The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S., has labeled the University of California, Irvine (UCI) a “hostile campus.” This designation follows what CAIR describes as a pattern of discriminatory treatment toward Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students and faculty. UCI now joins 23 other institutions, including UCLA, Pomona College, and Stanford, on CAIR’s list of “hostile campuses.”
According to CAIR’s statement, the designation stems from UCI’s response to peaceful protests and its alleged suppression of pro-Palestinian advocacy. In May 2024, UCI’s police arrested 50 individuals, including students and faculty, during a protest supporting Gaza. Subsequently, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced criminal charges against these protesters, prompting CAIR to call for the charges to be dropped.
In October 2024, the Muslim Legal Fund of America filed a Title VI complaint, alleging that UCI retaliated against Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students. The complaint mentioned indefinite suspensions and a lack of due process for students who protested. CAIR’s Los Angeles office has criticized UCI’s actions, stating they create an environment of intimidation and retaliation.
CAIR’s designation of UCI as a hostile campus is part of a broader concern over the treatment of pro-Palestinian activists at universities across the nation. The organization says it plans to hold institutions accountable for what it sees as violations of students’ and faculty’s rights to free speech and academic freedom.
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