady II, Martin, "Islam group ridicules Muslim 'spies' claim" Template:Webarchive, Politico October 14, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She was echoed by Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, in a speech that included a statement by the House's Tri-Caucus.<ref>Congressional Record – House, H11767, October 26, 2009 Template:Webarchive, accessed November 15, 2009]</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The four Republican Congressmen, joined by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), then wrote IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman on November 16, 2009, asking that CAIR be investigated for "excessive lobbying".<ref>Elliot, Justin (November 18, 2009). "Tom Coburn Joins Campaign Against Muslim Group" Template:Webarchive. TPMMuckraker. Accessed November 18, 2009]</ref> CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper welcomed the scrutiny from Republican lawmakers, and said, "We've always stayed within our legal limits [for lobbying]. If anything, we don't have enough staff to lobby as much as we legally can."<ref name="thehill.com"/>

CAIR condemned the Fort Hood shooting and expressed prayers for the victims and condolences for their families.<ref name="MT 3" >Template:Cite news</ref>

CAIR pointed to an arrest of five men in Pakistan on December 10, 2009, as a "success story"Template:Citation needed between Muslims and Muslim community organizations (like CAIR) and American law enforcement authorities. When the five men left Washington for Karachi on November 28, the families of the men discovered an extremist videotape. Worried, they contacted CAIR, which set up a meeting with the FBI on December 1, and the families shared their sons' computers and electronic devices with FBI agents. A U.S. law enforcement official described them as models of cooperation. CAIR hoped the event would ease "strained" relations of American Muslims with the FBI.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In January 2012, CAIR's Michigan chapter took a stance along with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in defending four Muslim high school football players accused of attacking a quarterback during a game. The players were allegedly targeted for criminal prosecution over the attack because of their ethnic origin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A judge later dropped the charges after deciding they had no merit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

CAIR has opposed proposed United States legislation and executive orders which would have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, saying that such a designation would "inevitably be used in a political campaign to attack those same groups and individuals, to marginalize the American Muslim community and to demonize Islam".<ref>White House Weighs Terrorist Designation for Muslim Brotherhood Template:Webarchive, NY Times, Peter Baker, February 7, 2017</ref>

In 2021 the director of the San Francisco branch of CAIR, Zahra Billoo, gave a speech in which she denounced a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stated that "We need to pay attention" to the ADL and Hillel, "because just because they are your friends today, doesn't mean that they have your back when it comes to human rights." Later on in her speech, Billoo told the audience to "know your enemies".<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> Her remarks prompted Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, to accuse Billoo of promoting white supremacist rhetoric. On December 11, CAIR responded by defending Billoo's remarks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref>

Projects and media

Local CAIR chapters such as the Michigan chapter organized a "Remember Through Service" campaign which was a video and billboard media campaign which featured positive representations of Muslim-Americans including a Muslim first responder during the September 11 World Trade Center events.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Litigation

Workplace discrimination

One of the largest categories of cases CAIR deals with is workplace discrimination.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> CAIR has filed successful civil rights litigation on behalf of Muslim Americans who suffered employment discrimination due to their religion, including police officers<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and hospital workers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> CAIR also filed an amicus brief<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on behalf of the plaintiff to the Supreme Court of the United States for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, in which the Court ruled 8-1 that refusing to hire a woman because she may wear her hijab at the workplace amounts to religious discrimination in hiring.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Local government

In 2012, after the City Council in St. Anthony, Minnesota, voted 4–1 to reject a building plan for the Abu-Huraira Islamic Center,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> CAIR began legal proceedings and urged the federal government to investigate the city for violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, the city agreed to a settlement after a federal lawsuit was opened against them, allowing the Abu-Huraira Islamic Center to begin services.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> CAIR also helped the American Islamic Center (AIC) file a complaint against the city of Des Plaines, Illinois, to the US Department of Justice, after the city refused to allow the AIC to operate its place of worship. After a federal suit was filed, the city agreed to pay $580,000 to the AIC in a settlement agreement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2012, CAIR successfully filed suit striking down State Question 755, a ban on Sharia law in Oklahoma on grounds that it violated the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2017, CAIR secured an $85,000 settlement for Kirsty Powell, whose hijab was forcibly removed by police while in custody.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Federal government

CAIR has been involved in legal action against the US Government on several occasions. In 2003, CAIR along with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee filed suit in Muslim Community Association of Ann Arbor v. Ashcroft, which challenged the constitutionality of the USA PATRIOT Act.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The case forced Congress to make substantial changes to Section 215 of the act, which helped it avoid being in violation of the First Amendment and had the effect of resolving the lawsuit.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> CAIR also filed amicus briefs against US President Donald Trump over Executive Order 13769<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Executive Order 13780,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which banned all travellers and temporary visa holders of 7 Muslim-majority countries, as well as all refugees, from entering the United States. CAIR began maintaining a group of immigration lawyers in Chicago O'Hare airport after Executive Order 13769 went into effect<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and caused the immediate revocation of over 100,000 temporary visas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

CAIR litigated on behalf of Gulet Mohamed, a 19-year-old Virginia teenager who was kidnapped and tortured in Kuwait after the FBI placed him on a no-fly list.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> CAIR argued successfully that the teen's placement on the US no-fly list was "patently unconstitutional" and that Mohamed had a constitutional right to come home.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Muslim Mafia lawsuit

The 2009 book Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America by Paul David Gaubatz and Paul Sperry portrays CAIR "as a subversive organization allied with international terrorists".<ref name=co>Doyle, Michael, "Judge: Controversial 'Muslim Mafia' used stolen papers", The Charlotte Observer, November 10, 2009, accessed November 17, 2009 Template:Dead link</ref><ref name="mcclatchydc200911">'Muslim Mafia' author ordered to remove documents from Web Template:Webarchive, McClatchy Newspapers, Michael Doyle, November 9, 2009</ref>

Consequently, CAIR brought a federal civil lawsuit in 2009 against Dave Gaubatz and his son for allegedly stealing documents, which were used in the making of Gaubatz's book.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Doyle, Michael, "Muslim Mafia Author Ordered to Remove Documents from Web" Template:Webarchive, Kansas City Star, November 9, 2009, accessed November 15, 2009</ref><ref>Abbott, Ryan (November 2, 2009). "Muslims Say Author Spied & Trespassed" Template:Webarchive. Courthouse News. Accessed November 17, 2009]</ref><ref>Levine, Mike (November 11, 2009). "FBI Ties to CAIR Remain Strained in Obama Administration" Template:Webarchive. Fox News. Retrieved November 15, 2009.</ref> U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly concluded that the Gaubatzs "unlawfully obtained access to, and have already caused repeated public disclosure of, material containing CAIR's proprietary, confidential and privileged information," which CAIR says included names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of CAIR employees and donors. As a result, the judge ordered Gaubatz to remove certain documents from his website. Judge Kollar-Kotelly also said that CAIR's employees have reported a dramatic increase in the number of threatening communications since the release of Gaubatz's book.<ref name="mcclatchydc200911"/>

Operations

CAIR's literature describes the group as promoting understanding of Islam and protecting Muslim civil liberties. It has intervened on behalf of many American Muslims who claim discrimination, profiling, or harassment.<ref name='CAIR-25FACTS'>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Muslims' place in the American public square: hope, fears, and aspirations Template:Webarchive. Zahid Hussain Bukhari, Rowman Altamira, 2004, Template:ISBN, 9780759106130</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Controversies

Gender bias

A Florida CAIR chapter has been accused of ignoring misconduct involving its leaders.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> NPR reported: "When concerned parties brought [gender bias] allegations to senior CAIR officials in Washington, D.C., and Florida, former employees said, there was little, if any, follow-up action. They said leaders were aware of some of the allegations as early as 2016."<ref name=":1" /> NPR "interviewed 18 former employees at the national office and several prominent chapters who said there was a general lack of accountability when it came to perceived gender bias, religious bias or mismanagement".<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>

Labor organizing

NPR's investigation reported that CAIR "thwart[ed] employees' efforts to unionize in the national office in 2016".<ref name=":1" /> "Service Employees International Union Local 500 said in filings Wednesday that the Council on American-Islamic Relations was trying to bust its effort to organize the civil rights group's staff. CAIR responded with a statement Thursday calling the charge 'meritless'."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Designation as terrorist organization by UAE

In November 2014, CAIR was designated a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates,<ref name="wam.ae">Template:Cite news</ref> which claimed that the organization has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.<ref name="Wapo20141107">Washington Post: "Why the U.A.E. is calling 2 American groups terrorists" By Adam Taylor Template:Webarchive November 17, 2014</ref><ref name="GulfNews20141116">Samir Salama (November 16, 2014). "UAE addresses root causes of terror" Template:Webarchive. Gulf News.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>"The UAE's Evolving National Security Strategy" Template:Webarchive. Ibish Hussein, 2017, pages 40-41</ref>

CAIR called the move "shocking and bizarre", and some international American terrorism analysts were also critical. The Washington Post wrote: "CAIR and the Muslim American Society are not alone in their shock. Diverse groups across Europe were also added to the list, leaving many observers perplexed at the scope and sheer scale of the list. Norway's foreign ministry publicly requested an explanation as to why one of the country's largest Islamic groups, the Islamic Organization, was included, and the U.S. State Department said they would be seeking more information from the U.A.E."<ref name="Wapo20141107"/> In January 2015, CAIR said it would seek to appeal the designation in the UAE.<ref>Two groups on UAE terror list set to appeal Template:Webarchive, The National, Lindsay Carroll, January 14, 2015</ref><ref>US Muslim Rights Group CAIR Seeks Removal From UAE Terror List Template:Webarchive, CBS DC (Associated Press wire), January 16, 2015</ref> CAIR has criticized UAE for targeting and detaining American Muslims, such as the civil rights attorney and human rights activist Asim Ghafoor, the former attorney of Jamal Khashoggi, the Washington Post journalist assassination by agents of the Saudi government in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> Ghafoor helped establish the organization Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), which has focused part of its work on human rights violations in the UAE. CAIR has claimed that, "The real reason the UAE targeted Ghafoor became even clearer when Emirati media outlets began publishing unhinged, Islamophobic hit-pieces slandering him as a “terrorist” for his pro-democracy work with DAWN and other groups."<ref name=":5" /> It also argued that, "the UAE’s history targeting American Muslims" is part of a effort to spread authoritarianism in the Middle East.<ref name=":5" />

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash rejected criticism of the designation, saying that "The noise (by) some Western organizations over the UAE's terrorism list originates in groups that are linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and many of them work on incitement and creating an environment of extremism."<ref name="Reuters201411202">UAE official says groups may appeal against inclusion on terror list Template:Webarchive, Reuters, November 20, 2014</ref>

The United States government has not listed CAIR as a terrorist organization.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

LGBT rights

In 2016, in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting, CAIR representatives met with LGBT leaders to condemn the attack, gather in solidarity, and voice their support for LGBT rights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> CAIR Sacramento director Basim Elkarra also released a statement offering “support and allyship to the LGBTQ community, which has been a faithful ally against Islamophobia.”<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> CAIR director Nihad Awad also voiced his support, saying that American “Muslims stand united” with the LGBT community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In Michigan, CAIR voiced concerns over an amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, advocating that the amendment's LGBT rights provisions include faith protections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

CAIR and several other Muslim organizations have opposed mandatory “sexually-themed lessons” in Montgomery County, Maryland. These lessons include LGBT-inclusive content. CAIR issued a statement saying parents should be notified in advance so their children can opt-out of “sexually-themed content.” CAIR released a statement saying that “Schools should respect their authority by restoring the option to opt their children out of reading sexually-themed content or participating in sexually-themed lessons and discussions, without any adverse consequences.”<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Reception

Praise

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's 2006 decision to withdraw a "certificate of accomplishment" originally given to former CAIR official Basim Elkarra on grounds of suspicions about the organization's background "provoked an outcry from organizations that vouch for the group's advocacy, including the ACLU and the California Council of Churches."<ref name=scr/> Maya Harris, executive director of the ACLU of Northern California, criticized Senator Boxer's decision and added that CAIR has "been a leading organization that has advocated for civil rights and civil liberties in the face of fear and intolerance, in the face of religious and ethnic profiling."<ref name=scr/>

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof advocated for people to support and sign up as members of CAIR in response to the 2016 election of US President Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2016, the University of Saint Thomas named the Minnesota branch of CAIR as the winner of its Winds of Change Award at its Forum on Workplace Inclusion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Seattle chapter of the League of Women Voters awarded the Washington branch of CAIR one of its 2015 Champion of Voting and Civil Rights Awards, praising "their work encouraging voting and community involvement by members of the Muslim American community".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Criticism

December 2023, the Biden administration cut off contact with CAIR after its executive director stated he was "happy to see" Palestinians break Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip on October 7.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Awad also stated that Palestinians "have the right to self-defense" but that Israel "as an occupying power" does not.<ref name="NYT Dec 8 2023">Template:Cite news</ref> According to a CAIR press release, during his speech, Awad had also stated that, "The hatred, the prejudice, the violence, the discrimination against Jews because of their faith or their life or their religious practices is a hateful mindset, behavior and action. We as human beings, as Muslims, as Palestinians, see it as evil the way it is, and [it] should be condemned because antisemitism is a real phenomenon, a real evil, and it has to be rejected and combated by all people regardless of their faith tradition, ideology, or those people who have no ideology. It is an attack on humanity and should be clearly condemned by all people."<ref name=":4" />

In response to the criticism from the Biden administration, Awad released a statement and held a press conference in which he reiterated his opposition to and condemnation of all attacks on civilians, including the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, claiming that this original remarks were taken out of context. He stated that, “Ukrainians, Palestinians and other occupied people have the right to defend themselves and escape occupation by just and legal means, but targeting civilians is never an acceptable means of doing so, which is why I have again and again condemned the violence against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7th and past Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings, all the way back to the 1990s—just as I have condemned the decades of violence against Palestinian civilians. “The average Palestinians who briefly walked out of Gaza and set foot on their ethnically cleansed land in a symbolic act of defiance against the blockade and stopped there without engaging in violence were within their rights under international law; the extremists who went on to attack civilians in southern Israel were not. Targeting civilians is unacceptable, no matter whether they are Israeli or Palestinian or any other nationality.”<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Critics of CAIR have accused it of pursuing an Islamist agenda.<ref name="scr" /><ref name="auto">Template:Cite news</ref> CAIR denies these allegations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Zuhdi Jasser, a physician and Republican politician in Arizona, has criticized CAIR and argued that its agenda is focused on "victimization".<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Best-selling author and prominent critic of Islam,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sam Harris, criticized CAIR by saying the organization is "an Islamist public relations firm posing as a civil-rights lobby".<ref>Sam Harris: Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks Template:Webarchive. HuffPost. Retrieved on March 19, 2011.</ref>

Some Muslims have criticized CAIR for taking a conservative religious approach on some issues. These critics claim that past statements by the organization, such as the claim that the headscarf is a religious requirement for Muslim women, often follow conservative Saudi religious doctrine and do not capture diverse religious perspectives.<ref name="scr"/> The claim that the headscarf is religious obligation upon Muslim women has been criticized by some Muslim scholars and academics, including Khaled Abou El Fadl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Funding

CAIR has an annual budget of around $3 million (as of 2007).<ref name=scr/> It states that while the majority of its funding comes from American Muslims, it accepts donations from individuals of any faith and also foreigners.<ref name="TopInternet">Template:Cite web</ref> In the past CAIR has accepted donations from individuals and foundations close to Arab governments.<ref name="scr">Template:Cite news</ref> Within CAIR there is debate regarding foreign funding, and several CAIR branches have criticized the national office for accepting foreign donations.<ref name="scr" />

In April 2011, Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va. cited a 2009 letter sent from CAIR's executive director, Nihad Awad, to Muammar Gaddafi asking Gaddafi for funding for a project called the Muslim Peace Foundation at a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations sub-committee hearing.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Steven Emerson called the funding request "hypocritical",<ref name="Lawmaker_Fox">Template:Cite news</ref> while CAIR spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper, said that the Muslim Peace Foundation was Awad's personal initiative "unrelated to CAIR", that CAIR didn't receive any money from the Libyan government, and also that CAIR was one of the first American organizations to call for a no-fly zone to protect Libyan citizens from Gaddafi during the 2011 Libyan Civil War.<ref name="Lawmaker_Fox"/>

References

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External links

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