CAIR Slams NY Post for Political Cartoon That 'Evokes Anti-Semitic Themes

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on the New York Post to apologize for a political cartoon published in the paper Friday which CAIR says "evokes anti-Semitic themes" through its depiction of hook-nosed terrorists objecting to the NYPD's surveillance of Muslims without warrant throughout the city.

A post on the group's Facebook page indicates that the Muslim civil rights groups is asking American Muslims and "other people of conscience to contact the newspaper and to politely ask that they apologize for the offensive cartoon."

"This offensive and inaccurate political cartoon evokes anti-Semitic themes that would be recognized by any historian of pre-war Nazi Germany," Zead Ramadan, board president of CAIR's New York chapter, said in a statement. "The cartoon is not only offensive in its portrayal of a religious minority; it is also inaccurate in its depiction of those targeted by the NYPD spy campaign in that there is no evidence that those monitored were suspected of wrongdoing of any kind."

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization.

The organization has made news in the past for applauding West Point for pulling the speaking invite for a General critical of Islam, defending Muslims on the government no-fly list, and members calling for Americans to stop associating 9/11 with the Muslim religion. 

The organization writes that its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.