A Center Square reporter was denied entry to CAIRCON 2026 in Washington, D.C., despite other media outlets being allowed to attend the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ annual policy conference. CAIR says the event is a private gathering and that it can determine which press outlets rec…
(The Center Square)—The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of thecountry’slargest Muslim rights groups, booted a reporter from The Center Square when he tried covering the group’sannual policy conference in Washington, D.C.
“Unfortunately, you won’t be able to attend the conference,” Corey Saylor, the group’s research and advocacy director, said Saturday morning at the Washington Hilton Hotel. "It’s a private event.”
Amy Mekelburg, an anti-Islam activist and social media influencer, who uses the name “Amy Mek” on her X account, said she was not surprised that CAIR barred a reporter from attending its policy conference.
“Groups that preach ‘civil rights’ in public and hide their record in private do not want independent journalists in the room,” she said. “They want friendly outlets. They want control of the narrative.”
Saylor declined to address the charge. "Treating her as a legitimate voice delegitimizes you," he said, noting that Mekelburg formed a nonprofit dedicated to appealing the murder conviction of Paul Cortez, a friend. HuffPost in 2018 reported that Mekelburg and her husband formed the nonprofit.
Caroline Hendrie, executive director of the Society of Professional Journalists, told The Center Square, "This was a private event, so we are going to decline to comment."
An about-face
The Center Square requested press passes and when there was no response purchased a ticket.
On Aug. 19,The Center Square reporter,identifyinghimself as a member of the media for The Center Square, bought a $100 ticket to attend the policy conference. Three members of the media were listed as speakers:Hena Zuberi, Editor in Chief, Muslim Matters;Ryan Grim, co-founder and senior investigative reporter at Drop Site News; andCenk Uygur, co-creator and host of The Young Turks, a progressive online news and commentary site.
On Sept. 10, CAIR sent The Center Square an email welcoming the reporter's attendance:
Assalamu Alaikum,
CAIRCon2026-CAIR's Leadership & Policy Conference and 32nd Annual Gala is just a few daysaway! We look forward to welcoming youatthe Washington Hilton.
The evening before the conference started, a CAIR staffer sent an email from Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the group’s national executive director, denying The Center Square access to the conference.
“We thank you for registering to attend CAIR's Policy Conference this weekend,” Mitchell wrote. “The conference is closed to the press...”
The nextmorning, Saylorappeared toqualifyMitchell’s remark. “Unfortunately,”Saylorsaid, “wedidn’t want all coverage of the event.”
The Center Square covers government and public policy with taxpayers in mind and sought to attend CAIR’s conference after finding that CAIR and its affiliated chapters have received nearly $500,000 in federal grants and tens of millions of dollars in state grants, primarily California.
The decision to ban media coverage seems to contradict CAIR's mission statement, which says it seeks to “enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims."
Since 1995, one year after its founding, the grouphasusuallypublished an annualreportthat documents anti-Muslim incidents and barriers to American Muslims’ civil rights, includingwhat it says is a rising tide of Islamophobia.
A controversial past and present
CAIR’sco-founder and national executive director, Nihad Awad, hasan extensive public record.
In March 1994, as a spokesman for the Islamic Association for Palestine, he said he supported the Hamas movement more than the Palestine Liberation Organization. On Sept. 17, 2001, six days after 9/11, President George W. Bush met with Islamic leaders in Washington, D.C, including Awad, to condemn anti-Muslim violence and to state that American Muslims deserve respect. In 2006, Awad said, “I don’t support Hamas today” and said he and CAIR condemned suicide bombings.
After Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, abducted 251 people and committed sexual violence, according to U.N. investigators, he condemned but then seemed to support the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorism.
Four days after the attacks, Awad said, “Targeting civilians is wrong, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli." Then a month later, in November 2023, Awad said he was “happy to see” Palestinians break through the Gaza-Israel border on Oct. 7.
“The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp, on Oct. 7,” he said. “And yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their land that they were not allowed to walk in.”
A month later, CAIR distanced itself from Awad’s remarks and reiterated its opposition to “all forms of unjust violence” and antisemitism. “Mr. Awad recognizes and agrees that some of the other remarks he made at that conference should have been explained and expressed more clearly.”
Late last year, the governors of Texas and Florida, both Republicans, designatedCAIRasaterrorist organizationundertheir respectivestatelaws.CAIR challenged the designations in court. A federal judge in March preliminarily blocked enforcement of Florida's order,and the litigation continues.
Changing the story
CAIR is upfront about its desire to shape media coverage.
“Media narratives play a critical role in shaping public perception, and misrepresentations of Muslim communities can fuel misunderstanding and bias,” the group says on its website. “Recognizing this, CAIR actively works to promote fair and accurate media coverage through targeted media training for community spokespeople, strategic partnerships with journalists, and proactive public relations initiatives.”
At the conference this past weekend, CAIR held panels on contentious policy issues. Among those was a panel on countering anti-Sharia rhetoric hosted by Corey Saylor, the official who denied the reporter's access to the event.
"Panelists discuss the resurgence in organized anti-Muslim hate," according to a conference description, "including conspiracy theories about 'sharia law' and increasingly vitriolic rhetoric from conservative and pro-Israel politicians, what's behind it, and how to expose and defeat it."
Another panel sought to educate attendees about strategies to protect nonprofits from "hate groups and state governments (that attempt) to defame, harass, and drain the(ir) resources" for "causes of justice, including Palestinian freedom."
Saylor promised to discuss the media ban after the conference but did not return The Center Square's calls. The media organizations that attended did not produce public stories and did not respond to The Center Square's requests for comment.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.