The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released its annual report, warning of a broad attack on Muslim life in the United States. The report outlines an increasingly hostile environment for Muslims, with 8,683 complaints of anti-Muslim discrimination nationwide in 2025.
According to Corey Sawyer, the research and advocacy director for CAIR, the rise in Islamophobia is linked to statements from public officials, including Representative Andy Ogles, who said Muslims don't belong in American society. Sawyer noted that such language is often used to advance extreme policies.
The report highlights the creation of a so-called Sharia-Free America Caucus, launched by Representatives Chip Roy and Keith Self, which seeks to advance the idea that Muslim religious identity disqualifies people from participation in American civic life. CAIR itself was targeted in 2025, with the governors of Texas and Florida labelling the group a foreign terrorist organization.
Regional Context
In Minnesota, the Trump administration's hardline immigration push, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, has resulted in a 96 percent increase in complaints of anti-Muslim discrimination from 2024 to 2025. The report also cites heightened pressure on the Afghan community in the US, with Afghans being collectively treated as suspicious after a fatal shooting in Washington, DC.
On the state level, actions in Texas and Florida have stigmatised aspects of Muslim life, with lawmakers advancing bills that include punishments for schools and students linked to foreign terrorist organisations. The report warns that these efforts raise the risk of lawful Muslim participation in civic life and contribute to a narrative that places Muslims outside the circle of protected religious and civic engagement.
International Response
The Trump administration has led efforts to penalise universities that saw pro-Palestinian protests unfold on their campuses, with some top schools facing civil rights probes and having their federal funds frozen. CAIR noted that the administration has relied on the International Holocaust Remembrance Association's definition of antisemitism in its justification, which is widely seen as conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
Corey Sawyer rejected the narrative that Muslims are not part of the United States' social fabric, pointing out that they have been present in the US since its founding. He warned of politicians seeking to use anti-Muslim rhetoric for political ends, saying that anyone who attempts to exclude Americans from participating in civic and religious life is deceiving the public for their own purposes.
Source: Al Jazeera
