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CAIR Files Federal Lawsuit Against Fairfax County Public Schools for Suspending Muslim and Arab Students Over Participation in Viral Video Trend The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of four high school student members of the Muslim Students Association (MSA).   The lawsuit alleges that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they discriminatorily suspended the students for their participation in a viral video trend promoting their upcoming event. READ CAIR’S LAWSUIT. WATCH CAIR’S NEWS CONFERENCE. “The Constitution is clear, the government must treat like groups alike,” says CAIR LDF attorney Catherine Keck. “The MSA behaved innocently and no differently than other student groups on campus, yet Fairfax County singled them out, robbed them of academic and professional opportunities, and encouraged the community to target and harass them. The school’s actions are abhorrent to any person of conscience, and these students deserve justice.”   “The reason FCPS and TJHSST punished these students and not other students in similar videos is because they believe that Muslims and Arabs pose a threat where others do not,” said Ahmad Kaki, CAIR LDF Staff Attorney. “FCPS and TJHSST capitulated to anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim hysteria without even giving the students a chance to defend themselves, and, by doing so, violated the Constitution and federal law.”   “These four Muslim students and their families worked hard to attend Thomas Jefferson, where they have thrived,” said John M. Fossum, CAIR LDF Staff Attorney. “But when online trolls began harassing them and kicking up racist and Islamophobic hysteria, the school didn't think twice about ruining these students' reputations to save themselves some trouble. We call for justice knowing any parent would do the same."   “We decided to file this lawsuit because, if we did not say something, nothing will change,” said the parents of the students in an anonymous statement. “We are here because the next Muslim child who walks into school proud of their faith and their heritage should not have to be afraid of what that might cost them. Our children deserved better than what they got, and we hope the court sees it the same way.” READ MORE

CAIR Welcomes House Passage of Iran War Powers Resolution, Urges Senate to Follow Suit In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:   "We welcome the House’s bipartisan passage of this War Powers Resolution and commend those lawmakers who upheld their constitutional duty to ensure that decisions of war and peace remain in the hands of the American people’s elected representatives. No president, regardless of party, should be permitted to drag our nation into an open-ended conflict without congressional authorization…” READ MORE

Video: CAIR on AIR Podcast Tells Full Story of Palestinian-American Killed by Israeli Settlers in Occupied West Bank CAIR has released the latest episode of its weekly CAIR on AIR podcast featuring guest Kamel Musallet, whose son Saifullah Musallet was murdered by Israeli settlers in July 2025.    WATCH THE EPISODE ON YOUTUBE, SPOTIFY, OR APPLE PODCASTS   In this week’s episode of CAIR on Air, Kamel joins us to tell the story of his son’s murder, explain the violent tactics of racist Israeli settlers backed by the Israeli apartheid military in the occupied West Bank, and the escalating attacks on Palestinian villages, including a village full of American citizens. READ MORE

CAIR Condemns Anti-Muslim Rhetoric at Hearing for Proposed New Mexico Mosque In a statement, Washington, D.C, based CAIR said:   “Every faith community has the constitutional right to establish houses of worship free from discrimination, intimidation, or bigotry. Opposition to a mosque based on anti-Muslim prejudice is unacceptable and undermines the fundamental American principle of religious freedom.   “Public officials and community leaders should reject rhetoric that demonizes Muslims and instead foster respectful dialogue rooted in facts, mutual understanding, and equal treatment under the law. Muslims are an integral part of the fabric of this nation and deserve the same rights and respect afforded to followers of every other faith.” READ MORE

CAIR-NY Stands with Palestinian High School Student Who Recited Poem by Palestinian Poet at Assembly  CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher said:    “We stand with Dahlia and commend her for speaking proudly against injustice and about her Palestinian identity despite the pressure she faced. No student should be made to feel that their heritage, lived experiences, or perspective are unwelcome in their school community. Schools should encourage students to engage thoughtfully with the issues that shape their lives, not silence them because their identity or viewpoint may be considered controversial.   “Palestinian students deserve the same opportunity as every other student to express themselves, share their experiences, and participate fully in school life without fear of censorship or unequal treatment.”  READ MORE

CAIR, CAIR-FL Commend Sen. Van Hollen for Demanding Release of US Citizen Kidnapped by IDF in West Bank ACT NOW: CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR MSG TO CONGRESS TODAY!   In a statement, CAIR and CAIR-FL said:   “We welcome and firmly stand behind Senator Van Hollen’s urgent demand for the immediate release of Sama Safi. It is utterly unacceptable that an American citizen can be dragged from her home in the dead of night and denied contact with both her family and her own government.   “For too long, the United States has tolerated the systematic abuse, unlawful detention, and even killing of its own citizens by the Israeli military without holding foreign authorities accountable. The State Department must match its stated priority of protecting Americans abroad with immediate, decisive action to bring Sama Safi home safely.” READ MORE

CAIR-Florida Condemns Dumping of Pork Outside Middle Eastern Market in Port St. Lucie "Targeting a business associated with a particular ethnic or religious community by leaving pork products outside its entrance is an act that appears designed to intimidate, harass, and send a message of exclusion," said CAIR-Florida Communications Director Wilfredo Amr Ruiz. "We welcome the swift response by law enforcement and urge investigators to determine whether anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, or other bias motivations played a role in this disturbing incident. No member of our community should have to fear being targeted because of their faith, ethnicity, or background." READ MORE

CAIR-MI Joins Call for Action After Racist, Neo-Nazi Incident Targets Black-Owned Business in Grand Haven “Acts of intimidation targeting Black-owned businesses and minority communities have no place in Michigan or anywhere in our nation,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. “The alleged open use of neo-Nazi and racist slurs is not merely offensive; it is a threat to the safety and dignity of all people.” READ MORE

CAIR in the News CAIR: After the San Diego mosque attack, a grieving community grapples with rising Islamophobia and questions over police response – The New Arab CAIR: From San Diego, California to Plano, Texas, Islamophobia Has Consequences – Texas Observer This incident is part of a broader pattern of increasing violence against Muslims. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) received 8,683 civil rights complaints in 2025, the most in a single year since its first report in 1996, with Texas among the top five states for rising anti-Muslim complaints over the last three years. CAIR: Kennedy Commentary: Oh, Indiana! – The Indian Citizen Understandably, there has been considerable backlash. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Indiana Muslim Advocacy Network (IMAN) and multiple faith leaders convened by the Jewish Community Relations Council condemned the rhetoric, and Indiana Congressman André Carson, who is Muslim, called the remarks “outrageous and completely unacceptable.” None of those responses registered with the theocratic Beckwith, who has defended his statements by insisting that, although he has a “big heart” for individual Muslims, he believes Islam is “incompatible” with American values. CAIR: Concerns grow over health of US Palestinian activist Salah Sarsour in ICE detention – The New Arab "The abduction of Mr Sarsour, a beloved leader of Milwaukee's Muslim community, is utterly unjust and cruel. Once again, the administration is targeting a Palestinian-American for having the courage to be a leader and to stand against injustice. We call for his immediate release and return to his family," reads a statement issued in April by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, part of a coalition of US Muslim groups urging for the release of Sarsour. CAIR: Democrats Opposed to Tlaib’s Resolution to Stop U.S. Joining War on Lebanon – Truthout According to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Israel’s war on Lebanon is “quickly turning southern Lebanon into the ‘next Gaza.’” Israel has killed over 3,400 people and displaced over 1.2 million in Lebanon since its latest war on the country began in March. CAIR-LA: Israeli strikes kill at least 15 people in southern Lebanon – TRT World Video

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