The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its New York chapter (CAIR-NY) are reporting that they condemned a pro-Israel rally held outside The New York Times headquarters. It said the rally denied reported rapes of Palestinian detainees by Israeli guards in detention facilities. CAIR also called on New York state and city officials to condemn the event. The rally followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times for a May 11 opinion column by Nicholas Kristof, which detailed accounts of abuse from former Palestinian detainees. A United Nations report has verified multiple instances of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees since October 2023. CAIR and CAIR-NY urged The New York Times to support its reporter and not yield to the demonstrators' demands.
CAIR is also reporting that it launched an action alert, urging Congress and President Donald J Trump's administration to stop funding Israel’s attacks on Christian and Muslim communities and holy sites.
The organization welcomed rising House support for Representative Rashida Tlaib’s Nakba Anniversary Resolution. CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said the growing support reflects a broader shift in public consciousness, with more Americans understanding the Nakba's continuing impact and recognizing that lasting peace requires acknowledging Palestinian history.
In other news, CAIR-San Diego, along with University of California San Diego students and faculty, plans a press conference on May 18, 2026, to condemn the university’s punishment of Professor BT Werner for participating in a Gaza encampment protest. CAIR-Philadelphia and Jewish Voice for Peace-Philly, joined by Philadelphia elected officials, will hold a press conference on May 15, 2026, to criticize Senator John Fetterman over his Iran war vote, advocating for divestment from war in Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.
Reuters is reporting that Muslim American groups, including CAIR, believe Republicans are weaponizing congressional hearings. CAIR Maryland director Zainab Chaudry said "Anti-Sharia hearings are not about protecting the Constitution. They are about demonizing Islam and portraying Muslim Americans as perpetual outsiders." CAIR recorded 8,683 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab complaints in the U.S. in 2025, its highest since 1996. JURIST reported on a U.S. federal judge blocking sanctions against a United Nations expert on Palestine, mentioning CAIR. America Magazine, Religion Dispatches, and MSN also featured CAIR in recent reports.