The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling on President Obama to include a condemnation of rising Islamophobia during tonight's prime-time address to the nation to outline his plans to combat terrorism and defeat ISIS.
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
"As he prepares for his address to the nation this evening, we ask President Obama to include a clear condemnation of the rising anti-Muslim attacks and hysteria we have witnessed in recent weeks, and to state that violence against American Muslims and their institutions will not be tolerated.
"Hate-filled rhetoric and anti-Muslim attacks are putting the lives of American Muslims and their families in real danger. We are particularly concerned by an emerging pattern of government officials and employees, as well as other public figures, seeming to endorse or encourage violence against Muslims.
"ISIS knows it cannot defeat our nation militarily, so the terror group's only hope is to divide Americans along religious and ethnic lines. This address provides the opportunity to clearly demonstrate national unity, not division."
Awad cited the Muslim community's unanimous repudiation of terrorism and noted that there has been an unprecedented spike in incidents targeting the nation's Muslim community since the November 13 terror attacks in Paris.
