White House Severs Ties with U.S. Islamic Group Over Leader's Controversial Remarks

The White House has distanced itself from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after the organization's director, Nihad Awad, expressed happiness over Palestinians breaking out of Gaza on the day of a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. President Biden's spokesman condemned Awad's remarks as "shocking" and "antisemitic," emphasizing the need to call out antisemitism. CAIR, which advocates for civil rights for Muslims, has faced controversy in the past, with accusations of sympathy towards Hamas. The White House removed CAIR's name from a document on fighting antisemitism and clarified its distancing from the organization. Awad claimed his comments were taken out of context and that he denounced hate against Jews.