CAIR Says Trump's New Muslim Ban Order is Part of 'Ugly White Supremacist Agenda'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said today that the latest version of President Trump's "Muslim ban" executive order signed this evening is just one part of the administration's "ugly white supremacist agenda." #NoMuslimBanEver

[MEDIA ADVISORY: CAIR will hold a media availability on this issue with its civil rights attorneys at 11 a.m., Monday, September 25, at its Capitol Hill headquarters in Washington, D.C. (453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C.) CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]]

CAIR said the new order places restrictions on travel to the United States from eight countries and comes as the previous ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries was set expire today.

Trump kept restrictions on five of the six Muslim-majority nations – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen – and added new restrictions on visitors from Chad, North Korea and Venezuela.

SEE: Trump Administration Announces New Travel Ban
http://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/trump-administration-announces-new-travel-ban-the-tougher-the-better/S6JruYyDOgwtP2LTiVUrGL/

In a statement reacting to the new Muslim ban, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

"With this latest iteration of the discriminatory and unconstitutional Muslim ban, coupled with the race-baiting of professional athletes exercising their First Amendment rights and a reluctance to condemn neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, President Trump once again demonstrates that his views and policies are part of a white supremacist agenda.

"This ugly agenda is nothing new. This is a man who was sued for refusing to rent to African-Americans, who called for the death penalty for five African-American and Hispanic young people falsely accused of rape, who was once quoted as objecting to having African-Americans 'counting my money,' who retweeted racist and anti-Semitic material, who called for a 'total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,' who called Mexican immigrants 'rapists,' and who said a judge's Mexican heritage made him unfit to preside over a case.

"This is also a man who rose to national infamy by leading the 'birther' movement, which falsely claimed President Obama was not born in this country.

"Perhaps the truest indicator of the president's white supremacist agenda is the fact that he is embraced by racists, Islamophobes, neo-Nazis, and bigots of all stripes who see his views as reflecting their own.

"Ten months after his election, instead of promoting the values that lifted up this nation, Donald Trump is still trying to divide Americans.

"These hard truths must now be faced by all Americans, who -- as individuals -- need to decide if they are on the side of traditional American aspirations of religious and racial inclusion, or if they envision a 'Trump' America in which members of only one group dominate and reap the benefits of citizenship."

On Friday, CAIR urged the Trump Administration to refrain from issuing a new Muslim ban, noting that more stealthy attempts to implement that controversial executive order will be just as "unconstitutional and un-American" as the previous attempts. #NoMuslimBanEver

SEE: CAIR Urges Trump Administration Not to Issue New Muslim Ban
https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14646-cair-urges-trump-administration-not-to-issue-new-tailored-muslim-ban.html

Last week, CAIR announced the filing of an amicus ("friend of the court") brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of seven American Muslims opposing the Trump administration's original Muslim ban and urging the court to declare it unconstitutional.

READ CAIR's Amicus Brief:
https://www.cair.com/images/pdf/170918_-_Trump_v_Hawaii_-_Amicus_Brief_FINAL.PDF

In its brief, CAIR argued that the seven American Muslim citizens "have seen increased discrimination, hate speech, and threats of violence as a result of the anti-Muslim animus that underpins" the Muslim ban. [NOTE: Those listed in the amicus brief ("amici") are represented by CAIR and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.]

That brief was the latest CAIR legal filing on the Trump administration's efforts to implement its Muslim ban. In January, just days after Trump signed the first Muslim ban executive order, CAIR filed suit. 

SEE: CAIR Files Federal Suit Challenging Constitutionality of Trump's 'Muslim Ban' Executive Order
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14069-cair-files-federal-suit-challenging-constitutionality-of-trump-s-muslim-ban-executive-order.html

CAIR has also filed two amicus briefs in the Ninth Circuit.

SEE: CAIR Files Amicus Brief with 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Trump's 'Muslim Ban'
http://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14290-cair-files-amicus-brief-with-9th-circuit-court-of-appeals-on-trump-s-muslim-ban.html

CAIR Files Amicus Brief in the Ninth Circuit on Behalf of Four American Muslims Impacted by Muslim Ban 3.0
https://www.cair.com/press-center/press-releases/14515-breaking-cair-files-amicus-brief-in-the-ninth-circuit-on-behalf-of-four-american-muslims-impacted-by-muslim-ban-3-0.html

The Washington-based civil rights organization recently launched an app to share critical 'know your rights' information and simplify the process to report hate crimes and bias incidents. CAIR is urging Muslims to download the app and utilize this resource to stay informed and empowered.

For a quick download of CAIR's civil rights app, click here: http://www.cair.com/app  

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.            

CONTACT: CAIR National Litigation Director Lena Masri, 248-390-9784, [email protected]; CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas, 720-251-0425, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

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