CAIR Calls on The Weather Channel to Apologize for Denigrating Palestinian Culture, Agreeing with Hate Group
- Al Enteshar Newspaper
- Ibrahim Hooper
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on The Weather Channel to apologize for giving in to the bigoted demands of an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate group and equating wearing the keffiyeh, a common sign of Palestinian culture, with “antisemitism.”
The Weather Channel offered an apology to the notoriously dishonest and racist anti-Palestinian group Stop Antisemitism after it complained an ad showing a woman wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh, calling it “a symbol now associated with violence against Jews.” In its apology, The Weather Channel said: ‘We certainly don’t support or condone any form of antisemitism.”
According to Islamophobia.org: “StopAntisemitism.org is an Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian website founded by right-wing extremist Liora Rez. Although the website claims to focus on antisemitism, Rez primarily uses the platform to falsely smear critics of the Israeli government as ‘antisemites.’”
“In particular, Rez obsessively attacks human rights activists, Muslim leaders, and people of color, particularly African-Americans. Rez has also referred to Jewish critics of Israel as ‘useful idiots,’ ‘self-hating,’ and ‘self-loathing Jews’ who ‘use their Jewish blood as a justification for promoting vile racism and hatred toward Jews.’”
In a statement, CAIR said:
“The Weather Channel must apologize for bowing to the racist demands of an anti-Palestinian hate group and seeming to agree with their bigoted position that any expression of Palestinian heritage is by definition ‘antisemitic.’ The keffiyeh is traditional Palestinian attire and has nothing to do with antisemitism.
“It is because of hate speech like this that Palestinian Americans have literally been stabbed and shot for wearing the keffiyeh over the past year. It must stop. The Weather Channel must apologize.”
From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
SEE: New CAIR Data Shows Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian Hate Remain Elevated in First Half of 2024
Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of civil rights complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints. Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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