(WASHINGTON, D.C., 8/26/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and its Florida chapter today called on political leaders to stop “tolerating, embracing and emboldening” supremacist ideology nationwide after a deadly “racially motivated” mass shooting in Florida.
A white man fatally shot three people inside a Jacksonville, Fla., Dollar General store earlier today in a predominantly Black neighborhood. The alleged shooter, who took his own life at the scene, reportedly used one weapon painted with a Nazi swastika and left behind three manifestos outlining his “disgusting ideology of hate” and his motive in the attack. “This shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” said Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.
SEE: 3 people dead after gunman targeted Black people in Jacksonville, Florida, officials say
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/26/us/jacksonville-florida-shooting-multiple-fatalities/index.html
Chief Executive Director of CAIR-FL Imam Abdullah Jaber said:
“This is the consequence of our nation’s denial of racism. This is unchecked hatred. We have to ask ourselves – will these three lost lives again be a tally against us? We are late, but we can still take action.
“We must collectively strive for policies that prioritize public safety and counter the spread of ideologies built upon discrimination and hate. I ask policymakers to please stop playing with the lives of the masses.
We don’t need mere rhetoric and hollow words of mourning for the victims and their families. Policymakers need to do right by them and for them in the strongest terms.”
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“It is imperative for political leaders to stop tolerating, embracing and emboldening the white supremacist ideology that fuels horrific violence like this latest racist attack on Black Americans.
“This devastating incident also serves as yet another painful reminder of the urgent need for policies and legislative measures that address the true threats that have haunted our nation and not only recent years, but for centuries. Each of these tragedies must also serve as a collective call to action toward meaningful societal change.”
He added that earlier this month, CAIR welcomed the arrest of an alleged white supremacist accused of threatening jurors and witnesses in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life mass shooting trial.
In June, CAIR expressed solidarity with the Jewish community after neo-Nazis rallied outside a Georgia synagogue and this month condemned the distribution of neo-Nazi propaganda CD’s to homes in Miles City, Mont.
Awad also noted that CAIR has in the past supported legislation that would raise the purchasing age for semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21; ban the import, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines; amend the definition of “ghost guns” to require background checks on all sales; and establish new requirements for storing guns at home.
He said Washington, D.C., based CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, 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- FL Media & Outreach Director Wilfredo A. Ruiz, 305-502-6749, [email protected]; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected], CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]
