CAIR Urges President to 'Stay on Right Side of History,' Support Palestinian State

News provided by

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Nov 30, 2012, 03:44 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, today urged President Obama to "stay on the right side of history" by supporting yesterday's United Nations vote granting Palestine the status of a non-member observer state.

In a letter to the president, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad wrote in part:

"As a nation, we have historically supported the right of all people to seek freedom and human dignity. We must reaffirm that longstanding American tradition and stay on the right side of history by supporting the unalienable right of the Palestinian people to live in peace and freedom within their own state.

"Pressure brought by special interest groups should never determine our stand on the principles of freedom that have made this nation great. To Palestinians and many others worldwide, the United Nations vote was as significant as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to African-Americans.

"We therefore urge your administration to reverse its unconscionable stance and support the historic United Nations vote to grant Palestine the status of non-member observer state."

Awad noted that only a handful of nations voted in opposition to granting Palestine the status of a state.

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.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational

Subscribe to CAIR's E-Mail List
http://tinyurl.com/cairsubscribe

Subscribe to CAIR's Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational

Subscribe to CAIR's YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/cairtv

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations