CAIR-NJ Welcomes Dismissal of Complaint Against Clifton BOE Members for Supporting Palestinian Human Rights
CAIR-NJ Welcomes Dismissal of Complaint Against Clifton BOE Members for Supporting Palestinian Human Rights
(SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ, 2/22/2022) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today welcomed the School Ethics Commission’s motion to dismiss the complaint against two Clifton Board of Education members for their public statements in support of Palestinian human rights.
The complaint, issued on September 13, 2021, falsely labeled the statements in support of Palestine made by BOE members Fahim Abedrabbo and Feras Awwad as “intensely anti-Semitic and anti-Israel.”
The Commission voted to grant the Motion to Dismiss the complaint in its entirety, stating the complainant failed to prove their speech was in violation of any school ethics codes.
SEE: Elisabeth Schwartz Complainant v. Fahim Abedrabbo and Feras Awwad Clifton Board of Education, Passaic County, Respondents
https://www.nj.gov/education/
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:
“This is a small win for Palestinian human rights advocacy, and a win for freedom of speech.”
“Our CAIR-NJ office welcomes the commission’s dismissal against these baseless smears attempting to silence public figures from fairly and openly critiquing the Israeli government’s human rights violations.”
“Antisemitism is an ugly form of racism that should be shut down and refuted at every opportunity. But valid criticism of internationally-recognized apartheid and war crimes is not antisemitism.”
“Elected officials and all Americans have the right to be critical of foreign governments and political ideologies, especially those partaking in and promoting racial and religious segregation and apartheid.”
He noted that Rutgers professor and Westfield Board of Education Vice President, Sahar Aziz, Esq. is similarly been criticized for her tweets and retweets about Israel and Palestine.
Maksut said the CAIR-NJ office issued a statement expressing support for Aziz’s statements on Israel and Palestine and further condemned those shamelessly smearing her name.
SEE: CAIR-NJ Condemns Smears Targeting Rutgers Prof, Westfield BOE VP Sahar Aziz
https://cair-nj.org/cair-nj-
A Call For Better Holocaust Education in Westfield, Questions Over Mideast Tweets
Sahar Aziz Esq., Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar
https://law.rutgers.edu/
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
