CAIR-Con 2026 Features Speakers Linked to Senate and Federal Scrutiny
CAIR’s inaugural “CAIR-Con,” set for Sept. 12–13 in Washington, features speakers linked to federal scrutiny over alleged Hamas ties, Chinese foreign influence and campus antisemitism
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations will host the inaugural “CAIR-Con” on September 12-13 in Washington, D.C. — a rebrand of its long-running Policy Conference and 32nd Annual Gala. In its own promotional materials, CAIR pitches the event as bringing together “influential leaders across government, media, and advocacy” for “high-level conversations shaping the issues that impact the Muslim community.”
The confirmed lineup includes the executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, which became the subject of a Senate HELP Committee investigation in March 2025 over alleged Hamas-linked ties and its role in campus demonstrations. It also includes a CodePink co-founder whose organization has received substantial support from Neville Roy Singham, a major funder reportedly under federal grand-jury investigation for possible foreign-agent and tax violations.
From “Impact Weekend” to “CAIR-Con”
CAIR initially announced the 2026 gathering as “CAIR Impact Weekend 2026” before rebranding it as “CAIR-Con.” The 2026 rebrand introduces a dedicated webpage, tiered sponsorship packages soliciting funds from mosques and corporations, and explicit “movement” branding modeled on major American political conventions. CAIR describes CAIR-Con as an “opportunity to be part of real change” that will “bring together hundreds of advocates, organizers, and allies.”
The rebrand comes amid renewed scrutiny of CAIR and organizations within its broader network. In 2007, federal prosecutors included CAIR on a list of “unindicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers” filed before the Holy Land Foundation trial, although CAIR was never charged in the case. The following year, the Holy Land Foundation and five of its leaders were convicted in a major federal terrorism-financing prosecution involving the provision of material support to Hamas.
Basim Elkarra: The Sitting School Board Trustee Running CAIR’s Political Arm
CAIR has confirmed Basim Elkarra — Executive Director of CAIR Action, the 501(c)(4) political lobbying arm of CAIR — as a CAIR-Con speaker. As Jewish Onliner previously reported, Elkarra simultaneously holds an elected seat on the Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees in Sacramento County, California, overseeing roughly 25,000 students across 49 schools; he served as board president during the 2024-2025 school year and his term runs through June 2028.
His tenure in Muslim advocacy has been marked by repeated flags. In 2006, Senator Barbara Boxer withdrew a certificate of accomplishment from Elkarra, citing concerns about CAIR’s alleged ties to Hamas. In 2010, then-congressional candidate Ami Bera returned $250 in campaign donations from Elkarra after questions arose about CAIR’s affiliations.
A December 2025 report by the Network Contagion Research Institute and Intelligent Advocacy Network alleged that CAIR Action lacked required registrations or legal authority in 22 jurisdictions where the report said it was fundraising or conducting political activity. In November 2025, X’s user-location feature revealed that both the CAIR Action account and Elkarra’s personal account were connected to the platform through the Turkish App Store.
Osama Abu Irshaid: Executive Director of a Senate-Investigated Organization
CAIR has confirmed Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid — Executive Director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) — as a CAIR-Con speaker. AMP is the subject of a Senate HELP Committee investigation into reported Hamas-linked ties and its role in campus activism. Separately, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sent Abu Irshaid voluntary document requests concerning AMP’s relationship with National Students for Justice in Palestine and communications related to the October 7 attack, warning that compulsory process could follow if the organization failed to comply.
The Senate committee’s letter cited congressional testimony from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies stating that Abu Irshaid previously edited Al-Zaytounah, the newspaper of the Islamic Association for Palestine, and that his writing appeared on the website of Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades in 2014. The letter described IAP as an organization that received startup funding from Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook and provided media, communications and fundraising support to the Holy Land Foundation.
In December 2023, Abu Irshaid denied October 7 atrocities at a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington: “Most of the civilians were killed by their own army... There were no rapes.” He has promoted the antisemitic Khazar conspiracy theory, and has praised Hamas on Facebook for staying true to its “doctrine of liberation.” At a November 2025 gathering in Istanbul, Abu Irshaid described Holocaust museums as “false propaganda” and said Jews held “a monopoly on the victim mentality.”
Linda Sarsour Listed as Speaker
CAIR has listed longtime pro-Palestine activist Linda Sarsour as a speaker at the conference. In 2017, Sarsour said there was “no room for Zionism in the feminist movement.” She left the Women’s March board in 2019 following prolonged controversy over the organization’s handling of antisemitism and its leaders’ response to Louis Farrakhan’s rhetoric. The Coalition for Jewish Values, which says it represents more than 1,000 traditional rabbis, later published an open letter accusing her of antisemitism. In June 2026, Israeli authorities reportedly barred her from entering the country.
Nihad Awad: The Host Who Was “Happy” on October 7
CAIR co-founder and National Executive Director Nihad Awad is another featured speaker for CAIR-Con 2026. Awad attended the 1993 Philadelphia meeting of the Muslim Brotherhood’s “Palestine Committee,” which the FBI later identified as coordinating U.S.-based support for Hamas; a recording of the meeting was entered as evidence in the Holy Land Foundation terror-financing prosecution, in which CAIR itself was named an unindicted co-conspirator. In 1994, at a Barry University seminar, Awad stated: “I am in support of Hamas.”
In November 2023, he told an American Muslims for Palestine convention that he “was happy to see people breaking the siege” on October 7 — remarks the White House publicly condemned. In April 2024, Awad eulogized Sheikh Abdul-Majid al-Zindani, whom the U.S. Treasury designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for recruiting for al-Qaeda training camps and whom the New York Times identified as an early mentor to Osama bin Laden. Three months later, responding to reporting about a separate alleged Iranian plot against Donald Trump, Awad asked on X whether it might instead be “an Israeli plot to ignite another war between the U.S. and other countries in the Middle East.”
Medea Benjamin: Major CodePink Funder Faces Federal Investigation
CAIR has announced CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin as a speaker. On July 16, 2026, CBS News reported that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York was investigating Neville Roy Singham, a major CodePink funder, for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and potential tax offences. The investigation is examining whether money was unlawfully routed through nonprofits controlled by Singham.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley previously wrote that evidence “suggests that… Code Pink [has] been funded and influenced by Mr. [Neville Roy] Singham and the communist Chinese government.” CodePink has defended China against reports of genocide targeting Uyghur Muslims.
Ryan Grim: The Hamas Interview Outlet
Drop Site News co-founder Ryan Grim is confirmed as a CAIR-Con speaker. Drop Site has published on-the-record interviews with senior Hamas officials and run articles by Hossam Shabat, whom the IDF identified as a Hamas sniper based on captured documents.
Drop Site’s Gaza contributor Abubaker Abed posted footage of Hamas terrorists entering Israel on the morning of October 7, writing that “glad tidings are spread around Gaza.” Another Drop Site contributor, Mujahed al-Saadi, has also contributed to Palestine Today TV — the media arm of the U.S.-designated Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Cenk Uygur: UK Cancels Travel Authorization
CAIR has announced The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur as a CAIR-Con speaker. In June 2026, the United Kingdom cancelled Uygur’s electronic travel authorization on the grounds that his presence was “not conducive to the public good,” a decision supported by the British Jewish charity Community Security Trust. He is also the uncle of streamer Hasan Piker, whom Rep. Ritchie Torres formally warned Twitch and Amazon executives about for amplifying antisemitism to millions.