The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida is a state chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a major Muslim advocacy group based in the U.S. with an extensive track record of associating with militant and radical Islamist ideology. Like its parent organization, CAIR Florida conducts publicity campaigns to generate a more favorable public image of Islam. The group also works to increase the political and societal influence of its Muslim constituents, focusing on civil lawsuits in support of Muslim rights, policy, and advocacy work, and encouraging youth activism in Florida’s Muslim communities. CAIR previously had two offices in Florida, with one in Tampa, and one in South Florida. The two chapters merged in 2014. ¹

The former and current leadership of CAIR-Florida have brought controversy to the group with repeated anti-Israel commentary, and the former longtime executive director has faced multiple allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct and domestic violence, which resulted in his leaving the organization abruptly in early 2021. ²

In October 2023, in response to the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military invasion of the Gaza Strip, CAIR-Florida announced that it stood “in support of Palestine and their fundamental right to be free from the Israeli occupation.” ³ CAIR-Florida published resources for pro-Palestinian protesters and encouraged members to write to their elected officials in support of Palestine and against aid to Israel.

Initiatives

CAIR-Florida maintains legal resources to defend Floridian Muslims from discrimination. One notable case occurred in 2015 when CAIR-Florida sued Florida Gun Supply in Inverness, Florida, for declaring itself a “Muslim-Free Zone” in public advertisements. ⁴ The lawsuit was later dismissed in federal court, in part because Florida Gun Supply had not refused to sell their products to any individuals based on their religion. ^{5 6}

CAIR-Florida also lobbies the state and federal government on policies to benefit and support Muslims in schools, healthcare settings, workplaces, and under the law generally. In January 2024, the organization encouraged voters to speak out against Florida House Bill 187 and Senate Bill 148, which defined “anti-Semitism” for purposes of tracking anti-Semitic speech and actions in the state. CAIR-Florida asserted that the proposal curbed free speech. ⁷

In October 2023, following the attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military invasion of the Gaza Strip, CAIR-Florida created a toolkit for lobbying elected officials and organizing public protests. The toolkit offers information on a protester’s rights, and how best to interact with law enforcement during a protest. The guidelines also repeatedly discourage pro-Palestinian protesters from using anti-Semitic or other hate speech, and discourage violent behavior and speech in favor of a designated terrorist organization. ⁸

 Leadership

Imam Abdullah Jaber is the executive director of CAIR-Florida. He previously worked as director of CAIR-Georgia, worked for the California chapter of CAIR, and founded Muslim Youth of Los Angeles. ⁹

Wilfredo Ruiz has worked as director of communications for CAIR-Florida since 2011. He converted to Islam in 2005 after a career in the Navy Judge Advocate Corps. Ruiz claims to be a leading voice representing Latino Muslims, and has appeared on CNN and several Spanish-speaking outlets. ¹⁰ In 2022, he helped lead a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest in the streets of Fort Lauderdale in response to the accidental shooting death of Shireen Abu Akleh by the Israeli Defense Forces. ¹¹ The demonstration was cosponsored by CAIR-Florida, Al-Awda (or the National Right to Return Coalition), and Students for Justice in Palestine. ^{12 13} Ruiz filmed the protestors chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a rallying cry that is widely understood to mean the elimination of Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. ¹⁴

After the Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli counterattack in Gaza in October 2023, Ruiz disassociated himself from Hamas, comparing it to Al-Qaeda. In the same statement, he argued that the Israeli military is violating the human rights of Palestinians and that extremism and terrorism in Palestine were created in response to military “occupation.” ¹⁵

Hassan Shibly worked as CAIR-Florida’s executive director from 2011-2021 and spoke out against Israel and the United States repeatedly. ¹⁶ In 2014, he said on Twitter, “God as my wittiness [sp], Israel and it’s [sp] supporters are enemies of God and humanity! How many more children must Israel kill 4 U 2 C?” ¹⁷ In 2017, he claimed that “nationalism was pumped into Muslim communities to divide us,” suggesting that nationalism or patriotism are not compatible with Islam, which he says unites all Muslims. ¹⁸

In December 2020, Shibly’s estranged wife, Imane Sadrati, reached out on online fundraising platform GoFundMe to plead for help, accusing Shibly of financial and physical abuse. Sadrati claimed that Shibly twisted her arm, pushed her into a wall, and slapped her. Shortly thereafter, Shibly resigned from his position at CAIR-Florida, claiming a desire to focus on his family and not to let his personal issues detract from the work of the organization. ¹⁹

The publicity from this matter led several former employees to come forward with allegations of emotional abuse, sexual misconduct, and workplace discrimination at Shibly’s hands. Some victims complained about Shibly’s actions as early as 2016 to leaders at CAIR-Florida and CAIR’s national office, but little-or-no action was taken. Shibly denied the claims of his wife and of his other accusers, claiming that their allegations were part of a greater campaign to smear him and the work of CAIR. ²⁰

Activities

Deactivation of SJP within the Florida State University System

On October 24, 2023, Ray Rodrigues, the Chancellor of the Florida State University System, sent a memo to university presidents regarding the National Students for Justice in Palestine’s  statements since the October 7th attacks on Israel. An SJP “toolkit” following the massacre aligned the organization with Hamas, calling the massacre an act of “resistance” and saying that Palestinian students in exile are part of that resistance. Chancellor Rodrigues called on university presidents to deactivate any chapters of SJP operating on campus, citing Florida law against supporting terrorist organizations. Rodriguez also said that deactivated student chapters could form another organization in compliance with Florida law and reapply for recognition. ²¹

In response, CAIR-Florida, National CAIR, and the University of South Florida’s chapter of SJP (USF SJP) filed a complaint challenging the deactivation order, asserting USF SJP’s right to express their political views. ²²

The ACLU, a major legal advocate for left-of-center causes, argued in court in January 2024 on USF SJP’s behalf. It asserted that National SJP’s activities were protected speech, and further that USF SJP was a separately formed organization and should not be deactivated based on the statements of National SJP. ²³

A CAIR report on alleged anti-Muslim sentiment in 2023 stated that the deactivation of these chapters may have been the most significant challenge to campus free speech the entire year. ²⁴

Removal from Faith and Community Initiative

In 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) founded the Faith and Community Initiative to improve collaboration between the state’s faith-based organizations. In August 2022, CAIR-Florida claimed to be a leader in the initiative because they had received a Certificate of Recognition from Governor DeSantis’s office. In response, the governor’s spokesman said the inclusion of CAIR was an “oversight” and that CAIR would be removed from the list of partners. ²⁵

In January 2024, the Florida House of Representatives advanced a resolution encouraging Florida’s state and local government agencies and law enforcement agencies to stop contact with CAIR-Florida. The resolution cites repeated actions by CAIR leaders connected to anti-American sentiment, including national CAIR leaders likening Israel to Nazi Germany and justifying Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as a move to “break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp” of Gaza. ²⁶

Financials

In 2022, CAIR-Florida made $1,159,451 in revenue, had $1,092,041 in expenses, and held $1,532,035 in assets. In 2021, CAIR-Florida made $1,112,487 in revenue and had $1,323,510 in expenses, for a net loss of $211,023. The organization held assets of $1,837,353 that year. ²⁷

1. Associated Press and AP (WTSP). “2 Florida Chapters of CAIR Merge.” WTSP. June 12, 2014. Accessed January 25, 2024.  https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/2-florida-chapters-of-cair-merge/67-300344393
2. Abe Aboraya. “CAIR-Florida’s Executive Director Resigns After Wife Sues for Domestic Violence Injunction.” WMFE. February 5, 2021. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.wmfe.org/2021-02-05/cair-floridas-executive-director-resigns-after-wife-sues-for-domestic-violence-injunction
3. “News: CAIR-FL Stands in Solidarity with Palestinians, Calls for End to Occupied Territories’ Atrocities.” CAIR Florida. October 7, 2023. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://cairflorida.org/news/palestine/
4. Colin Wolf. “The ‘Muslim free’ Florida gun shop owner was banned from YouTube.” Orlando Weekly. October 6, 2017. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/florida-gun-shop-owner-who-banned-muslims-is-now-banned-from-youtube-7479549
5. “Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Inverness gun zone’s Muslim-free zone.” WFLA. February 18, 2019. Accessed January 24, 2024. https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-over-inverness-gun-stores-muslim-free-zone/
6. United States District Court, Southern District of Florida. Order on Ruling to Dismiss. CAIR Florida vs. Teotwawki Investments LLC, dba Florida Gun Supply. November 24, 2015. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.americanfreedomlawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Order-Granting-Motion-to-Dismiss.pdf
7. “CAIR Florida Urges Elected Officials to Oppose Legislation Restricting Free Speech.” CAIR Florida. January 19, 2024. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-florida-urges-elected-officials-to-oppose-legislation-restricting-free-speech/
8. “Palestine.” CAIR-Florida. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://cairflorida.org/resources/palestine/
9. “Meet Our Executive Director, Abdullah Jaber.” CAIR Georgia. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://cairgeorgia.org/about-us/meet-our-executive-director-abdullah-jaber/
10. “Latino Muslims a small, growing group.” CNN.com. November 23, 2011. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/23/us/latino-muslims-a-small-growing-group/index.html
11. Ned Price, Spokesperson. “On the Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh.” U.S. State Department. July 4, 2022. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.state.gov/on-the-killing-of-shireen-abu-akleh/
12. “National Students for Justice in Palestine.” InfluenceWatch. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/national-students-for-justice-in-palestine/
13. “Al-Awda: Palestinian Right to Return Coalition.” InfluenceWatch. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.influencewatch.org/organization/al-awda-palestinian-right-to-return-coalition/
14. “Translate Hate: From the River to the Sea.” American Jewish Committee. Accessed January 26, 2024. https://www.ajc.org/translatehate/From-the-River-to-the-Sea
15. Steve King. “South Florida Muslim community leaders voicing support for people of Palestine, denouncing Hamas.” WPBF. October 11, 2023. Accessed January 26, 2024. https://www.wpbf.com/article/south-florida-muslim-community-leaders-voicing-support-for-people-palestine-denouncing-hamas-council-american-islamic-wilfredo-ruiz/45513560#
16. “Hassan Shibly.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-shibly-0891a11/
17. Hassan Shibly on Twitter: “God as my wittiness…” August 3, 2014. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://imgur.com/gxq1DCR
18. Ryan Mauro. “CAIR Rep: Nationalism Pumped Into Muslims to Weaken Islam.” Clarion Project. July 6, 2014. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20170207193952/https:/clarionproject.org/analysis/cair-rep-nationalism-pumped-muslims-weaken-islam
19. Abe Aboraya. “CAIR-Florida’s Executive Director Resigns After Wife Sues for Domestic Violence Injunction.” WMFE. February 5, 2021. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.wmfe.org/2021-02-05/cair-floridas-executive-director-resigns-after-wife-sues-for-domestic-violence-injunction
20. Leila Fadel. “Muslim Civil Rights Leader Accused of Harassment Misconduct.” NPR. April 15, 2021. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/15/984572867/muslim-civil-rights-leader-accused-of-harassment-misconduct
21. Ray Rodrigues. “Memo re: Deactivation of National Students for Justice in Palestine.” October 24, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Deactivation-of-Students-for-Justice-in-Palestine.pdf
22.   “CAIR-FL, Partners to Announce Lawsuit Against State University Chancellor, Gov. DeSantis for Violating Their First Amendment Rights: Seek Injunction Quashing Order to Deactivate Group.” CAIR-Florida. November 21, 2023. Accessed January 25, 2024. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-fl-partners-to-announce-lawsuit-against-state-university-chancellor-gov-desantis-for-violating-their-first-amendment-rights-seek-injunction-quashing-order-to-deactivate-group/
23. “Court Cases: Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Florida vs. Raymond Rodrigues.” ACLU. November 16, 2023. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/cases/students-for-justice-in-palestine-at-the-university-of-florida-v-raymond-rodrigues
24. Farah Afify, Keon Neghabat, and Corey Saylor. “Gaza: The Resurgence of Islamophobia in 2023.” CAIR. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://cairflorida.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Gaza_The-Resurgence-of-Islamophobia-in-2023-3.pdf
25. Susannah Johnston. “DeSantis Accuses CAIR of Deception, Ousts it from Florida Program.” Middle East Forum. September 1, 2022. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://www.meforum.org/63538/desantis-accuses-cair-of-deception-ousts-it-from
26. G. Gancarski. “House panel advances resolution urging ‘disassociation’ from CAIR.” January 23, 2024. Accessed January 29, 2024. https://floridapolitics.com/archives/654588-house-panel-advances-resolution-urging-disassociation-from-cair/
27. “CAIR Florida.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/651110616/202313199349332151/full Accessed January 25, 2024.