CAIR’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, alleges that Meta violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code.

It states in part:

“Meta discriminated against Plaintiff based on his religious identity as a Muslim by forcing him to choose between expressing his sincerely held religious belief and maintaining his employment. Meta silenced Plaintiff’s expressions of religious solidarity with the Muslim community during the ongoing genocide in Gaza—a subject central to Plaintiff’s faith—while permitting similarly situated non-Muslim employees to speak freely about other humanitarian and political crises.”

The lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting further religious discrimination by Meta, removal of negative references from the plaintiff’s personnel record, annual religious sensitivity training for Meta management, and compensatory and punitive damages.

Read CAIR’s lawsuit HERE.

Backgrounder:

Mohammed Feras Majeed, who is of Indian origin, was hired at Meta in 2018. As a Muslim, he felt it was part of his religious duty to speak up about Palestine within the workplace and on his social media pages. Within workplace chat platforms, Majeed had seen discussions of political topics such as Ukraine and the Black Lives Matter movement, along with sympathy for the Israeli victims after October 7, 2023.

However, when Majeed attempted to discuss Palestine and his prayers for Muslims impacted by Israel’s genocide, he suffered adverse employment action in response, including formal reprimands, content removal, verbal warnings, and threats of further discipline, all stemming from his religiously motivated expression.

Source: CAIR

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Wednesday, January 29, hailed a new resolution in the New York State Senate that officially recognized Feb. 1, 2025, as World Hijab Day.

The resolution, introduced by Senator Roxanne Persaud, aims to “encourage religious tolerance, cultural understanding and international solidarity.”

“World Hijab Day, in its 12^th year, is a platform to promote understanding, dismantle stereotypes, and celebrate the empowerment of women who choose to wear the hijab,” CAIR said in a statement.

Noting that “this resolution reflects New York’s celebration of cultural and religious diversity,” CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said, “World Hijab Day is an important opportunity to amplify the voices of hijab-wearing women and to combat the prejudice and discrimination they often face.”

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Roxanne J. Persaud for her advocacy and support of this resolution,” Nasher added.

World Hijab Day was founded by Nazma Khan in 2013 as a platform to foster religious tolerance and cultural understanding, according to its website. Since its inception, it has been observed worldwide, allowing women of different backgrounds to experience wearing a hijab for a day.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The 64-page document, which maps out more than 100 executive branch actions, comes weeks before the inauguration of former President Donald Trump, who imposed a travel ban on people from some majority Muslim countries during his first term that Biden rescinded on his first day in office.

It mirrors a comprehensive strategy to fight antisemitism released by the White House in September 2023, and comes more than a year after death of six-year-old boy Wadea Al-Fayoume, stabbed by a man who targeted him and his mother because they were Palestinian-American.

In a foreword to the strategy, Biden called the attacks on the Chicago boy and his mother “heinous acts” and noted a spike in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate crimes, discrimination and bullying that he called wrong and unacceptable.

“Muslims and Arabs deserve to live with dignity and enjoy every right to the fullest extent along with all of their fellow Americans,” Biden wrote. “Policies that result in discrimination against entire communities are wrong and fail to keep us safe.”

The Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, called the strategy “too little, too late” and faulted the White House for not promising any changes to a federal watchlist and “no-fly” list that includes many Arab and Muslim Americans, and for failing to end the war in Gaza, which has been driving Islamophobia.

Jim Zogby, founder of the Arab American Institute, predicted the incoming Trump administration would disown the strategy, but welcomed the White House’s expansion to include anti-Arab hate instead of focusing solely on acts directed against Muslims.

The Trump transition team had no immediate comment on the strategy or whether it would support it.

Trump, who won support from some Muslim voters angry about Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza, has said he will ban entry to the U.S. of anyone who questions Israel’s right to exist and revoke visas of foreign students who are “antisemitic.”

Tensions between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups surged on some U.S. campuses after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, with human rights advocates warning of rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.

Source: Reuters

Roughly one in every two Muslim college students in the US state of California have experienced harassment or discrimination, according to a recently published survey.

The report from the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Center for the Prevention of Hate and Bullying (CPHB) includes responses from 720 students at 87 public and private colleges and universities across California, which found a 10 percent spike in Islamophobia faced by students since 2020.

The October 7, 2023, Hamas-led cross-border attack, as well as Israel’s onslaught on besieged Gaza, have exacerbated Islamophobia on campuses as well as “anti-Palestinian hate, and anti-Arab racism, leaving Muslim students feeling targeted and unsupported,” CAIR said in a statement.

Student-led anti-war protests that erupted nationwide on campuses in the wake of the escalating death toll have been repeatedly met with an effort to stamp them out or otherwise curtail the demonstrations.

“This past year has been extremely traumatizing for college students of varying ethnicities within the Islamic faith—all because they valiantly chose to stand up and humanize the plight of Palestinians, who have suffered from over 75 years of oppression, dehumanization, and war,” CPHB Director Osman Khan said in a statement.

“These students should not have to suffer physical reprisals, nor fear possible academic and future employment repercussions, for simply practicing their constitutionally protected rights of petition, assembly, and speech,” he added.

‘Not a global institution’

University of Southern California student Summer said many Muslim students have felt isolated within their college communities, particularly those who have lost friends and family in Israel’s war, which has claimed the lives of more than 43,000 Palestinians.

“Some students, while in class, have received (the) devastating news of losing loved ones in Gaza. They not only mourn their families but also face the silence and lack of empathy from their own community. Where are the statements of solidarity, safe spaces for healing, or meaningful support from the administration for those grieving innocent lives?” she asked rhetorically.

“We cannot claim to be a global institution of higher learning while neglecting the global realities of our students. We cannot say we stand for justice when we turn a blind eye to injustice within our own campus,” she added.

Source: TRT World

At a time when Islamophobic violence, hate crimes, and bias incidents are at an all-time record high, it is especially appalling to see the perpetuation of false and harmful stereotypes accusing Muslim candidates of supporting terrorism or extremist ideologies. These baseless and inflammatory accusations not only poison political discourse but actively endanger the lives of those who are simply exercising their right to participate in the democratic process.

In its 2023 directory of elected Muslim officials, CAIR found that over 235 Muslims are serving at the local, state, and federal levels across the United States. This fact underscores the important role Muslim Americans play in public life and the diversity they bring to their communities. Their service exemplifies the strength of our democracy and the inclusiveness of our nation.

In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:

“Incidents of such dangerous rhetoric and anti-Muslim tropes place Nevada Muslim candidates and their communities in harm’s way. Using Islamophobic smears and falsehoods to undermine the legitimacy of Muslim candidates is not just an attack on an individual but on the democratic principles of fairness and equal representation.

“CAIR calls on all political actors and members of the public to rise above such hateful campaign tactics and uphold the values of inclusion, respect, and safety for all Americans, regardless of their background.”

He noted that earlier this month, CAIR’s Washington state chapter (CAIR-WA) reaffirmed the right of all Americans, including devout American Muslims, to run for and serve in public office.

In every election, including this one, CAIR urges voters to focus on the values, policies, and leadership qualities of candidates, rather than allowing stereotypes or fearmongering to influence decisions.

CAIR remains committed to ensuring that all Americans, regardless of faith, can fully participate in the democratic process without fear of discrimination or bias. The First Amendment guarantees that religious freedom is a right for everyone, and no one should be disqualified from serving the public due to their beliefs.

From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.

Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints.

Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.

Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations

“We’re pursuing all legal options,” said CAIR Attorney Adam Attia.

This follows the arrest of a Muslim woman and Temple alumna, Johara Shama.

Shama was part of an unapproved “Students for Justice in Palestine” protest at the Gittis Student Center during a career fair on September 26.

Video shows Shama leading protesters out of the student center after the demonstration when police appear to arrive and intervene. Shama was one of four arrested. Only one arrest was a current student. Protesters allege groping and brutality.

Shama also says Temple police yanked her hijab and Philadelphia police made her remove it during booking, a violation of deeply held religious beliefs and practices.

“This act of humiliation left me in a state of distress, feeling as though my fundamental rights had been stripped away from me,” Shama said.

On October 2, Philadelphia police released a lengthy statement in response to the accusations, saying in part that the department doesn’t currently have specific policies regarding religious garb during the booking and detainment process and their policies need to evolve to better respect and accommodate religious practices.

“No person should ever be forced to choose between their dignity, religious beliefs, and compliance with law enforcement. This is a clear violation of constitutional rights and religious freedoms, and we will not rest until justice is served. We urge all members of the community, regardless of faith, to stand in solidarity with the Muslim women who have endured this unlawful and degrading treatment,” Attia said.

For its part, Temple Public Safety disputed the claims, saying they have body cam video and building surveillance to prove it, although they did not release video when asked.

“Temple University has taken an increasingly hostile approach toward Muslim, Arab, and pro-Palestinian students,” Attia said.

In a statement last week, Temple University President Richard Englert said in part, the university “fosters an environment that is open to a diversity of thought, opinion and peaceful expression.”

“Students for Justice in Palestine” has been suspended at Temple for violating campus guidelines for their demonstration.

“To understand better what led to all of this, were those guidelines followed for this demonstration?” Action News reporter Leland Pinder asked.

“We’re not here to say whether they have the right to protest, whether they adhered to the guidelines, the policies that Temple University has. It’s how Temple responded to the arrest,” Attia responded.

Ultimately, CAIR says it’s looking for substantive and structural change so police better understand and can accommodate members of the Muslim community.

Read the full Philadelphia police statement:

“The Philadelphia Police Department is committed to respecting the religious freedoms and civil rights of all individuals. We are aware of the concerns raised by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Philadelphia) regarding an incident involving a Muslim woman who was asked to remove her hijab during a booking and detainment at a PPD facility on Friday, September 27th, 2024.

Our current policy for individuals in custody does not specifically address the wearing of religious garb during the booking/detainment process. In this particular case, staff at the Police Detention Unit (PDU) made accommodations to allow the detainee to wear her hijab while in common areas that could be in the presence of individuals identifying as male. However, it was removed for her booking photograph and securely placed with her personal belongings while she was in a holding cell with other women.

he US anti-Semitism envoy has triggered a backlash over remarks she made about the pager attacks in Lebanon last week, which have been blamed on Israel.

At a recent event held by the Israeli-American Council, a moderator commented that “after October 7, there was a feeling around the world that Israel was weaker”.

In response, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt said: “Do you want a beeper?”

The moderator later said: “I have a few.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has demanded that the Biden administration fire Lipstadt, calling her remarks “dangerous”.

“Special Envoy Lipstadt’s callous remarks are not only disgusting, but also dangerous,” CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert McCaw said in a statement.

“At a time when our nation’s government claims it is working to de-escalate tensions between Israel and Lebanon, her flippant celebration of state-sponsored terrorism undermines diplomatic efforts to prevent a broader war in the region,” he said.

He said joking about the loss of innocent lives, especially children, is a disgrace and should have no place in US foreign policy discussions.

“It sends a message to the world that the US government condones or even celebrates the slaughter of Arab and Muslim civilians. This is not just immoral, it’s irresponsible,” he said.

McCaw said the Biden-Harris administration must immediately fire Lipstadt “and make clear that the United States does not support or celebrate state violence and terrorism against vulnerable populations”.

Lipstadt was confirmed by the US Senate on March 30, 2022 as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, with the rank of ambassador, according to the State Department.

At least 37 people were killed and over 3,000 others injured in explosions of pager and radio devices across Lebanon on September 17 and 18. While the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the explosions, Tel Aviv has not denied or confirmed its involvement.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,400 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7 last year.

A recent study revealed that nearly 60% of Muslim students in New York have experienced bullying at school by their peers, especially after Israel’s onslaught in the Gaza Strip.

The survey “Feeling The Hate In Our Schools” was conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in New York, and revealed that “58.2% reported being bullied at school by another student because they were Muslim.”

“Almost half (44.7%) of students who wear a hijab reported their hijab was tugged, pulled, or offensively touched by another student rarely, sometimes, often, or very often,” the findings said.

The survey also revealed that “64% of students have witnessed a Muslim student at school being bullied by another student,” and nearly 65% of students have seen “their school make offensive comments or posts about Islam or Muslims online.”

According to the survey, many students (43.6%) did not feel it was necessary to report them, believing it would not make a difference. The survey noted that “74.6% of students said that they did not report to an adult at their school about being bullied by another student for being Muslim.”

The CAIR report also included a special note on Palestine, highlighting a surge in “anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian sentiment within the fabric of New York City” when the conflict in Gaza escalated in October 2023.

“In 2023 alone, CAIR-NY received 555 requests for legal assistance, with 43% directly linked to Palestinian solidarity, highlighting the urgency of this issue,” it added.

It further stated that 32% of students reported school silencing for voicing opinions on Palestine, while 13% faced unwanted attention from staff, 11% from authorities, 10% experienced online harassment or doxing, and 9.5% reported social isolation.

The report was based on a survey of 500 Muslim students, 91.7% of whom attend public schools, 4.6% attend charter schools, and 3.8% attend non-Islamic private schools.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A late August poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group showed that in Michigan, home to a large Arab American community, 40% of Muslim voters backed the Green Party’s Stein. Republican candidate Donald Trump got 18%, with Harris, who is President Joe Biden’s vice president, trailing at 12%.

The poll, conducted by text message more than two weeks before the Harris-Trump Sept. 10 debate, showed Harris leading Trump 29.4% to 11.2%, with 34% favoring third-party candidates including Stein at 29.1%.

Harris was the leading pick of Muslim voters in Georgia and Pennsylvania, while Trump prevailed in Nevada with 27%, just ahead of Harris’ 26%, according to the CAIR poll of 1,155 Muslim voters nationwide. All are battleground states that have swung on narrow margins in recent elections.

The Green Party is on most state ballots, including all battleground states that could decide the election, except for Georgia and Nevada, where the party is suing to be included.

Stein also leads Harris among Muslims in Arizona and Wisconsin, battleground states with sizable Muslim populations where Biden defeated Trump in 2020 by slim margins.

Biden won the 2020 Muslim vote, credited in various exit polls with from 64% to 84% of their support, but Muslim backing of Democrats has fallen sharply since Israel’s nearly year-long action in Gaza.

The Uncommitted National Movement said on Thursday it would not back Harris even though it opposes Trump and won’t recommend a third-party vote. It said Trump would accelerate the killing in Gaza if reelected but Harris had not responded to its request she meet with Palestinian Americans who lost loved ones in Gaza and had not agreed to discuss halting arms shipments to Israel.

A campaign spokesperson said Harris was committed to earning every vote and uniting the country, while continuing to work to end the war in Gaza. The campaign earlier declined to comment on the shifting dynamics; officials tasked with Muslim outreach were not available for interviews.

The Uncommitted movement rallied over 750,000 voters to cast uncommitted ballots in the Democratic nominating contests early this year to protest Biden’s policy in support of Israel’s war. Biden left the race in July and endorsed Harris, who then launched her campaign.

Harris has gone further than other Biden administration officials to voice sympathy with the Palestinians and has forcefully criticized Israel’s conduct while adhering to Biden administration policy, disappointing Arab American and Muslim voters.

About 3.5 million Americans reported being of Middle Eastern descent in the 2020 U.S. Census, the first year such data was recorded. Although they make up about 1% of the total U.S. population of 335 million, their voters may prove crucial in a race that opinion polls show Harris and Trump neck and neck.

On Tuesday, Harris called for an end to the Israel-Gaza war and the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. She also said Israel must not reoccupy the Palestinian enclave and backed a two-state solution.

But at closed-door meetings in Michigan and elsewhere, Harris campaign officials have rebuffed appeals to halt or limit U.S. arms shipments to Israel, community leaders say.

“Decades of community organizing and civic engagement and mobilizing have not manifested into any benefit,” said Faye Nemer, founder of the Michigan-based MENA American Chamber of Commerce to promote U.S. trade with the Middle East. “We’re part of the fabric of this country, but our concerns are not taken into consideration,” she said.

Stein is aggressively campaigning on Gaza, while Trump representatives are meeting with Muslim groups and promising a swifter peace than Harris can deliver.

Stein’s 2016 run ended with just over 1% of the popular vote, but some Democrats blamed her and the Green Party for taking votes away from Democrat Hillary Clinton. Pollsters give Stein no chance of winning in 2024.

But her support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, for an immediate U.S. arms embargo on Israel and for student movements to force universities to divest from weapons investments have made her popular in pro-Palestinian circles. Her running mate Butch Ware, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, is Muslim.

This month Stein spoke at ArabCon in Dearborn, Michigan, an annual gathering of Arab Americans, and was featured on the cover of The Arab American News under the headline “The Choice 2024.” Last week in an interview with The Breakfast Club, a New York radio program, she said, “Every vote cast for our campaign is a vote against genocide,” a charge that Israel denies.

Trump team campaigns for Arab American votes

At the same time, the Trump team has hosted dozens of in-person and virtual events with Arab Americans and Muslims in Michigan and Arizona, said Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting Director of National Intelligence.

“Arab American leaders in Detroit know this is their moment to send a powerful message to the Democrat party that they shouldn’t be taken for granted,” Grenell said. Trump has said he would secure more Arab-Israeli peace deals.

Biden defeated Trump in 2020 by just thousands of votes in some states, thanks in part to the support of Arab and Muslim voters in states where they are concentrated, including Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes in 2020, but Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton there by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2016. The state is home to overlapping groups of more than 200,000 registered voters who are Muslim and 300,000 who report ancestry from the Middle East and North Africa.

In Philadelphia, which has a large Black Muslim population, activists have joined a national “Abandon Harris” campaign. They helped organize protests during her debate with Trump last week.

Philadelphia CAIR co-chair Rabiul Chowdhury said, “We have options. If Trump pledges to end the war and bring home all hostages, it’s game over for Harris.” Trump has said the war would never have erupted if he were president. It’s unclear how he would end it. Trump is a firm supporter of Israel.

Source: Reuters

A growing number of hate crimes targeting Muslims and Palestinians in the US city of Chicago is raising concerns, according to an official at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Maggie Slavin, operations manager at the CAIR branch in the Midwestern US city, told Anadolu that there has been a 196% increase in hate crimes against Muslims and Palestinians in the city since last October, when Israel’s ongoing offensive against the Gaza Strip began.

Slavin said the incidents are occurring in workplaces, schools, and public spaces, with individuals facing consequences for expressing solidarity with Gaza and Palestine.

She highlighted that the Muslim American community is facing tight censorship. In workplaces, people are punished for expressing support for Gaza, and on campuses, students face administrative sanctions for advocating Palestinian rights, she added.

She said authorities’ response to the increase in hate crimes is “uncertain.” While some police departments are cooperative, she said, others require persistent advocacy.

On a recent attack on a Palestinian-owned cafe in the residential area of Uptown, she said the Chicago Police Department initially declined to classify the incident as a hate crime.

“We have to be absolutely relentless until that police department – until the authorities – agree with us that it was a hate crime,” she said.

Nabala Cafe, a Palestinian-owned cafe in Uptown that displays a Palestinian flag, was attacked last week.

Actual antisemitism threat to all minorities

The rise in anti-Muslim sentiment is also being echoed by the resurgence of federal surveillance. Slavin compared the current atmosphere to the era after the September 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

“We’ve gotten a lot of calls about inappropriate interactions from the FBI or from federal authorities … This kind of feels like a witch hunt,” she explained.

When the FBI shows up at people’s doors, they are frightened and call CAIR to ask what to do, Slavin said. “We haven’t seen anything like that,” she noted. “That’s kind of a very scary new thing that’s happening.”

She expressed frustration with the misuse of the term “antisemitism” to stifle criticism of Israel’s policies.

“Actual antisemitism, the actual targeting of the Jewish faith, is a threat to us (Muslims), it’s a threat to all minorities,” she said.

“But when everything is thrown out as, ‘Oh, it’s anti-Semitic,’ ‘Oh, you’re being anti-Semitic,’ it just whittles that down to not being a serious thing,” she underlined.

What they are doing is “a legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies” and what Israel has been doing in Gaza and the West Bank, she said.

Killing of Turkish American activist was ‘targeted attack’

On recent killing of a Turkish American activist by Israeli forces in the West Bank, Slavin said it was no accident. Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, she said, adding: “We think that it was a targeted attack.”

“It just goes to show that even if you’re American, if you are Muslim, the IDF (Israeli army) do not care and will erase your humanity to the point of actually murdering you.”

Slavin said the Israeli army see nothing but resilience from Palestinians “who are experiencing this brutal genocide.”

Doing anything less than being resilient would be a “dishonor” to Palestinians, she said.

Source: Anadolu Agency