CAIR-Chicago, CAIR National Condemn Inflammatory Statements About Islam & Muslims by Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith; Recommend He Visits Local Mosque

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/28/26) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Chicago chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization (CAIR-Chicago), today invited and encouraged Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith to visit a mosque in that state and engage with his Muslim constituents after he reportedly denigrated the religion of Islam and declared that people need “permission to hate again.” Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith says ‘I hate Islam. It’s a demonic death cult.’

SEE: Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith Is Giving Hoosiers ‘Permission To Hate’ Islam

Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, said:

Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith contradicts the mission of his office to ‘protect individual liberties’ (IE, religious practices) with his inflammatory statements about Islam and Muslims. He is not fit to remain in office. Vile comments like his fed into the deadly mass shooting at a San Diego Mosque and school the country is still reeling from. According to Brown University’s Cost of War project, the direct death toll of just post 9/11 wars against predominantly Muslim countries is estimated at 940,000, and indirect deaths estimated at around 3.7 million people.”

In an interview, Beckwith reportedly said, “I hate Islam. It’s a demonic death cult.” He also reportedly claimed there is a need to give people “permission to hate again.”

In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:

“We invite and encourage Lt. Gov. Beckwith to visit a local mosque and engage with his Indiana Muslim constituents. Although Mr. Beckwith has every right to express his own religious views, including a hatred of another world religion, he should have the wisdom to understand that using his platform as Lieutenant Governor to spread panic about an imaginary Muslim takeover of Indiana is unbecoming of his office and dangerous to the Indiana Muslim community.

“It is impossible to encourage the people of Indiana to hate an entire religion without fomenting hatred against the Indianans who follow that religion. American Muslims are already facing escalating harassment, discrimination, threats and, as we saw recently in San Diego, deadly violence. Lt. Gov. Beckwith should respectfully engage with the Indiana Muslim community, not put a bullseye on them or cast doubt on his commitment to uphold religious freedom for everyone in Indiana.”

CAIR recently commended Democratic members of Congress who defended American Muslims and constitutional religious freedom during House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on “Sharia law.” CAIR also condemned Republican members and witnesses for promoting anti-Muslim fearmongering and dangerous smear tactics amid rising anti-Muslim hate incidents nationwide.

The civil rights organization noted that its latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.

The Center for the Study of Organized Hate showing an approximately 1,450 percent increase in anti-Muslim extremist rhetoric by public officials in the 15 months after February 2025, warning that many such statements satisfy criteria for speech likely to inspire violence.

After the deadly terror attack on the San Diego mosque, CAIR is also calling on Muslim community leaders to utilize its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet to help keep religious facilities safe. The advice in the booklet is applicable to all houses of worship.

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.   

CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com; Ahmed Rehab CAIR-Chicago Executive Director, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com