CAIR Executive Director Expresses Support for Oct. 7 Hamas Attack and Gaza Protest

The executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Nihad Awad, expressed his happiness over the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on October 7, characterizing them as Gazans "breaking the siege" and "throwing down the shackles of their own land." Awad claimed that the attack was self-defense for Palestinians, while denying Israel's right to self-defense as an occupying power. He also employed an antisemitic trope, accusing American support for Israel of being influenced by corrupt members of Congress controlled by AIPAC. Awad called for action to free Palestine and urged the audience to contact their elected officials.