CAIR Official Husam Aylush in a California Mosque Friday Sermon: The Democrats Sacrificed Their Presidential Race by Pandering to AIPAC; Trump’s Cabinet Picks Are Like a “Who’s Who of Islamophobia”; He's Like a Middle Eastern Leader, If You Miss Back Home - It's Coming to Us

In his November 15, 2024, Friday sermon at the Islamic Center of Claremont, California, Husam Aylush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for the greater Los Angeles area, discussed the organization's plans following the U.S. presidential election. Aylush claimed that both Democratic candidates, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, "sacrificed their race" to "pander to AIPAC and its money," accusing the pro-Israel lobby group of "buying a lot of [political] races." He also criticized President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees, stating, “We think we’ve reached the bottom, and then there is a new name that is below the bottom,” referring to the appointments as a "who's who of Islamophobia." Aylush addressed proposed House bill H.R. 9495, which seeks to revoke the tax-exempt status of organizations supporting terrorism, suggesting it could lead to the shutdown of mosques and organizations like CAIR, the Muslim American Society (MAS), and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). He urged congregants to join CAIR, emphasizing the organization's role in protecting students who may be labeled as "terrorists" for pro-Palestinian activism under the new administration. The sermon was streamed live on the Islamic Center of Claremont’s YouTube channel. MAS officials and mosques have a history of supporting U.S. designated terrorist organizations and other terrorist-linked organizations.