CAIR-NJ Sends Memoranda to NJ Prisons and Jails in Preparation for Ramadan

(NEWARK, NJ — 2/12/2026) — The New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, prepared for Ramadan by sending brief memoranda to each county jail and state prison in New Jersey outlining key aspects of Ramadan observance.

Each year, this memo serves as a resource for correctional staff and offers CAIR-NJ as a partner when addressing questions related to Ramadan and other religious accommodations. This memo includes educational resources and religious materials to chaplaincy departments and chapel libraries. In the past, it has sparked valuable conversations and points of discussion over understanding the implementation of prayer and fasting times, and halal meals.

SEE: “CAIR-NJ Ramadan 2026 Accommodations Memorandum”

This memorandum is meant to serve as a proactive advisory to assist facilities in planning for Ramadan 2026, which is expected to begin on, or around, the evening of February 18th, and conclude on, or around, March 19th, 2026.

CAIR offers an educational toolkit, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help correctional officers and administrators gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.

SEE: A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Staff Attorney Ramin Zareian said:

“Ramadan is the holiest month in Islam, and correctional facilities have a clear legal obligation to accommodate the sincerely held religious practices of those in their custody. By sending this memo, we are not only affirming our commitment to the Muslim community, but also proactively ensuring that jails and prisons understand their constitutional and statutory duties to provide meaningful Ramadan accommodations.”

Ramadan is of limited duration, and delayed accommodations are often denied due to timing. CAIR-NJ is committed to advocating for the religious rights and accommodations of Muslims incarcerated in New Jersey and stands ready to serve as a partner in that effort.

CAIR-NJ strongly encourages facilities to plan to include Ramadan related procedures and communicate Ramadan related procedures to staff and incarcerated individuals well before the start of the month. CAIR-NJ also encourages correctional facilities to host special “iftar” dinners and recognition of Eid ul-Fitr according to their capacity.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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CONTACT:CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut, smaksut@cair.com, 862-264-9414

CAIR-NJ Calls On Delaney Hall ICE Detention Facility to Make Ramadan Accommodations 

(Newark, NJ — 2/11/2026) — The New Jersey Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, calls on Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey to prepare accommodations for its Muslim detainees ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

CAIR-NJ also welcomed the recent release of a detainee earlier this month. This detainee was actively working through the steps of completing their permanent residency process and was detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and sent to Delaney Hall in early December. Their green card was processed while at Delaney Hall and was released in early February.

The detainee described troubling conditions at Delaney Hall. The detainee also reports that despite their repeated requests, Muslim detainees within Delaney Hall did not have basic accommodations such as access to religious materials like prayer mats, Qur’ans, or prayer beads.

In a statement, the anonymous detainee said:

“Being unable to pray and our lack of access to an Imam at Delaney was difficult on the Muslim detainees. I encourage officials to speak up and call on the facility to prepare better for the holy month of Ramadan.”

NOTE: The former detainee fears reprisal via an appeal of their green card and wishes to remain anonymous.

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:

“As we approach the holy month of Ramadan — a sacred period of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection for Muslims — Delaney Hall and other ICE detention facilities across our nation have a legal and moral obligation to ensure that detained Muslims can practice their faith with dignity. This includes granting them access to prayer space, Qur’ans, religious literature, prayer mats, chaplaincy services, and appropriate meals before dawn and after sunset.”

“We are calling on Delaney Hall to immediately correct these failures and on New Jersey’s congressional delegation to use its oversight authority to ensure that religious freedom does not stop at the doors of a detention facility.”

With the holy month of Ramadan starting on Feb 17th officials at the facility need to act quick to accommodate the need. CAIR-NJ is committed to advocating for the religious rights and accommodations of Muslims detained within Delaney Hall and stands ready to serve as a partner in that effort.

CAIR-NJ and local partners launch fundraising campaign to purchase religious items for Delaney Hall Muslim detainees. 

SEE: “Faith While Detained: Support Delaney Hall Muslims”

“Detention often strips people of comfort, routine, and connection. For Muslim detainees, the ability to pray properly, read Qur’an, and observe their faith provides solace, structure, and hope. These items offer more than religious observance; they are a source of peace, identity, and strength in the face of uncertainty,” Maksut added. “Through this fundraiser, we aim to ensure that Muslims detained at Delaney Hall are not forced to practice their faith without the tools they need.”

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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CONTACT:  CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut, smaksut@cair.com, 862-264-9414

CAIR-NJ Demands Rep. Gottheimer’s Retract Defamatory Letter Targeting Pro-Palestinian Organizations

(NEWARK, NJ – 2/6/2026) — The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, demanded a public apology and retraction from Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) following his letter falsely accusing CAIR and other Palestinian human rights advocates of remaining silent on the repression of protesters in Iran.

In his letter, Rep. Gottheimer alleged that anti-genocide and Palestinian rights organizations had failed to condemn violence against Iranian demonstrators. That claim is demonstrably false.

CAIR’s national office issued a public statement on January 14 explicitly opposing a U.S. war with Iran while affirming the right of Iranians to peacefully protest. The statement condemned attacks on protesters as well as violent acts carried out by rioters, including arson attacks on mosques and the desecration of the Quran.

READ CAIR’S LETTER

Rep. Gottheimer, who has previously faced criticism for anti-Muslim rhetoric and for supporting Israeli government policies widely condemned by human rights organizations, nevertheless claimed that CAIR had been “conspicuously silent.” CAIR-NJ rejects this allegation as false and defamatory.

In a statement, CAIR-NJ’s Executive Director, Selaedin Maksut, said:

“Rep. Gottheimer must retract and apologize for this latest smear against CAIR and our partners. His claim reflects either a reckless disregard for the facts or a deliberate attempt to mischaracterize our long-standing and publicly documented human rights advocacy.” 

CAIR-NJ reaffirms its commitment to principled, consistent advocacy for human rights worldwide and emphasized that it will not tolerate the deliberate distortion of its public record or the targeting of American Muslims for political gain. 

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut, 862-264-9414, smaksut@cair.com

CAIR-NJ Denounces NJ’s Reinvestment in Israeli Bonds and Ongoing Stake in Palantir, Urges Immediate Divestment

(NEWARK, NJ – 2/4/2026) — The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, strongly condemned the New Jersey Division of Investment’s decision to reinvest $15 million out of a $20 million allocation of public pension funds into Israeli bonds.

CAIR-NJ also condemned the State of New Jersey’s continued $144 million investment in Palantir Technologies, a controversial data analytics and surveillance company linked to widespread civil rights violations, including enabling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conduct aggressive raids and detentions that have intensified in recent weeks.

These actions come despite months of opposition from New Jersey residents, labor groups, pension holders, and advocacy organizations who have repeatedly urged the state to divest from both Israeli bonds and Palantir.

SEE: CAIR-NJ Condemns New Jersey’s $30 Million Investment in Israel Bonds as Complicity in Gaza Genocide

On Wednesday, January 28th, at the annual state investment meeting, Division of Investment Director Shoaib Khan confirmed that $15 million of a $20 million allocation was reinvested in Israeli bonds. Khan defended the decision by noting that Israeli bonds have remained part of the investment-grade portfolio since the early 1990s.

He further stated, “The decision to reinvest in Israeli bonds was made after careful analysis by the Division’s fixed income group, which determined that from a credit fundamental and evaluation perspective, the yields of the bonds were superior to other offerings with similar credit ratings.”

However, the move drew immediate concern from State Investment Council (SIC) Vice Chair Adam Liebtag, who questioned both the process and timing of the decision. Liebtag stated:

“I have reservations about the decision and given the very small size of this investment relative to the entire portfolio, I didn’t see the urgency to make this decision without further consultation and discussion amongst the members of the council, the ESG committee and the IPC. I think at worst you should have waited until there was further discussion. The division could have presented its rationale for doing this to a broader group before executing its decision. I would like to use this to improve the process going forward.”

Liebtag’s remarks highlighted a significant breakdown in oversight, as none of the bodies tasked with evaluating ethical, social, or governance implications were engaged prior to reinvesting public funds.

In a statement, CAIR New Jersey Government Affairs Associate Maheen Mumtaz, said:

“This reinvestment ignored public testimony, sidelined oversight bodies, and dismissed serious human rights concerns,” said Mumtaz. “Moving forward with investments tied to the genocide in Gaza and ICE-linked surveillance without transparency or consultation is unacceptable.”

CAIR-NJ reiterates its call for an immediate divestment from Israeli bonds and Palantir Technologies. We also call for full transparency in all the Division’s investment decisions, mandatory consultation with the State Investment Council, ESG Committee, and IPC before reinvesting public pension funds.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut, 862-264-9414, smaksut@cair.com