PRESS RELEASE: CAIR-Chicago Addresses The Rise in Anti-hate Against Muslims

(CHICAGO, IL, 10/20/2023) - The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is hosting a press conference today to address the recent alarming increase in grotesque hate incidents directed at the Muslim community against the current politically charged climate. 

WHAT: Press Conference Addressing Rising Hate Against the Muslim Community  

WHERE: CAIR-Chicago Azima Center, 17 North State Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602  

WHEN: October 20th , 2023 at 2:00 PM   

WHO: CAIR-Chicago - CIOGC and Muslim Civic Coalition will join 

LIVE STREAMING ON FACEBOOK, TO SEE CLICK HERE

CAIR-Chicago will also address a few examples of recent hate incidents that including the second anti-Muslim hate crime charge this week after Residents in Lombard were threatened by a neighbor who wanted to "kill all Muslims."

SEE: CAIR-Chicago: Hate Crime Charges Were Filed Against Man Who Reportedly Threatened To Shoot 2 Muslim Men

Another shocking incident involved a hateful letter sent to a Muslim school saying, “kill all sh*t-skinned Muslim children.” The school as well as other Muslim schools in the Chicagoland area have shut down, and shifted remotely, in abundance of caution. 

"It’s hard to believe that someone would gloat over the death of a small child stabbed 26 times by an alleged veteran, call the murderer a national treasure, and threaten more deaths. Then I turn on the TV, and I see constant anti-Muslim incitement, intended or unintended, and I wonder. Vile people exist. But so does incitement.” said Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director. 

“This is the worst I have ever seen in 20 years, including the post-911 environment. This time around, they are even targeting our children. The level of blind hatred and depravity we are witnessing should not be on us to condemn and prevent, that’s on our nation’s leaders on whose watch this America is emerging. They should be holding these press conferences, instead, they are joining the fray through misguided policies and statements that whitewashes or even incentvises dehumanization.” 

Other examples of what CAIR-Chicago is seeing:   

  1. A 10-year old boy was verbally assaulted outside a store in Gurnee Mills Mall after he expressed his support for “free Palestine.”  

  2. A patient threatened a doctor after a discussion related to the Middle East.  

  3. 3 Doctors were denied patient referrals because of their Palestinian heritage.  

  4. A university professor spewed Islamophobia rhetoric in class.  

  5. Disturbing social media posts on Twitter and Instagram expressing targeted anti-Islam hatred.  

  6. A mother shopping in Glendale Heights was subjected to egging due to her faith.  

  7. Muslim women were harassed while shopping at Walmart  

  8. A family ordering food at Burger King was harassed and threatened  

  9. A Muslim man in a small Illinois town reported being followed and harassed 

  10. Employers intimidating or retaliating against employees for speaking out for Palestinian human rights. 

CAIR-Chicago remains dedicated to working with community partners, government officials, and law enforcement to address these issues and ensure the Muslim community can live free from fear and prejudice.  

We invite members of the media, community organizations, and concerned citizens to join us in addressing this pressing issue. Together, we can stand against hate and work towards a more inclusive and compassionate society.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.  

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CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Erin P.R. Davis, MCM, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago, 773-802-8786, epdavis@cair.com 

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