The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a major Muslim advocacy group, issued a strongly worded statement in defence of Sarsour on Wednesday.
“Our sister Linda Sarsour is an outspoken advocate of justice for all, including the Jewish community,” the statement said. “Smearing her and other American Muslims as anti-Semitic for supporting Palestinian human rights is predictable, despicable and unacceptable. Our political leaders must stop doing it.”
At a virtual event with Muslim Democratic delegates on Wednesday, CAIR executive director Nihad Awad delivered blistering remarks rebuking the Biden campaign over the attacks on Sarsour.
“Linda Sarsour is being attacked yet again for her outspoken advocacy for Palestinian human rights,” Awad said. “We don’t stand for these attempts to repress us from the right, and we will not stand for it from the presidential campaign of Joe Biden.”
Speaking in his personal capacity, he said Muslims are committed to seeing a change in the White House.
“We would like to get Trump out of office. But we also have self-respect, and the Muslim vote should not be taken for granted by any candidate,” he said. “They have to earn our trust. They should not dismiss our issues. We are a community to be respected not only to be accepted.”