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CAIR Concerned About More Islamophobes Added to Trump Transition Team


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WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–December 1, 2016.  The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed concern about two more individuals with histories of Islamophobic views being added to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team.

Katharine Gorka has been selected to be part of the DHS “landing team” that will meet with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to manage the transition.

In the past, she has claimed that the DHS trains its agents — falsely, according to Gorka — that Islam is a “religion of peace.”

Gorka writes about Islam for the White supremacist website “Breitbart News.” In 2014, Gorka wrote that when “Presidents Bush and Obama both publicly declared Islam to be a religion of peace,” it “struck a sour chord for many,” and that “American and Western leaders have preemptively shut down any debate within Islam by declaring that Islam is the religion of peace.”

She is married to Sebastian Gorka, another Breitbart News contributor. Sebastian Gorka, who is also known for his Islamophobic views. He calls religious profiling of Muslims “common sense.”

SEE: Anti-Muslim Activist Katharine Gorka Named to Homeland Security Transition Team

President-elect Trump has also named Fox News analyst K.T. McFarland as his deputy national security adviser. McFarland has advocated for war with Iran, support the use of torture, expressed admiration for Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, and has supported the profiling of Muslims.

Trump Appointee K.T. McFarland: An Anti-Muslim Putin Fan Who Supports Torture

“These most recent appointments again demonstrate a troubling acceptance of anti-Muslim bigotry, conspiracy theories and agenda-driven policy proposals by the Trump transition team,” said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.

CAIR recently expressed concern about a “troubling Islamophobic trend” in President-elect Donald Trump’s recent appointments and nominations.

CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: Islamophobia and the Trump Team

The Washington-based civil rights organization cited the nominations and appointments of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for the post of attorney general, Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the CIA, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser, and “alt-right” extremist Stephen Bannon as Trump’s chief strategist and senior counselor.

SEE: CAIR Concerned About ‘Troubling Islamophobic Trend’ Following Trump’s Nomination of Sessions, Pompeo

CAIR also called remarks by incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus about “problematic” aspects of Islam and his refusal to rule out a “registry” for Muslims as more examples of the Islamophobia exhibited by Trump’s transition team.

SEE: CAIR Calls Priebus Remark About ‘Problematic’ Aspects of Islam, Refusal to Rule Out Muslim Registry More Examples of Trump Transition Team’s Islamophobia

The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is monitoring a troubling spike in anti-Muslim and racist incidents since the November 8 election.

Video: CAIR-GA Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell on CNN to Discuss Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Incidents

CAIR Islamophobia Monitor: Post-Election Anti-Muslim Bias

Muslim community members who believe their rights have been violated are being asked to contact local police and CAIR’s Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report

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.

Source: http://cair.com

 


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