The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned what it called the “idiotic racism and Islamophobia spewed” by Texas Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX), Laura Loomer and other extremists against New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani over how he ate a meal. 

Rep. Gill posted a video of Mamdani eating briyani with his hand, a common practice, and wrote: “Civilized people in America don’t eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.” Loomer wrote: “He is from Africa. And you can tell in the way he eats. Disgusting. My dogs are cleaner and more civilized when they eat than little Muhammad.”

In a statement, Research and Advocacy Director CAIR Corey Saylor said:

“Americans eat pizza, hot dogs, chicken, French fries, burgers, sandwiches, chips, tacos, fruit, nachos, cookies, and various other foods with their hands. Those same Americans can see through the idiotic racism and Islamophobia spewed by the likes of Laura Loomer and Texas Congressman Brandon Gill. Only the Ku Klux Klan could enjoy such bigoted and hysterical statements.”

On Friday, CAIR sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to swiftly and publicly reject Representative Andy Ogles’ (R-TN) racist and Islamophobic demand that the federal government pursue denaturalization proceedings against Mamdani.

READ CAIR’S LETTER: CLICK HERE

Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.

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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com