In May 2023, the White House issued a detailed national strategy for the fight against antisemitism. Along with the broad support for the document, both by the mainstream organizations of American Jews and by progressive organizations, the choice of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a partner in the implementation of the strategy, as noted in the press release announcing the document, was criticized. Remarks by CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad following the events of October 7, whereby, inter alia, he was happy to see the people of Gaza “breaching the siege” and “going freely” to their land, were condemned by the White House spokesperson, and it seems that the plan to involve the organization in the implementation of the strategy was removed from the agenda. Nihad Awad, who has a long history of pro-Hamas activity, claimed that his words were taken out of context.
CAIR is a prominent lobby organization founded in 1994. It is part of the network of organizations in the US associated with the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood (the parent movement of Hamas), and was previously identified in court as part of their circles that support Hamas. The organization and its leading activists continue today to promote and defend antisemitic personalities and messages, and CAIR is a key partner in the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), which describes itself as “the leading umbrella organization for Islamic organizations across the US.” USCMO was established in 2014 by political Islam bodies identified mainly with the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, and currently includes over 40 such member bodies under it. It was established as part of a reorganizing and rebranding process that political Islam activists and bodies in the US launched after the network's ties to Hamas were exposed, and in light of the focus on promoting activity in Western countries after the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood regimes in the Middle East following the Arab Spring revolutions. All this helped the mainstreaming process that political Islam activists and bodies in the US experienced in recent years.
Outlining a comprehensive policy to combat record-breaking antisemitism is more critical than ever, but a correct and informed choice of partners for its implementation is just as critical.
In May 2023, the White House issued a detailed national strategy for the fight against antisemitism. Along with the broad support for the document, both by the mainstream organizations of American Jews and by progressive organizations, the choice of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a partner in the implementation of the strategy, as noted in the press release announcing the document, was criticized. Remarks by CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad following the events of October 7, whereby, inter alia, he was happy to see the people of Gaza “breaching the siege” and “going freely” to their land, were condemned by the White House spokesperson, and it seems that the plan to involve the organization in the implementation of the strategy was removed from the agenda. Nihad Awad, who has a long history of pro-Hamas activity, claimed that his words were taken out of context.
CAIR is a prominent lobby organization founded in 1994. It is part of the network of organizations in the US associated with the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood (the parent movement of Hamas), and was previously identified in court as part of their circles that support Hamas. The organization and its leading activists continue today to promote and defend antisemitic personalities and messages, and CAIR is a key partner in the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), which describes itself as “the leading umbrella organization for Islamic organizations across the US.” USCMO was established in 2014 by political Islam bodies identified mainly with the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, and currently includes over 40 such member bodies under it. It was established as part of a reorganizing and rebranding process that political Islam activists and bodies in the US launched after the network's ties to Hamas were exposed, and in light of the focus on promoting activity in Western countries after the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood regimes in the Middle East following the Arab Spring revolutions. All this helped the mainstreaming process that political Islam activists and bodies in the US experienced in recent years.
Outlining a comprehensive policy to combat record-breaking antisemitism is more critical than ever, but a correct and informed choice of partners for its implementation is just as critical.