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For Immediate Release
Contact: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,Phone: 202-744-7726,E-Mail:,ihooper@cair.com

CAIR Questions How Islamophobe Ben Carson Will Treat Muslims Served and Employed by HUD

WASHINGTON

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said President-elect Donald Trump's choice of Islamophobe Ben Carson to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) could negatively impact Muslims served and employed by that federal agency.

Carson is notorious for his assertion that a Muslim should not be elected president of the United States. CAIR called on Carson to drop out of the presidential race when he made that bigoted statement.

CAIR:Muslim-American Group Calls On Ben Carson to Drop Out (CNN)

"Based on his past Islamophobic statements and policy positions, all Americans should be very concerned on how Dr. Carson would treat Muslim HUD employees or Muslims seeking agency services," said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.

"Dr. Carson's views on Islam, American Muslims and the world are dangerously ill-informed and could negatively impact any government agency he heads," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

CAIR has expressed concern about a "troubling Islamophobic trend" in President-elect Donald Trump's recent appointments and nominations.

SEE:CAIR Concerned About More Islamophobes Added to Trump Transition Team

Backgrounder on Ben Carson's Islamophobia:

Earlier this year, in an interview with another Trump appointee, then Breitbart host Stephen Bannon, Carson said American Muslims could only embrace both Islamic and democratic values "if they're schizophrenic." He said: "I don't see how they can do it otherwise, because you have two different philosophies."

During a speech at Iowa University, Carson said Islam is not a religion, but is instead "a life organization system" that has an "apocalyptic vision."

SEE: Ben Carson Says Islam Is Not a Religion But a "Life Organization System"

In September of 2015, CAIR announced the distribution of free Qurans, Islam's holy text, in response to then Republican presidential candidate Carson's false claim that Islam is "inconsistent" with the Constitution and his bigoted belief that a Muslim should not be elected president. Carson used the Anti-Semitic "dual loyalty" accusation to support his unconstitutional viewpoint.

SEE:CAIR Announces Quran Giveaway in Response to Ben Carson's Anti-Muslim Remarks
Video: In Nod to Anti-Semitism, Ben Carson Accuses American Muslims of 'Different Loyalties'
Video:Ben Carson Smears Islam, Laughs at Poll Saying Americans Would Not Support Muslim President

Also last year, CAIR called on the Republican National Committee (RNC) to repudiate Carson's stated willingness to consider religion as probable cause for searches and called on Carson himself to drop a top foreign policy adviser who claims Muslims have "infiltrated" the United States.

SEE: CAIR Calls on RNC to Repudiate Ben Carson's Statement on Faith-Based Surveillance

Carson has compared Syrian refugees to "rabid dogs." He said: "If there is a rabid dog running around your neighborhood, you're probably not going to assume something good about that dog. And you're probably going to put your children out of the way."

SEE:Ben Carson Compares Syrian Refugees to Rabid, 'Mad' Dogs

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: https://www.cair.com/civil-rights/report-an-incident/view/form.html

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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