CAIR-CA leader appears to advise hiding anti-Zionist views publicly
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A video circulating widely on social media showing a prominent Muslim advocacy leader in California urging his supporters to be “strategic” about how they express certain views publicly is sparking backlash and renewed scrutiny of the organization’s ties to government funding.
In the clip shared on X, Zahra Billoo, executive director of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), is seen discussing how supporters should approach expressing controversial sentiments in public and private settings.
Fox News Digital has not independently verified the content of the statements or the entire video.
In the video, Billoo appears to warn against public airing of certain views, using an example to illustrate what he describes as a lack of “strategic” judgment.
“Now imagine if your LinkedIn profile said, ‘I hate all Zionists,'” Billoo says in the clip. “It’s not strategic. Right?… You might say that while sitting at Kahwah House on a Friday night, but you won’t say it on LinkedIn.”
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Zahra Billoo, executive director of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), stands with community members at a public event. (Photo: Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
He adds that supporters need to consider “strategic or reckless.”
The images sparked outrage from online commentators and political figures.
“Note, the message here is not ‘don’t hate people and don’t be bigoted.'” FOX News political analyst and FOX News Radio host Guy Benson wrote on
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Republican National Committee member Harmeet Dhillon also reacted to the clip, writing, “Wow.”
Christopher F. Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor at City Journal, amplified the video to connect with broader concerns about CAIR-CA and its role in California’s public life.
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The renewed interest comes as CAIR-CA faces scrutiny over funding highlighted below. A recent City Journal report states, It found that the group had received nearly $40 million in government-administered funds in recent years, much of it tied to federally funded programs.
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An OIG report reveals that FBI agents were urged to avoid communications with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The composite image shows FBI headquarters and Muslims praying at a CAIR event in Falls Church, Virginia. (Fox News)
The report revisits long-standing allegations about CAIR’s historical connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas; Allegations that the organization rejects these allegations as “baseless” and that they are part of a broader smear campaign are being reconsidered.
The review comes after some Republican-led states took actions targeting the group. In December, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state would designate CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations at the state level, following a similar move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
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These actions do not carry the same legal weight as the federal terrorist designation, which can only be made by the U.S. State Department. CAIR opposed these moves, arguing that they were unconstitutional and defamatory.
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Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, holds a news conference with CAIR California leaders as House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith calls for an IRS investigation into the group’s tax-exempt status. (Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Record via Getty Images)
CAIR has consistently maintained that it is a civil rights organization focused on protecting Muslim Americans from discrimination and has said its funding is fully accounted for and subject to oversight.
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The review also comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom recently spoke out against rising anti-Semitism.
“The 46-year national peak in anti-Semitic attacks should alarm EVERY American,” Newsom wrote to X. “We must confront hate and antisemitism head on and reject hate wherever it appears. Every person deserves to feel safe in our country.”
A spokesman for the governor’s office did not directly address the circulating video but said the administration is working with a number of nonprofits through community initiatives and is in contact with both Jewish and Muslim leaders across the state.
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The office also noted efforts to expand security funding for religious institutions, strengthen hate crime laws and support Holocaust and genocide education initiatives.
Fox News Digital has reached out to CAIR-CA and Billoo for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
