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Human Rights Watch Issues Commentary: Australia's Albanese Should Press Vietnam's Leader on Rights
NEW YORK, Aug. 11 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by Asia Director Elaine Pearson:
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Australia's Albanese Should Press Vietnam's Leader on Rights
Communist Party Secretary To Lam to Visit Canberra
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As Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with To Lam, Vietnam's president and general secretary of the Communist Party, in Canberra this week, he shouldn't forget that he is dealing with one of the region's most repressive leaders.
While minister of Vietnam's notorious Ministry of Public Security from 2016 to 2024, To Lam oversaw a
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Aug. 11 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following commentary by Asia Director Elaine Pearson:
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Australia's Albanese Should Press Vietnam's Leader on Rights
Communist Party Secretary To Lam to Visit Canberra
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As Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with To Lam, Vietnam's president and general secretary of the Communist Party, in Canberra this week, he shouldn't forget that he is dealing with one of the region's most repressive leaders.
While minister of Vietnam's notorious Ministry of Public Security from 2016 to 2024, To Lam oversaw afar-reaching crackdown that decimated the country's budding civil society. Authorities imprisoned dozens of prominent independent journalists, bloggers, and activists, including Pham Doan Trang, Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy, Nguyen Lan Thang, and Can Thi Theu. The crackdown also targeted environmentalists and lawyers, many of whom now live in exile for fear of persecution.
Since To Lam ascended to Vietnam's highest political office as Communist Party general secretary in 2024, the country's poor human rights record has worsened. The authorities have expanded the scope and use of draconian laws that criminalize free speech. People now risk up to seven years in prison simply for raising complaints about government policies or local officials.
Vietnamese authorities have also deepened transnational repression-committing abusive acts abroad-in Thailand and elsewhere. Since December, the courts have tried at least five independent journalists and Indigenous rights activists in exile, including Doan Bao Chau, Nguyen Van Dai, Le Trung Khoa, Dinh Yum, and Siu Di. All have been convicted and sentenced in absentia on politically motivated charges to between 7 and 17 years in prison.
In June and July, police arrested five people for their roles in publishing a book about Ho Chi Minh that provoked the authorities. The government has also issued a new decree targeting lawyers and is revising laws to further curb freedom of expression.
The annual human rights dialogue between Australia and Vietnam should not be the only forum for rights concerns, which should inform all engagements between the two countries. In March 2024, Australia and Vietnam agreed to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to expand cooperation across defense, economics, education, energy, and digital innovation. Australia should leverage this partnership to press the Vietnamese government to release people imprisoned for exercising their rights and to end its crackdown on free expression.
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Original text here: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/08/09/australias-albanese-should-press-vietnams-leader-on-rights
Feinstein Institutes Finds Mitochondria Transplantation Dramatically Enhances Heart Recovery After Cardiac Arrest
NEW HYDE PARK, New York, Aug. 11 -- Northwell Health issued the following news release:
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Feinstein Institutes finds mitochondria transplantation dramatically enhances heart recovery after cardiac arrest
The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
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With only approximately 10% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients surviving, and many facing severe neurological or organ damage, a new study from Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research offers hope, revealing that mitochondria transplantation dramatically improves heart
... Show Full Article
NEW HYDE PARK, New York, Aug. 11 -- Northwell Health issued the following news release:
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Feinstein Institutes finds mitochondria transplantation dramatically enhances heart recovery after cardiac arrest
The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
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With only approximately 10% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients surviving, and many facing severe neurological or organ damage, a new study from Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research offers hope, revealing that mitochondria transplantation dramatically improves heartrecovery and protects organs.
Published as a letter to the editor in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM), this pivotal large-animal model study validates an innovative therapeutic strategy, with new data revealing that intravenous mitochondrial transplantation (MTx) dramatically enhances cardiovascular recovery and mitigates multi-organ damage following cardiac arrest.
Mitochondria: The cell's powerhouses and their critical role in health
At the core of this innovative research lies the mitochondria, often called the "powerhouses" of our cells. These tiny organelles are vital for life, generating nearly all the energy that fuels every function in your body - from the heart beating and muscles moving to the brain thinking and organs repairing themselves. Healthy mitochondrial function is therefore essential for overall cellular and organ health. When cells are under severe stress or injury, such as during conditions like cardiac arrest, these crucial mitochondria can become damaged, leading to a profound energy crisis and widespread organ dysfunction throughout the body.
Led by Kei Hayashida, MD, PhD, a researcher with the Feinstein Institutes, and Lance B. Becker, MD, professor in the Institutes of Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes, investigators demonstrated an animal model of cardiac arrest that a single intravenous dose of mitochondria significantly improved the heart's ability to pump blood. This improvement was driven when the heart pushed more blood with each beat, and its main pumping chamber squeezed more forcefully. This helped raise the blood pressure to a healthy level without needing powerful medications (vasopressors) to help it. The treatment also ensured that healthy blood flowed smoothly to all parts of the body, and it significantly reduced the early damage that often occurs in vital organs like the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.
"This study represents a critical step forward in our understanding and treatment of post-cardiac arrest syndrome," said Dr. Hayashida. "By directly targeting mitochondrial dysfunction, we've shown that we can not only restore vital heart function, we can also protect multiple organs from the devastating effects of ischemia-reperfusion injury. This brings us closer to a disease-modifying strategy that could save countless lives."
New hope for cardiac arrest survivors
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death and severe disability, often resulting in profound myocardial dysfunction where the heart struggles to recover. Current treatments primarily focus on restoring circulation and supporting blood pressure, but do not address the fundamental cellular damage, particularly to mitochondria. This critical gap leaves many patients with poor outcomes, highlighting an urgent need for targeted, disease-modifying therapies.
"These findings address a critical clinical challenge: survival after cardiac arrest," said Kevin Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. "At the Feinstein Institutes, we pursue knowledge to cure disease, and mitochondria transplantation is a burgeoning area of science that has the potential to transform treatment."
This work builds on the team's previous findings demonstrating improved survival and neurological outcomes following mitochondria transplantation in rodent models of cardiac arrest. The successful validation in a clinically relevant large-animal model marks another important step toward the clinical translation of this therapeutic approach for post-cardiac arrest syndrome.
Last year, Dr. Becker led the Feinstein Institutes' inaugural Mitochondrial Transplantation and Next Generation Therapeutics Conference, which convened leading experts with the goal to accelerate the development of mitochondria transplantation as a treatment for a range of complex diseases. In 2023, Dr. Becker led a study that demonstrated mitochondria transplantation significantly improved neurological function and survival in animal models after cardiac arrest, pioneering a new therapeutic approach for oxygen-deprived cells.
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Original text here: https://feinstein.northwell.edu/news/the-latest/feinstein-institutes-finds-mitochondria-transplantation-dramatically-enhances-heart-recovery-after-cardiac-arrest
[Category: Health Care]
Earthjustice: Court Blocks Harmful Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 11 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Aug. 10, 2026:
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Court Blocks Harmful Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
Emergency order granted to prevent further damage to national park
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Los Angeles, CA -- Today, a federal court ordered that new mining operations halt within Mojave National Preserve, effective immediately.
This preliminary injunction was granted to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks Conservation Association v. Department of the Interior. The lawsuit was filed
... Show Full Article
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Aug. 11 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Aug. 10, 2026:
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Court Blocks Harmful Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
Emergency order granted to prevent further damage to national park
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Los Angeles, CA -- Today, a federal court ordered that new mining operations halt within Mojave National Preserve, effective immediately.
This preliminary injunction was granted to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks Conservation Association v. Department of the Interior. The lawsuit was filedearlier this year challenging the Department of Interior's decision to allow an Australian company to proceed with industrial mining activities at Colosseum Mine within the national park site, in violation of federal laws that protect America's national parks from mining impacts.
The Colosseum Mine, previously decommissioned in 1993, is attempting to reopen with increased industrial development moving forward at the site in recent months. This activity has already caused documented irreparable damage to the national park landscape, with areas stripped of vegetation, new road construction and expansion, and public access restricted.
Today's court order stops further grading, new drilling activity, bulldozing of sensitive habitat, and road development. The injunction will remain in effect while the lawsuit continues.
Mojave National Preserve was established by Congress in 1994 and protects one of the largest desert preserves in the world. Covering 1.6 million acres of diverse desert habitat, the national park site is the third-largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States.
Statement from Chance Wilcox, California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association:
"This is a win for the Mojave and everyone who believes our national parks aren't industrial mining zones. While the case moves forward, this order will stop the drilling and grading of this incredible landscape and help protect the preserve from the administration's brazen attempts to sell out our parks for profit. This is about what we've known all along - you can't break the law and bulldoze a national preserve when these are among the most beloved places in the country."
Statement from Katrina Tomas, Earthjustice Attorney:
"This ruling ensures what the Trump administration has failed to do: protect our land for the public to access and enjoy. No further drilling and bulldozing of sensitive habitat can take place until we have our day in court."
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About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
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Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/court-blocks-harmful-mining-development-in-mojave-national-preserve
[Category: Environment]
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences: Report Finds Greenhouse Gases, Sea Levels, and Ocean Heat Reached Record Highs in 2025
BOULDER, Colorado, Aug. 11 (TNSxrep) -- The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences issued the following news:
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Report finds greenhouse gases, sea levels, and ocean heat reached record highs in 2025
Nearly 20 CIRES scientists contributed to the annual review of Earth's climate
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Greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea levels, and ocean heat content all reached record highs in 2025, according to the 36th annual State of the Climate report released today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
This year's report features contributions from 625 scientists
... Show Full Article
BOULDER, Colorado, Aug. 11 (TNSxrep) -- The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences issued the following news:
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Report finds greenhouse gases, sea levels, and ocean heat reached record highs in 2025
Nearly 20 CIRES scientists contributed to the annual review of Earth's climate
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Greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea levels, and ocean heat content all reached record highs in 2025, according to the 36th annual State of the Climate report released today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
This year's report features contributions from 625 scientistsin 60 countries, including nearly 20 from CIRES. It provides the most comprehensive update on Earth's climate indicators, notable weather events, and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments located on land, in water, on ice, and in space. The report also charts developments in scientists' ability to understand and observe the Earth's climate system.
Notable findings from this year's report include:
Earth's major greenhouse gases hit new record highs. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, Earth's major atmospheric greenhouse gases, reached record-high concentrations in 2025.
Globally, soils were drier on average in 2025 than in any other year from 1991 to 2025. This was driven by exceptionally dry soils in the Northern Hemisphere throughout the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, conditions became less dry as the year progressed. Dry soils can exacerbate high air temperatures during summer and lead to vegetation drying out, with impacts on crops and wildfires.
For the 38th year in a row, glaciers have had negative mass balance. This means Earth's glaciers have lost more ice in the summer than they gained in the winter, and so have become thinner and shorter. Since 1970, around 9,000 gigatons of water have been lost from glaciers, and 41 percent of this happened over the last decade.
The Arctic experienced its second-warmest year on record (since 1900). Arctic surface air temperatures were 1.38 degrees Celsius above the 1991 to 2020 average. Even more striking, 2025 marked the 12th consecutive year in which Arctic temperature anomalies exceeded the global average, reinforcing that the Arctic continues to warm roughly three times faster than the planet as a whole.
Global average sea levels reached record highs. In 2025, global mean sea levels reached a new record high of 111.2 millimeters above the 1993 baseline, continuing a long-term rise of approximately 3.5 mm per year, with clear acceleration in recent decades.
Ocean deoxygenation was widespread. For the first time, this year's report features a dedicated section on dissolved oxygen, an essential climate variable. The data reveal a clear long-term trend: the global ocean dissolved oxygen inventory has declined by approximately 0.45 percent per decade since 1965, driven by ocean warming, reduced ventilation, ocean circulation changes, and enhanced biological respiration.
Global sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content remained exceptionally high. Marine heatwaves remained widespread, affecting approximately 87 percent of the ocean surface at some point in the year.
2025 was the third-warmest year on record for North America as a whole (since reliable records began in 1850). The latter part of the year was particularly warm, with September to November 2025 ranking as the warmest autumn on record.
Extreme weather events were widespread and destructive. Wildfires in Canada and the United States, an active U.S. tornado season, and extreme rainfall events in the U.S. and Mexico were notable in 2025, including the catastrophic flooding that occurred in Central Texas in July 2025. Canada's wildfire season was the second worst on record, with approximately 8.9 million hectares burned over five months. Approximately 2 million hectares also burned in the contiguous United States, including the devastating Los Angeles fires in January, which caused 31 fatalities, and Arizona's Dragon Bravo Fire, which destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
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Original text here: https://cires.colorado.edu/news/report-finds-greenhouse-gases-sea-levels-and-ocean-heat-reached-record-highs-2025
[Category: Environment]
Children's Health Defense Issues Commentary: Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Reducing Number of Childhood Vaccines
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Aug. 11 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV:
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Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Reducing Number of Childhood Vaccines
President Donald Trump today signed an executive order calling for sweeping changes to U.S. vaccine policy, including reducing the number of diseases for which kids receive routine childhood
... Show Full Article
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Aug. 11 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Michael Nevradakis, a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV:
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Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Reducing Number of Childhood Vaccines
President Donald Trump today signed an executive order calling for sweeping changes to U.S. vaccine policy, including reducing the number of diseases for which kids receive routine childhoodvaccines from 18 to 11. The order also ends administration of the birth dose of the hepatitis B shot, matching a recommendation made last year by a CDC advisory committee.
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President Donald Trump today signed an executive order calling for sweeping changes to U.S. vaccine policy, including reducing the number of diseases for which kids receive routine childhood vaccines from 18 to 11.
The executive order, first revealed by the Daily Caller earlier today in advance of Trump's announcement, also recommends splitting the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three shots, delivered separately over 18 months.
The executive order recognizes "gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations for only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious and dangerous diseases, along with the MMR, which hopefully will be split up," Trump said today during a signing ceremony at the White House, where he was joined by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The executive order also ends administration of the birth dose of the hepatitis B shot, matching a recommendation made last year by a CDC advisory committee.
Vaccinations no longer recommended for children are now subject to a recommendation for shared clinical decision-making between physicians and caregivers.
Trump said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) childhood vaccination schedule recommends "more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, and even twice as many doses as some European countries."
"We're reducing them, we're changing it to visits over the period of a year, a year and a half, so they get 20% of what they would have gotten in one big shot," Trump said.
The order also:
* Requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) long-dormant Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines to draft a report within 90 days on how to implement the executive order. The Task Force was reinstated in May after attorney Ray Flores sued HHS. Children's Health Defense (CHD) funded the lawsuit.
* Calls on states to harmonize their policies with an HHS study showing that the current 18-disease childhood vaccination schedule requires more vaccinations than other high-income countries in Europe and Asia. States are asked to consider updating their school vaccination laws to reflect the new recommendations.
* Advises federal agencies to advance the recommendations based on their respective authorities, to ensure the public has the best scientific information.
* Directs the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate states that may be violating parental rights and religious freedom, including disability accommodations, and religious and medical exemptions for childhood vaccinations.
Executive order may help lower infant mortality rates
Brian Hooker, Ph.D., CHD's chief scientific officer, called the order "a step in the right direction."
"By eliminating the birth Hep B and the new RSV jab from the 'recommended' schedule, vaccination is delayed to 2 months of age, rather than the first day of life. Infant deaths in the U.S. peak during the first week of life and anything that can be done to address that will help drive mortality rates lower," Hooker said.
Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., CHD's senior research scientist, said the "real shakeup" comes from aligning U.S. childhood vaccination policy with the findings of the HHS report and "placing it's upkeep with Kennedy, through the HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines."
"The executive order is a direction to elevate the recommendation responsibility to the HHS Task Force (made up of senior leadership from NIH, FDA, and CDC) and the Secretary himself," Jablonowski said.
'This is going to establish essentially a new vaccine schedule'
On Substack, pediatrician Dr. Joel "Gator" Walsh questioned whether the executive order could produce tangible changes to U.S. vaccination policy.
"I do not understand how this is supposed to work," Walsh wrote. "The childhood vaccine schedule is not ordinarily created because the president sits in the Oval Office and announces how many vaccines children should receive."
Hooker said the executive order still leaves some key issues for vaccine safety advocates unaddressed. He said:
"I would have liked to see the actual schedule of these shots addressed as well. Unfortunately, very little impact has been made to the multiplicity of shots children will receive at 2-month, 4-month, 6-month, and 12-month check-ups.
"These shots have not been tested in combination in controlled trials, so each infant in the U.S. is a science experiment with a sample size of 1."
But according to Dr. Robert Malone, who was one of the new members Kennedy appointed in June 2025 to CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the executive order will likely result in broader changes to the schedule.
"This is going to establish essentially a new vaccine schedule that is fully informed by the research and data that we have from HHS and NIH and other aspects of the government," Malone wrote in a Substack post.
Trump 'fixated on connecting autism to vaccines'
According to The Associated Press, public health experts are concerned that spacing out shots may lead to "an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit."
The AP suggested that despite such concerns, Trump is "fixated on connecting autism to vaccines."
Reuters reported last month that Kennedy has prioritized federal research examining a possible link between vaccines and autism, and that he meets regularly with Trump to discuss vaccine-related policies and the possible link between vaccines and autism.
Last month, anonymous sources told The Wall Street Journal that the president has been pushing Kennedy to do more to investigate a possible link between vaccines and autism.
Kennedy was reportedly taken aback, given that White House advisers had asked him to tone down his work around vaccine safety in advance of the midterm elections, the WSJ said.
Trump also reportedly told Kennedy he wanted him to do more to reduce the number of childhood vaccine recommendations, and that he wants to see autism rates go down, the WSJ said.
Kennedy defended research examining a possible vaccine-autism link and the administration's vaccine policies during a contentious CNN interview last week.
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Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., based in Athens, Greece, is a senior reporter for The Defender and host of "The Defender In-Depth" on CHD.TV.
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Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/trump-signs-executive-order-reduce-number-childhood-vaccines/
[Category: Health Care]
CAIR Says President Trump's Hateful Rhetoric 'Puts a Target' on the Back of Muslim Elected Officials
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 10, 2026:
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CAIR Says President Trump's Hateful Rhetoric 'Puts a Target' on the Back of Muslim Elected Officials
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said President Trump hateful anti-Muslim rhetoric "is putting a target on the back of Muslim elected officials across our nation."
During an event in the Oval Office, President Trump said, "We have jihadists being elected all over the place. We have
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 10, 2026:
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CAIR Says President Trump's Hateful Rhetoric 'Puts a Target' on the Back of Muslim Elected Officials
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said President Trump hateful anti-Muslim rhetoric "is putting a target on the back of Muslim elected officials across our nation."
During an event in the Oval Office, President Trump said, "We have jihadists being elected all over the place. We havethis whether it's communism, jihadism."
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
"All Americans have the right to engage in public service, regardless of their race or faith. By describing American Muslim public servants as threats to our nation, President Trump is putting a target on the back of Muslim elected officials across our nation.
"This type of dangerous rhetoric is fueling the surge in complaints of anti-Muslim bigotry that our civil rights organization has documented over the past three years, including a record high 8,683 complaints in 2025. Anti-Muslim hate is out of control in large part because of politicians who hate America's diversity and cannot stand the sight of American Muslims engaging in the political process.
"President Trump's remarks were meant to demean and diminish the many contributions of American Muslims in public life, but they only embolden American Muslims to keep engaging in public service and speaking up for justice here and abroad."
Yesterday, CAIR said "America does not belong to any one race or religion" after President Trump posted an Islamophobic image online.
CAIR also commended U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for publicly condemning anti-Muslim remarks made by his Republican colleagues and for affirming that American Muslims must be judged as individuals, not stereotyped or collectively condemned because of the actions of others.
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CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-says-president-trumps-hateful-rhetoric-puts-a-target-on-the-back-of-muslim-elected-officials/
[Category: Sociological]
CAIR Calls on State Department to Condemn France's Closure of Mosque Over Recitation of Quran
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 10, 2026:
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CAIR Calls on State Department to Condemn France's Closure of Mosque Over Recitation of Quran
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the State Department to condemn France's closure of a mosque reportedly due to recitation of verses of the Holy Quran, Islam's revealed text.
A French court has upheld the six-month closure of a mosque near Paris. Human rights lawyer Rafik Chekkat
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations posted the following news release on Aug. 10, 2026:
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CAIR Calls on State Department to Condemn France's Closure of Mosque Over Recitation of Quran
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the State Department to condemn France's closure of a mosque reportedly due to recitation of verses of the Holy Quran, Islam's revealed text.
A French court has upheld the six-month closure of a mosque near Paris. Human rights lawyer Rafik Chekkatsaid the authorities based part of their case on imams "quoting...seven passages from the Quran and references to major works of the Islamic tradition...."
SEE: France shuts mosque over Quran verses and Islamic texts used in Muslim worship | Middle East Eye (https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/france-shuts-mosque-over-quran-verses-and-islamic-texts-commonly-used-muslim-worship)
In a statement, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR said:
"No government has the right to shut down a church, a synagogue, a mosque or any other house of worship for reading text from their faith's holy book. Shutting down a mosque for preaching The Holy Quran is the definition of religious discrimination and persecution. We call on the State Department, which has repeatedly called for the protection of religious freedom, to condemn this reprehensible violation of liberty by the French government."
CAIR has previously condemned Islamophobic incidents and policies in France.
SEE: CAIR Condemns Attempted Arson of Muslim Prayer Room in France (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-attempted-arson-of-muslim-prayer-room-in-france/)
CAIR Calls for European Leaders to Stop Promoting Anti-Muslim Hate After Mosques in UK, France Targeted (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-for-european-leaders-to-stop-promoting-anti-muslim-hate-after-mosques-in-uk-france-targeted/)
CAIR Calls for Rejection of France's Proposed Ban on Hijab, Other Religious Attire in Sports (https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-for-rejection-of-frances-proposed-ban-on-hijab-other-religious-attire-in-sports/)
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-on-state-department-to-condemn-frances-closure-of-mosque-over-recitation-of-quran/
[Category: Sociological]