Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Michigan

Despite an extensive track record of aligning with left-of-center causes, including racial minority identity politics and ideologically motivated “hate crime” policies, both CAIR Michigan and its parent organization have come into conflict with other sectors of the left, most notably the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). As a left-of-center Jewish advocacy group, the ADL has mostly taken issue with CAIR and its local affiliates for criticizing the state of Israel and endorsing Palestinian activism. However, the ADL has also attacked CAIR, particularly the leadership of the Michigan chapter, for voicing religiously based opposition to pro-homosexuality messaging and to the normalization of transgender lifestyles. ^{2 3}

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 Michigan issued a call for financial support to sustain its growing Palestinian activism. This has included supporting Palestinian activists in schools and universities, as well as pushing for what the group has called “repatriation” of Palestinians remaining in Gaza who claim rights of return to Michigan. ⁴ The following month, CAIR Michigan also joined its parent organization in supporting radical left-wing Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) after she was censured by the U.S. House of Representatives for her stridently anti-Israel rhetoric. ⁵

Initiatives

CAIR Michigan has sued for the elimination of the Terrorism Screening Dataset, a tool used by federal law enforcement agencies to track and restrict the travel of alleged extremists. The group claims that nearly all the individuals on this watch list are “identifiably Muslim” and that this amounts to “Islamophobic” discrimination. ⁶

CAIR Michigan has opposed taxpayer funding of adoption agencies with faith-based values, claiming that their inclusion of religion in their criteria for placing children with families is a form of discrimination. At the same time, the group has claimed that children from Muslim backgrounds must be placed with Muslim families, citing “Islamic norms.” ⁷

CAIR Michigan has pushed for religious protections and exemptions in legislation designed to favor LGBT interests. The group argues that laws which compel inclusion of sexual minorities would force faith-based organizations into “costly litigation” to protect their First Amendment rights. To prevent this, CAIR Michigan has attempted to rally people of all religious backgrounds and put pressure on state lawmakers. ⁸

The CAIR Michigan “Safe Spaces Department” pushes for the accommodation of Islamic religious practices, dietary preferences, and cultural particularities in schools, workplaces, and government institutions, including correctional facilities. The group states that the objective of this project is to “normalize” Muslim “practice and expression” in American society. ⁹

Leadership

Dawud Walid is the executive director of CAIR Michigan. He was previously a cleric at a mosque in Detroit and an Islamic center in Hamtramck, Michigan. He has also spoken several times at the left-wing Congressional Black Caucus, and touts his participation in events featuring radical black activist leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Keith Ellison, now the Democratic attorney general of Minnesota. ¹⁰

Nour Ali is the director of the CAIR Michigan “Safe Spaces” initiative, which works to create a favorable environment for Islam in public institutions. She previously interned for House Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI). ¹¹

Financials

Since 2015, annual revenue to CAIR Michigan has fluctuated between $260,000 and $440,000. In 2021, the group’s net assets totaled approximately $53,000. ¹²