CAIR-Chicago Demands Immediate Cancellation of Judson University Award to Genocide Denier, Calls for Accountability
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A children’s choir perform “jedna si jedina”, the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the July 11, 2025 “Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day” & Anti-Genocide Press Conference (Photo by CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator, Jordan Esparza-Kelley).
(CHICAGO, IL, 4/30/2026) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today demanded that Judson University immediately cancel its planned award honoring Milorad Dodik and publicly account for its failure to respond to formal concerns raised by civil rights and Bosnian-American organizations.
READ MORE: Judson University faces backlash over ‘Democracy Award’ to sanctioned Bosnian leader
Despite receiving CAIR-Chicago’s letter outlining serious concerns—including Dodik’s record of genocide denial and actions undermining democratic institutions—the University has not returned any communications.
SEE: CAIR-Chicago's Letter to Judson University
“Judson University’s silence is unacceptable,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago. “There is no moral ambiguity here—honoring a genocide denier is a clear betrayal of the values the University claims to uphold. This award must be canceled, and the University must answer for this decision.”
The decision has drawn widespread backlash. Critics point to Dodik’s repeated denial of the Srebrenica genocide, an internationally recognized genocide in which more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys were murdered.
In a letter to the editor published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Idhan Tahirovic, president of the Bosniak Brotherhood of Genocide Survivors, wrote that the award “is an honor he doesn’t deserve,” citing Dodik’s persistent genocide denial and rhetoric that has deeply harmed survivors and victims’ families.
Bosnian-American advocacy organizations, including Jedna BiH, have also called for the event's cancellation and for the award to be rescinded, calling for the recognition of the community’s survivors, saying “Illinois is home to one of the largest Bosnian-American communities in the United States, including survivors of the Srebrenica genocide and the families of those who were killed. The decision to honor Dodik at an Illinois institution is a direct affront to that community”.
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03) publicly condemned the decision, writing on X, “Hazme un instrumento de tu paz. Make me an instrument of your peace. Peace is a foundational teachings of my faith. That's why I am disappointed that Judson University, a Christian university in IL, has decided to platform and award a war-monger and genocide denier, Milorad Dodik. I stand with all of those who demand institutions affirm our shared humanity and use their platforms to pursue peace”.
CAIR-Chicago reiterates its demand that Judson University rescind the award, cancel the event, and engage transparently with the communities harmed by this decision.
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote understanding.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Hafsa Haider, Communications Director of CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com