CAIR Welcomes Rejection of Trump's 'Islamophobic' Nominee for U.N. Migration Post

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today applauded the decision by members of the United Nation's International Organization for Migration (IOM) to reject President Trump's nominee for the position of director general to lead the organization, a post held by Americans since 1951.

Ken Isaacs was eliminated in deliberations by the 169-nation body. It is reported that members of the IMO rejected Isaacs's nomination due to his past Islamophobic statements and in response to Trump administration policies such as the Muslim ban and migrant family separations.

SEE: US Nominee Loses Race to Lead UN Migrant Agency
http://thehill.com/policy/international/394779-us-nominee-loses-race-to-lead-un-migrant-agency 

Earlier this week, CAIR renewed its call for the Trump administration to withdraw the nomination, noting Isaacs's history of Islamophobic statements.

SEE: CAIR Renews Call for Withdrawal of Trump's Islamophobic U.N. Migration Post Nominee
https://www.cair.com/cair_renews_call_for_withdrawal_of_trump_s_islamophobic_u_n_migration_post_nominee  

"We welcome the rejection of an individual with a history of bigotry and hope this sends a message to Mr. Trump that even if Islamophobia is welcome in his administration, the international community and its institutions will not empower anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant views," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "It is obvious that Mr. Trump is eroding our nation's standing and undermining its values at home and abroad."

CAIR previously released screen shots of Isaacs's now-private Islamophobic Twitter account posts. On March 3, 2017, Isaacs posted a link to the Federalist Papers Project website's anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant article "What Countries Look Like Before And After Islam [PHOTOS]."

SEE: CAIR Says Trump Should Withdraw Nomination of Islamophobic U.N. Nominee, Releases Screen Shots of Tweets Calling Islam and Muslims Violent
https://www.cair.com/cair_says_trump_should_withdraw_nomination_of_islamophobic_u_n_nominee_releases_screen_shots_of_tweets_calling_islam_and_muslims_violent

On September 19, 2016, Isaacs posted: "fun fact. All #Islamic #terrorists literally follow #Islam." The following day, Isaacs posted: "they're kicking 21st century butt since they are present in 28 countries. Islam is 7th century violence and bullying."

Following the horrendous July 2016 terrorist attack in Nice, France, Isaacs posted: "#Nice #Islam is not peaceful."

On June 4, 2017, Isaacs responded to the Bishop of Southwark Cathedral saying of a terrorist attack in London, "This isn't in the name of God, this isn't what the Muslim faith asks people to do," by posting: "Bishop, if you read the Quran you will know 'this' is exactly what the Muslim faith instructs the faithful to do."

Isaacs is a vice president of the Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse led by the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the evangelist Billy Graham. Franklin Graham, who has called Islam a "very evil and wicked religion" and claimed Muslims are "enslaved by Islam," was once disinvited from a Pentagon event. He has claimed Islam is incompatible with "American values" and suggested that American mosques could be closed.

SEE: Samaritan's Purse leader, a Trump Nominee for UN Post, Apologizes for Muslim Remarks
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article199004499.html

Isaacs once wrote online that Austria and Switzerland should build a wall in the Alps to keep refugees out.

CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims, immigrants and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president. The Washington-based civil rights organization has also repeatedly expressed concern about Islamophobic and racist Trump administration policies and appointments.

SEE: CAIR Calls for Removal of Anti-Muslim Hate Group Leader from White House National Security Council Staff
https://www.cair.com/cair_calls_for_removal_of_anti_muslim_hate_group_leader_from_white_house_national_security_council_staff

The Washington-based organization's recently-released 2018 Civil Rights Report, "Targeted," showed a 17 percent increase in bias-motivated incidents against American Muslims from 2016 to 2017, and a 15 percent increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes in that same time period.

CAIR 2018 Civil Rights Report: Targeted
http://www.islamophobia.org/reports/224-2018-civil-rights-report-targeted.html

Community members are being urged to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by going to: https://www.cair.com/report

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

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CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

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