MEDIA DIGEST: Joe Ricketts's Racist Emails Leaked, CAIR-Chicago Responds

February 6, 2019 CAIR-Chicago Communications

CAIR-Chicago, CIOGC, Muslim Bar to Respond to Cubs Patriarch Joe Ricketts’ Leaked Racist, Islamophobic Emails

(CHICAGO, IL, 2/5/2019) – Later today, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) and the Muslim Bar Association will hold a press conference to respond to Cubs patriarch Joe Ricketts’ leaked racist and Islamophobic emails.

CAIR-Chicago and CIOGC are currently in direct communication with the Cubs organization.

The emails leaked yesterday evening by Splinter included comments about Muslims being natural enemies in one email stating: “Christians and Jews can have a mutual respect for each other to create a civil society. As you know, Islam cannot do that. Therefore, we cannot ever let Islam become a large part of our society. Muslims are naturally my (our) enemy due to their deep antagonism and bias against non-Muslims.” Other leaked emails included racist jokes about Mexicans and African Americans with reference to the N-word. After the leak, Joe Ricketts issued an apology.

“Bigotry has no home in Chicago,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director for CAIR-Chicago. “Mr. Rickett’s comments are both alarming and highly disappointing. The community is in shock. There are countless Chicagoans who are both Muslims and Cubs fans. This is particularly hurtful to them. The idea that Muslims do not belong or are a threat to our culture is a tired, old Islamophobic trope that is disproven every day through living, working, contributing, and leading in America, our home. It is lazy, ignorant and moreover blatantly false. We expect and demand better. Sports are supposed to bring us together. The Cubs need to act hard and fast to ensure Chicagoans that they embrace our values of anti-bigotry,”