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.
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
