PRESS STATEMENT: CAIR-Chicago Demands Action Amid Targeted Attacks on Palestinian-Owned Business, Mural, and Jewish Student Displays
- For Immediate Release and Distribution -
Left: A mural of a wounded Palestinian child defaced with spray-painted Star of David symbols; Center: a shattered window displaying a Palestinian flag; Right: a solidarity Sukkah at Northwestern University dismantled by authorities
(CHICAGO, IL, 10/25/24) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemns the recent string of targeted vandalism and acts of intimidation directed at the city's Jewish and Palestinian communities.
This week, Nabala Cafe, owned by a Palestinian-American had its windows vandalized a second time, while a nearby mural depicting a wounded Palestinian child was desecrated with religious symbols. In a similarly disturbing trend, Northwestern University has been dismantling Gaza solidarity Sukkahs set up by student protestors.
In an Instagram post by Northwestern University's Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), organizers said "From Evanston to Gaza, we all deserve safe shelters where we are free from state-sanctioned violence. For the second time in three days, the University has made it clear that they don’t care about Jewish students and feel comfortable infringing on religious rights if it serves their purpose of enabling the genocide in Gaza".
Earlier this year, CAIR released ‘Hostile’: How Universities Target Anti-Genocide Protesters which detailed unprecedented efforts across the country to suppress students from advocating for Palestinians.
“These incidents reveal a deepening pattern of intolerance that affects the core of our diverse communities,” said Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago. “We are outraged that these targeted actions, which clearly aim to stoke fear and division within Jewish and Palestinian communities—when we know the beautiful reality is the solidarity between those of us fighting for human rights. This cannot be tolerated in a city that prides itself on its diversity and resilience.”
CAIR-Chicago demands a swift and comprehensive investigation from local authorities into each of these incidents and calls on the Northwestern's administration to ensure that Jewish and Palestinian students’ rights to safe and respectful campus spaces are upheld. We urge community members to unite against these divisive tactics and to support one another in building a safe, inclusive Chicago for all.
CAIR-Chicago’s mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; Maggie Slavin, Operations Manager of CAIR-Chicago, 815-590-3991, mslavin@cair.com; Hafsa Haider, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago, 561-317-7509, hhaider@cair.com