The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, has condemned the Georgetown University College Republicans (GUCR) after the student group posted a message on X declaring that Muslims have “no place in American society.” The group later posted another message criticizing Islam. The original post has since been deleted.
The message, published on March 8, responded to a video shared by a conservative social media account about a recent attempted terror attack in New York City. The post stated bluntly: “Let’s Be Honest: Muslims have no place in American society.”
A GUCR spokesperson later said the post “did not fully convey the organization’s position,” adding that the group supports the First Amendment rights of all Americans and believes in “loving everyone.” However, the spokesperson also said the organization believes “Sharia law is incompatible with Western civilization and American society as it seeks to oppress women and persecute religious minorities.”
CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, criticized the posts.
“Georgetown University has a long history of embodying values respected in various faiths and welcoming students of all faiths,” Mitchell said. “Both the initial hateful tweet and the subsequent ‘apology’ from the Georgetown College Republicans represent the antithesis of the principles of religious liberty upon which Georgetown and our nation were founded.”
In a related development, CAIR also urged Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to stop defending anti-Muslim rhetoric within his party after he declined to condemn Andy Ogles, who had previously said Muslims “do not belong in American society.”
The incident has sparked debate over the responsibilities of student organizations at U.S. universities, religious tolerance, and the limits of free expression. It also highlights broader tensions surrounding Islamophobia in American political and academic life.
