The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is reporting it has launched a national "Back-to-School 'Know Your Rights' Campaign" for students and educators. It said the campaign aims to address record levels of anti-Muslim hate and attacks on free speech. CAIR released a "Back to School Resource Guide 2026-2027" as part of its Unhostile Campus Campaign, which seeks to foster environments of free speech and academic freedom.
CAIR's 2026 Civil Rights Report, "The Right to Be Different," documented 8,683 discrimination complaints nationwide in 2025, which it said is the highest single-year total since it began tracking incidents in 1996. A 2025 study from the Institute for Social Policy & Understanding found that about half of Muslim families with school-aged children reported religious-based bullying in the past year, compared to 23% among the general public. CAIR noted that school officials were reported as the source of bullying in one-third of these incidents. Corey Saylor, CAIR National Research and Advocacy Director, stated that every student has the right to practice their religion and speak their conscience without fear.
Separately, CAIR-Michigan called for an end to hate rhetoric after its office received death threats. Amy V. Doukoure, CAIR-MI Lead Staff Attorney, said these threats are an "unacceptable, and inevitable, result of manufactured anti-Muslim hate." The Detroit News reported on these threats, and a Washington Post analysis indicated a rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric in Michigan following a political nomination, with Doukoure confirming police visits to her workplace to investigate death threats. CAIR-Michigan also welcomed a federal court's dismissal of a Trump administration lawsuit against Washtenaw County, with attorney Jad Salamey stating the ruling affirms local governments' right to protect residents.
CAIR-Texas called on the Texas GOP to apologize for an anti-Muslim question posed to a nominee, which its Government Affairs and Legislative Manager Sameeha Rizvi described as "appalling anti-Muslim bigotry." In Maryland, CAIR condemned a Baltimore County Board of Education member’s anti-Muslim social media post and sought an apology or resignation, with Director Zainab Chaudry emphasizing the responsibility of public officials to promote dignity and respect for all families.
In California, the Islamic Center of Irvine faced online threats as part of an anti-mosque campaign, according to reports cited by CAIR-LA.
CAIR also welcomed an arrest in Kentucky following a spitting attack targeting a Muslim woman. It said it would monitor the case and commended the victim for documenting the incident.