MONITORING AND COMBATING ISLAMOPHOBIA

A Project of the Council on American-Islamic Relations

ISLAMOPHOBIC INDIVIDUALS: Zuhdi Jasser

Zuhdi Jasser

Appearing as a key witness supporting Rep. Peter King’s anti-Muslim hearings in March 2011, Jasser criticized Muslim organizations for informing communities of the fundamental constitutional right to have counsel present during interactions with law enforcement.


Zuhdi Jasser is the president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and currently serves as a Commissioner on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

In 2008, Jasser narrated The Third Jihad, a bigoted film produced by the Clarion Project. It depicted Muslims as inherently violent and desirous of world domination. As narrator, Jasser said, “A strategy to infiltrate and dominate America…this is the true agenda of much of Islam in America.”

Following the revelation that the film was shown as part of training at the New York Police Department, then Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called the film “wacky” and “objectionable.” Former NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Brown said, “[The Third Jihad] was reviewed and found to be inappropriate.”

In the same year, Jasser also received the “defender of the home front” award from the Center for Security Policy, an anti-Muslim organization. Jasser plays into the Islamophobia industry narrative that the Muslim American community, its institutions and establishments are the problem. For example, he said, “The U.S. has a significant problem with Muslim radicalization. You know listen, I’m Muslim and I realize its my problem and I need to fix it and that’s what I do.” He has also advocated for the surveillance of Muslim communities.

His words

  • Regarding the Pentagon’s broadening of religious rights for minority faiths, Jasser supported the intiative for Sikhs and Jews, and decried the expanded rights as they applied to American Muslims. He said the Obama administration is “bending over backwards for political correctness,” which will lead to what he called “litigation jihad.” In an interview on Fox News, 2014.
  • Jasser thanked the NYPD for spying on Muslims , saying “thank [you] for doing the work that we as Muslims should be doing, which is monitoring extremism, following extremism, and helping counter the ideologies that create radicalization in our communities.” During a press conference in New York, 2012.
  • “The reality is that operationally, Islam is not peaceful.” In an interview with Jewish News Service, 2011.
  • Jasser criticized Muslim organizations for informing  communities of their 6th Amendment right “not to speak to the FBI or law enforcement unless  they  are  accompanied  by  an  attorney,” while appearing as a key witness supporting Rep. Peter King’s (R-N.Y.) anti-Muslim hearing: “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and the Community’s Response” in 2011.
  • “Multiculturalism has prevented  true ideological  assimilation.” At the House hearing on “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and the Community’s Response” in 2011.
  • “Armed services should declare a moratorium on all Muslim requests for conscientious objector status claimed on the basis of their Islamic faith.” In an article in the Wall Street Journal, 2011.
  • “America is at war with theocratic Muslim despots who seek the imposition of Shariah and don’t believe in the equality of all before the law, blind to faith.” An article on the New York Post in 2010.

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