The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has demanded that politicians end their “campaign of hate” targeting American Muslims after yesterday’s deadly shooting attack targeting a San Diego mosque.
Law enforcement authorities have reportedly identified Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, as the suspects in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego and “are examining possible anti-Islamic writings found in the car where police found the dead suspects.”
According to the New York Times: “Investigators recovered anti-Islamic writing in the car, according to two law enforcement officials briefed on the matter who were not authorized to share details publicly. Before the shooting, one of the two suspects took a firearm from his parents’ house and left a suicide note, the officials said. The words ‘hate speech’ were written on one of the firearms used in the attack.”
CAIR and its San Diego office (CAIR-San Diego) condemned the attack and said CAIR-San Diego representatives are on the scene monitoring developments.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said: “We are deeply disturbed, but not at all surprised, to learn that those who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego were reportedly motivated by anti-Muslim hate.
“Hate against American Muslims is completely out of control. Numerous politicians have spent the past year claiming that all ‘mainstream Muslims’ should be destroyed, that American mosques and elementary schools should be shut down, and that American Muslims should be expelled from our nation. Just last week, House Republicans held a congressional hearing to fan the flames of hate against American Muslims, their houses of worship and even Muslim school children.
“Time and time again, we have seen that hate speech like this can lead to hate crimes. The mass shooters who massacred families at the Christchurch mosques in New Zealand and worshipers at a mosque in Quebec all embraced the rhetoric of prominent anti-Muslim extremists.
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“A deadly attack on an American mosque was as predictable as it is unacceptable. Anti-Muslim hatred is one of the last acceptable forms of bigotry in American society, and it is long past time for the tolerance of this hate to end.”
Hate comments
According to CAIR’s most recent civil rights report, complaints of anti-Muslim bias and discrimination have continued to rise nationwide, reflecting an ongoing pattern of Islamophobia impacting communities across the country.
Some of the most recent and widely documented examples of anti-Muslim rhetoric by US politicians have emerged during 2025 and 2026, particularly from Republican lawmakers and right-wing political figures.
A report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate found that 46 Republican elected officials published more than 1,100 anti-Muslim posts between February 2025 and March 2026, with rhetoric focusing heavily on “Sharia law” conspiracies and claims that Muslims threaten American identity.
- Republican Congressman Andy Ogles posted on X in March 2026: “Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie.”
- Senator Tommy Tuberville shared a post comparing New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Ramadan iftar event with images of the 9/11 attacks alongside the words: “The enemy is inside the gates.”
- Republican Congressman Randy Fine faced backlash after stating: “the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”
- In May 2026, Republican lawmakers held a congressional hearing titled “Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam and Sharia Law are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution.”
- Texas Governor Greg Abbott amplified claims about a proposed Muslim housing development near Dallas being a so-called “Sharia city,” helping fuel a wave of anti-Muslim political messaging across conservative media and Republican campaigns.
