- A national Muslim civil rights group, CAIR, relocated its annual banquet from a Virginia hotel due to bomb and death threats linked to its focus on Palestinian human rights amid the massacre of Palestinian civilians.
- Concerns about potential hate crimes and violence in the U.S. against Muslims have risen in light of the recent events in Gaza, with increased police patrols and security measures.
A national Muslim civil rights group announced on Thursday that it’s relocating its annual banquet from a Virginia hotel due to bomb and death threats, potentially connected to the organization’s focus on Palestinian human rights amidst the recent escalation of attacks on Gaza. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) canceled its plans to hold the 29th annual banquet at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virginia, a venue it had used for a decade. The event will now take place at an undisclosed location with heightened security.
The organization cited threats, including anonymous calls referencing bomb threats and harm to hotel staff, as the reason for the move. These threats followed CAIR’s decision to refocus its banquet programming on Palestinian human rights and to launch an online campaign urging Congress to promote a ceasefire in Gaza, which had been under intense Israeli bombardment.
As a result of these threats, a separate banquet scheduled for October 28 in Maryland has been canceled and will be merged with the Saturday event. CAIR’s National Executive Director, Nihad Awad, condemned the threats and emphasized the organization’s commitment to pursuing justice for all, despite such attempts to intimidate them.
There are concerns that the conflict in Gaza may lead to hate crimes and violence against the Muslim community in the United States. Last week, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death in a Chicago suburb. Police in major cities have increased patrols, security measures have been heightened around the U.S. Capitol, and some schools have closed as a precaution.
