MEDIA ADVISORY: CAIR-Chicago to Host Press Conference Demanding Accountability After Anti-Palestinian Campaign Sparks Discrimination at East Bank Club Gym
- For Immediate Release and Distribution -
CHICAGO, IL, (8/18/2025) – On Tuesday, August 19, The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) will host a press conference to address an alarming rise in anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic discrimination in recreational spaces.
In recent months, our client Sami, a former East Bank Club (EBC) member, was targeted for expressing pride in his Palestinian heritage. Simply by wearing clothing symbolizing Palestinian resistance, he became the subject of an online harassment campaign, including calls for violence, fueled by external hate groups. Although Sami’s attire did not violate the gym’s dress code, club patrons photographed him without consent and circulated the images online in an effort to pressure the gym to take action. Ultimately, EBC gave in to that pressure and terminated his membership without justification.
WHAT: Press conference demanding accountability after anti-Palestinian campaign leads to discrimination at East Bank Club
WHEN: Tuesday, August 19, 2025 – 1:00 PM CT
WHERE: CAIR-Chicago Azima Center, 17 North State Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60602
LIVESTREAM: www.facebook.com/cairchicago
WHO:
Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director, CAIR-Chicago
Noah Halpern, Staff Attorney, CAIR-Chicago
Sami, Client
CAIR-Chicago reaffirms that all of Chicago’s recreational spaces must be safe and welcoming for people of every race and religion. We strongly condemn any organization that infringes on individuals’ civil rights or excludes them based on their identity or expression of their heritage.
Incidents like these highlight a broader effort by extremist groups — including Canary Mission and StopAntisemitism — to dehumanize Palestinians in the midst of the ongoing and heinous genocide in Gaza. CAIR-Chicago remains firmly committed to combating the wrongful doxing and vilification of Palestinians, Muslims, and activists who are being targeted for taking the morally right stance of opposing genocide.
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director, CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com | Noah Halpern, Staff Attorney, CAIR-Chicago, 312-212-1520, nhalpern@cair.com | Hafsa Haider, Communications Coordinator, CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com
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