PRESS STATEMENT: CAIR-Chicago & CAIR Condemn Nazi Swastika Mowed into Illinois Lawn
(CHICAGO, IL, 6/4/25) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization (CAIR), today condemned a Nazi swastika mowed into the grass of a residential lawn in Illinois.
Authorities in Alhambra, Illinois, are investigating whether the act qualifies as a hate crime.
Yesterday, CAIR’s Pittsburgh chapter condemned the racist and neo-Nazi defacement of two public murals by Pittsburgh-based artist Kyle Holbrook, known nationally for his powerful works on social justice and community unity.
“The Nazi swastika is a symbol of hate and genocide that have no place in a civilized society,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago.
In a statement, CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:
“We condemn this apparent act of neo-Nazi hate and urge law enforcement authorities and community leaders in Illinois and nationwide to take the promotion of bigotry seriously and to address it whenever and wherever it occurs.”
He said CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
For Chicago & Illinois-based incidents of hate crimes or discrimination, community members are urged to report to police and to CAIR-Chicago’s Civil Rights Department by filing a legal intake at: https://www.cairchicago.org/report-discrimination.
Additionally, reports should be filed with the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes at: https://cdhc.illinois.gov/report-hate.html.
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago | 202-870-0166 | arehab@cair.com; Hafsa Haider, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago | 561-317-7509 | hhaider@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@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