CAIR-NJ Celebrates: New Jersey Leads the Nation in Number of Muslim Elected Officials 

(NEWARK, NJ – 8/21/2026) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, celebrates New Jersey once again leading the nation in the number of Muslims elected to public office.  

The finding was published this week in CAIR’s newly released annual report, the 2026 Directory of Elected Muslim Officials, which tracks the growing political participation and electoral success of American Muslims across the country. 

SEE: CAIR, CAIR Action Identify 255 Muslim Elected Officials in New 2026 Directory  

The directory reported forty-six Muslims serving in public office in the state, from local school boards to municipal government and the New Jersey State legislature. This figure does not reflect the number of Muslims serving in judicial roles, as judges in New Jersey are appointed rather than elected.   

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter said:   

“New Jersey is among the states with the highest Muslims per capita. While we are proud that our political representation reflects our community’s breadth, we still have a long way to go to fully realize our civic aspirations: to enact policies that address our community’s needs, to push back on institutional Islamophobia, and to protect our right to free speech.”   

“Our community is not simply a constituency to be spoken about; we are voters, organizers, advocates, candidates, and public servants helping shape the future of our state.  

“This representation reflects a community that understands that democracy works best when we participate in it, and it should inspire even more Muslims to make their voices heard and take an active role in civic life.” 

CAIR-NJ is committed to advancing civic participation across the state: from our Vote For Justice initiative to register and educate Muslim voters, to our annual Muslim Youth Leadership Intensive where we train the next generation of leaders, and to the workshops and resources delivered throughout the state on civic education.  

SEE: CAIR-NJ Vote For Justice 

SEE: Muslim Youth Leadership Intensive 

SEE: 2026 Congressional Tracker 

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

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CONTACT: Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238 

CAIR-NJ Denounces Stockton University’s Removal of Gaza, Myanmar Genocide Message from Website upon Donor Pressure  

(NEWARK, NJ – 8/19/2026) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today denounced Stockton University’s decision to remove language from its website referring to the genocides in Gaza and Myanmar following donor pressure. 

On August 2, Stockton University campus officials removed a section from the webpage of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies master’s program, which detailed statistics on Israel’s genocide on Gaza. Members of the campus community agree that the decision is connected to the University receiving a letter from a major donor to the university calling for the removal. The donor, John Scarpa, has two buildings named after him at the university’s main campus in Galloway township.   

The removed message was written by professor Raz Segal a year ago, as part of his director’s message for the program. It informed about several genocides taking place around the world.   

READ: Message from the Director of the Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stockton University  

It read: 

“Myanmar’s campaign of destruction against Rohingya Muslims since 2012 has pushed more than a million to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, where they live in extremely difficult conditions in the largest refugee camp in the world. Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza since October 2023 has killed, according to official figures, more than 70,000 Palestinians, including over 20,000 children, leaving almost the entire population of 2.3 million people forcibly displaced.”  

Scarpa claimed in his letter to the university that the message contained mischaracterizations and factual inaccuracies regarding events in Gaza since 2023, along with disputed claims presented as fact which contributes to hostility toward Jews and supporters of Israel. On the same day Scarpa’s letter was sent, a university spokesperson reviewed the webpage and it was quietly removed a few days later.  

Professor Raz Segal has since appealed to the public on Instagram to urge viewers to contact Stockton and demand the message be restored.  

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter said:  

“Stockton University’s decision to erase language about genocide from its own Holocaust and Genocide Studies program, under pressure from a single donor, is a profound failure of academic integrity. No institution of higher learning should allow its scholarship to be compromised by financial interests. We call on Stockton to immediately restore Professor Segal’s message and reaffirm its commitment to academic freedom.”  

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

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CONTACT: Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238