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The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization with well-documented ties to Hamas, recently held its 2025 annual banquet at a Muslim community center in Township, New Jersey. This was an unexpected change of venue after this author and others urged the Springfield Country Club in Pennsylvania to deny CAIR’s 2024 banquet on the grounds of valid security concerns, what CAIR-Philadelphia falsely referred to as “Islamophobic pressure.” As a result of our efforts, the group’s featured speaker, US Congresswoman Summer Lee, canceled her speech in front of CAIR’s audience that year.

This year’s event, titled ‘Gratitude and Our Path Forward,’ featured Marc Lamont Hill, a professor of urban education and anthropology at City University of New York (CUNY), who was fired from CNN in 2018 after making a statement widely interpreted as calling for Israel’s destruction. Also featured was Amer Zahr, an anti-Israel comedian with a history of bigoted and inflammatory remarks, and Delaware State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton, a past activist with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) – a group accused of supporting Hamas and its October 7, 2023 massacre of over 1,200 Israelis.

Marc Lamont Hill Makes Light of His CNN Firing

At the banquet, during a panel discussion moderated by Wilson-Anton, Hill recounted his firing from CNN, stating he was not surprised by it, but only by the timing. During a 2018 speech he had given in front of the United Nations, he declared, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – a chant used by Hamas and other terrorist groups to call for Israel’s annihilation. He joked that, had he known he would be fired for making the statement, he would have said, “Free Palestine, from the window to the wall, instead.” His trivial attitude toward a call for Israel’s destruction underscores the legitimacy of his firing.

Amer Zahr Brags About His Extremism

Zahr, also on the panel, took a moment to boast about the size of his personal profile on Canary Mission – a website dedicated to tracking individuals and organizations engaged in anti-Semitic and extremist activity – referring to it as a “Zionist run website,” bragging that his is “the largest bio” on it. On the site, one can find a link to a speech Zahr gave, where he proclaims his support for Hamas and Hezbollah. Zahr dismissed Canary Mission as “an arm of the state” and defiantly proclaimed, “There is nothing wrong with being an enemy of the state.”

Zahr also revealed on the panel that he had “been to Palestine three times since October 7” and was planning to go again the following week. While Zahr lives in the US, he has an Israeli citizenship. Given his support for anti-Israel terrorist groups, this is deeply concerning. Furthermore, Zahr is on record stating that Israel will soon cease to exist. At a Dearborn, Michigan rally in July 2014, Zahr told the crowd, “Israel knows that its days are numbered.”

Antisemitism from the Conference Floor

During the banquet’s Q&A session, a member of the audience referenced Nation of Islam (NOI) leader Louis Farrakhan, whose hatred of Jews is widely known, and complained that black politicians fear being publicly seen with Farrakhan. The individual then declared the politicians are “kowtowing” to “these racist white Zionist Jews,” to which the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause. This anti-Semitic rhetoric, cheered by attendees, reveals the extremist sentiments tolerated at CAIR events.

Zahr himself contributed to the hateful atmosphere in his stand-up routine at the banquet. He asked the crowd, “They say we hate Jews. Are there any Jews here?” Someone in the audience yelled “No!” causing Zahr and the audience to burst into laughter. Zahr then remarked, “Alright, you are not helping. Who was this kid? That was a kid, right? Okay, please somebody cover her mouth. This is why we end up on Fox News. This for sure will be on the news tonight.” His remarks, filled with derision, reinforce a pattern of using Jewish identity as a punchline.

Who is Amer Zahr?

Amer Zahr is a Jordanian-American comedian who calls himself “Palestinian.” He is a trustee of the Dearborn Board of Education, and he previously was an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Zahr claims to oppose racism, stating in 2015, “Arabs who engage in any sort of racism should be utterly ashamed. We, more than anyone else, should know better.” However, his own words contradict this claim.

Zahr has a long track record of making racist and offensive jokes, particularly targeting whites and Jews. He spent 18 months producing a film titled ‘We’re Not White,’ in which he ridicules white people and perpetuates racial stereotypes about black people as well. His anti-Semitic remarks are equally blatant; he has mocked Jews as “cheap” and referred to defenders of Israel as “scumbags, pigs, and bastards.”

CAIR’s Troubling Terror-Related History

CAIR’s platforming of Zahr and Hill is consistent with its radical history. The organization has repeatedly faced allegations of Hamas ties, and its leadership has a documented record of defending terrorists and inciting hatred against Jews and Israel. This most recent conference only serves as further proof that CAIR remains a dangerous, extremist entity masquerading as a civil rights group.

Conclusion

The 2025 CAIR Philadelphia banquet provided yet another platform for anti-Israel rhetoric, pro-terrorism sentiments, and outright hostility toward Jews. The presence of Marc Lamont Hill, Amer Zahr, and Madinah Wilson-Anton – all with well-documented anti-Israel records – reinforces CAIR’s alignment with the enemies of the West.

Zahr’s controversial remarks, Hill’s justifications for calls to destroy Israel, and the crowd’s cheering of anti-Semitic rhetoric should be a wake-up call to anyone still in doubt about CAIR’s true nature. CAIR is not about civil rights – it is about legitimizing hatred.

Beila Rabinowitz, Director of Militant Islam Monitor, contributed to this report.