CAIR blamed 9/11 on US support for Israel, recommended bin Laden's writings in back to school guide

Key Points:

• The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights group in the US, released and then removed a back-to-school guide that blamed the 9/11 attacks on US support for Israel and accused the country of state-sponsored Islamophobia in the aftermath.
• The guide controversially claimed the 9/11 attacks were justified due to US foreign policy, including military presence in the Middle East, and suggested Muslims faced unfair backlash compared to other violent groups like white supremacists.
• CAIR’s material included Osama bin Laden’s "Letter to America," portrayed bin Laden as a former US ally against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and recommended resources like the movie "V for Vendetta" to promote understanding of foreign issues.
• The guide sparked outrage from 9/11 victims' families and Jewish community leaders, who condemned it as dangerous propaganda that downplayed terrorism and failed to address recent Hamas attacks in Gaza.
• CAIR did not deny removing the guide’s link but provided vague explanations for the changes; the organization has previously been linked to Hamas through the prosecution of related nonprofits.