Ben Cardin – Eye on Islamism

CAIR quietly scrubs Democrats’ praise for group after blowback over leader’s pro-Hamas comments Nihad Awad, CAIR's executive director, said he was 'happy to see' Hamas attack Israel

December 20, 2023 Joe Schoffstall and Aubrie Spady

(Fox) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) appears to have scrubbed Democratic lawmakers’ praise for its group from its website following blowback over its leader’s controversial statements regarding Hamas, Fox News Digital has discovered. Nihad Awad, CAIR’s executive director, recently said he […]

Senate confirms highest-ranking Muslim in government after earlier GOP blockade

June 8, 2023 Mary Clare Jalonick

(AP) The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dilawar Syed as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, ending more than two years of delays after a blockade by Republicans in the last Congress. Syed will be the highest-ranking Muslim official in the U.S. […]

New resolution championed by Tlaib calls for Biden to apply genocide prevention law to Israel The resolution accuses Israeli officials of 'increasingly threatening a second Nakba'

May 12, 2023 Marc Rod

(Jewish Insider) On the same day that she hosted a controversial “Nakba Day” event on Capitol Hill, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also introduced a resolution that would ask the Biden administration to target Israel with a law aimed at preventing genocides and […]

Biden leaves American Muslims wanting

September 12, 2022 Cheyanne M. Daniels and Sarakshi Rai

(Hill) When President Biden was elected in 2020, Muslim Americans hoped to see a change in representation in government. At the time, hate crimes against Muslims were on the rise, and anti-Islamic rhetoric was surging, which critics attribute, in part, to former President […]

Muslim organizations to hold 7th annual National Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill

June 14, 2022 Unlisted Author

(WJLA) For two days on Capitol Hill, activists and delegates from national, state and local Muslim organizations are meeting with congressional leaders to discuss issues impacting American Muslims in the United States. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will join the U.S. […]

Is Ilhan Omar anti-Semitic, ‘affiliated with’ terror groups? GOP lawmaker’s words ruled out of order

December 16, 2021 Patrick Goodenough

(CNS) During Tuesday night’s sometimes combative House debate over a bill to create a special envoy on “Islamophobia,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) was called out after accusing the bill’s author of being anti-Semitic and of being “affiliated with” terrorist groups. Perry did […]

GOP stalls pick who’d be government’s highest-ranking Muslim

October 13, 2021 Mary Clare Jalonick and Mariam Fam

(AP) The nomination of a Pakistani-born businessman who would be the highest-ranking Muslim in the U.S. government is in jeopardy because Senate Republicans have repeatedly blocked his confirmation. The stalemate has led to Democratic charges of anti-Muslim bias and galvanized some Muslim […]

Dems punch back over GOP holdup of Biden SBA nominee

September 21, 2021 Morgan Chalfant

(Hill) The White House and congressional Democrats are punching back at GOP senators for blocking President Biden’s nominee for deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), who if confirmed would be the highest-ranking Muslim American in the Biden administration. On Tuesday […]

Faith groups accuse GOP senators of ‘apparent anti-Muslim animus’ for stalling Biden nominee 'We are deeply concerned by the apparent anti-Muslim animus driving this unprecedented action against Dilawar Syed,' the religious groups wrote in a letter to the Senate committee.

August 9, 2021 Jack Jenkins

(Religion News) A group of faith-based denominations and organizations is criticizing lawmakers for stalling votes on a high-level nomination by President Joe Biden, accusing Republican senators of “apparent anti-Muslim animus” for holding up the confirmation of what would be the highest-ranking Muslim […]

Jewish groups come to defense of local Muslim nominated by Biden

July 9, 2021 Gabriel Greschler

(Jewish News of Northern California) The American Jewish Committee and two figures in the Bay Area Jewish community have come out in defense of a nominee for a federal position who has been accused by GOP lawmakers of holding anti-Israel sentiments. Dilawar […]

Republican senators alarmed by Biden nominee’s ties to ‘anti-Israel’ group Syed is a board member with Emgage Action, per his financial disclosure

June 30, 2021 Houston Keene

(Fox) A group of Republican senators are raising alarms about President Biden’s nominee for a top Small Business Administration (SBA) position. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, led a letter with seven of his GOP colleagues to Senate Small Business Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, […]

Md. Muslim groups seek state leaders to take action on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

May 24, 2021 Deborah Weiner

(WBAL) More than a dozen Maryland Muslim organizations sent a letter to state leaders to recognize the Palestinian struggle and take action. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on the United States to hold Israel accountable for the violence against Palestinians, […]

Biden SBA pick serves on the board of anti-Israel group Dilawar Syed's affiliation with the BDS movement could hurt his confirmation

April 24, 2021 Alana Goodman

(Free Beacon) President Joe Biden’s nominee for a top Small Business Administration job sits on the board of a group that lobbies in favor of the anti-Israel boycott movement and describes Israel as an “apartheid” state. Dilawar Syed, Biden’s pick for deputy […]

Democratic senators urge Facebook to take action on anti-Muslim bigotry

November 16, 2020 Rebecca Klar

(Hill) Democratic senators on Monday urged Facebook to take action against anti-Muslim bigotry spreading on its platform. The letter sent to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg followed a recently released report by a Muslim advocacy group that concluded the social media giant enables global […]

Muslim groups urge Maryland lawmakers to address communications blackout, Indian occupation of Kashmir

September 30, 2019 Taylor DeVille

(Baltimore Sun) The Indian-controlled territory of Kashmir is being transformed into a “militarized police state” that has left 3,000 Kashmiri-Americans in the Baltimore area unable to reach loved ones, Zainab Chaudry, director of outreach for a local Muslim advocacy group, said at […]

Dem leaders defend freshmen Tlaib, Omar

January 29, 2019 Cristina Marcos

(Hill) House Democratic leaders on Tuesday defended progressive freshman Reps. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) against GOP accusations of anti-Semitism for their views toward Israel. The two freshmen have drawn ire from Republicans for their support of the boycott, divestment […]

Maryland man sues Hogan, Frosh for executive order forbidding contracts with those who boycott Israel

January 9, 2019 Lillian Reed

(Baltimore Sun) A former Maryland state representative has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Gov. Larry Hogan and Attorney General Brian Frosh, taking aim at an executive order denying government contracts to businesses that boycott Israel. The suit, filed Wednesday in federal […]

Tlaib slams anti-BDS measure: ‘Literally an attack on our Constitution’

January 9, 2019 Cameron Cawthorne

(Free Beacon) Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) on Tuesday slammed efforts in the Senate to pass a bill that, among other measures, would allow state and local governments to refrain from doing business with U.S. companies that boycott Israel. Tlaib, the first […]