Key facts
- Cair designated former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani an anti-Muslim extremist on Wednesday.
- Giuliani claimed Muslims want to 'dominate' Americans and are taught 'extremist religious education'.
- Giuliani suggested Mayor Zohran Mamdani should not attend a 9/11 memorial service.
- Cair cited Giuliani's 'decades-long record of targeting our community' for the designation.
The Council on American Islamic Relations (Cair) designated former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani an anti-Muslim extremist on Wednesday, citing his recent remarks during a TV interview. In an appearance on Newsmax, Giuliani stated that Muslims aim to 'dominate' Americans and are instructed in 'extremist religious education'. He also suggested that Mayor Zohran Mamdani should not attend a 9/11 memorial service, calling Mamdani a supporter of 'murderers'.
Corey Saylor, Cair's research and advocacy director, said in a statement that Giuliani has a 'decades-long record of targeting our community' and that his designation as an anti-Muslim extremist is a result of his 'hateful views'.
Mamdani, when asked about Giuliani's comments, declined to engage directly, stating his focus was on the 9/11 victims and their families. Giuliani's remarks come amid a petition, publicized by New York City Councilwoman Vicky Paladino and Queens Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola, calling for Mamdani's exclusion from the memorial service. Paladino has previously made Islamophobic comments, including a call for the expulsion of Muslims from western nations and comparing Mamdani's leadership to 'Islamic conquest'.
Afaf Nasher, executive director of Cair-New York, stated that 'American Muslims should not have to defend our patriotism every time a deranged politician exploits that tragedy (9/11) to attack our community.'
Separately, Mayor Mamdani released 170,000 pages of records related to the 9/11 attacks, addressing the health impacts on first responders and victims' families. Mamdani blamed past leaders for the health issues, stating they lied about the safety of the air in Lower Manhattan. When asked if Giuliani should refrain from attending the memorial due to 9/11-related cancer deaths, Mamdani reiterated that the day was about victims and families, not politicians.