Message from CAIR

 

Twenty-five years ago, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001. They were parents, children, coworkers, neighbors, and first responders—and Muslims were among them. For our community, the legacy of that day includes both the lives lost in the attacks and the wave of hostility, suspicion, and surveillance that followed. The Early Backlash Tragically, it took only four days for those hostilities to turn deadly. On September 15, 2001, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh American father, husband, and small business owner, was shot and killed outside his gas station in Mesa, Arizona. Targeted by a man seeking retaliation for 9/11 because he wore a turban, Balbir became the first person killed in a hate crime during the post-9/11 backlash. His murder showed how quickly collective blame could spread beyond the Muslim community, putting Sikh, South Asian, Arab, and other communities in danger as well. In the year following 9/11 alone, CAIR documented 1,717 incidents targeting Muslims and people perceived as Muslim nationwide. The harm went beyond individual acts of hate. In the years after 9/11, the U.S. government launched devastating wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond while policies at home subjected Muslim communities to increased surveillance, systemic discrimination, targeted immigration enforcement, and intense scrutiny of mosques and community organizations. Together, these policies and the broader “War on Terror” transformed daily life for American Muslims. Travel, work, school, and worship were often shaped by relentless profiling and the constant pressure to disavow acts they had no part in, leaving a generation of children to learn that their faith, names, or appearance could make them targets. A Continuing Legacy Twenty-five years later, these lessons are not distant history. We are again seeing alarming levels of anti-Muslim hate and discrimination. In 2025, CAIR received 8,683 civil rights complaints nationwide, the highest number recorded in our history, while reported anti-Muslim hate crime events in California rose 58 percent last year. And this week, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, to stay away from the 9/11 memorial while making sweeping anti-Muslim claims and comparing him to the attackers. That is why protecting civil rights, challenging discrimination, and pushing back against government overreach remain so central to our work. Coming Together in Mesa This September 15, I will join Balbir’s family, the Sikh Coalition, the Revolutionary Love Project, faith leaders, and advocates in Mesa to mark 25 years since his murder. We will gather at the gas station where he was killed to honor his life and remember what can happen when xenophobic hate and collective blame go unchecked. On this anniversary, we should remember the full story: those whose lives were taken that day, those harmed in the backlash that followed, and our responsibility to refuse to allow fear to dismantle our civil rights.

Learn More About the Mesa Memorial

In solidarity, Zahra Billoo CAIR-SFBA Executive Director

Palestinian Youth Movement to Receive CAIR-SFBA’s Justice Award

We are honored to announce the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) as a recipient of CAIR-SFBA’s 2026 Justice Award at our 32nd Anniversary Gala. Through grassroots organizing, political education, and community action, PYM has become a leading voice for Palestinian liberation. Their work has brought people across generations together in support of Palestinian freedom and dignity, particularly at a time when speaking out for Palestinian rights requires immense courage. We look forward to honoring PYM at this year’s gala, Upholding Liberty and Justice for All, on Saturday, October 17.

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Legal Services

A Wrong Turn Led to ICE Detention. Our Legal Team Helped Bring Him Home.

After months in ICE detention over what began as a wrong turn near the U.S.-Mexico border, a CAIR-SFBA immigration client is finally home with his family. Detained After an Accidental Border Crossing The client accidentally crossed into Mexico in December after missing an exit while dropping off a rideshare passenger near the border. When he returned to the United States, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained him and treated the crossing as an attempted unlawful entry, even though he joined the standard inspection line, presented himself to the officers, explained the situation and presented evidence of his pending asylum application. He was later transferred to ICE custody. Because he was classified as an “arriving alien,” the government took the position that he had no right whatsoever to a bond hearing, where he could ask an immigration judge to release him while his asylum case continued. CAIR-SFBA Challenges His Detention CAIR-SFBA filed a federal habeas petition challenging his detention. That led to a bond hearing, where our legal team presented the case for his release and represented him before the immigration judge. Alhamdulillah, the judge granted bond, and he was released. His immigration case is not over. CAIR-SFBA continues to represent him in his asylum proceedings and is also challenging the requirement that he wear an ankle monitor. Why This Work Matters This case is one example of why our immigration work matters. When detention separates people from their families and puts their futures in jeopardy, having an attorney who can challenge the government’s actions can make a critical difference.