The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) today called on law enforcement authorities to investigate a reported hate incident targeting Muslim students at the University of Houston (UH) during prayer as a possible hate crime and commended the university for its response.

Chron.com reports: “According to the UH Muslim Student Association (MSA), the incident occurred Thursday, October 30, at Lynn Eusan Park. An individual reportedly entered the group’s reserved space, shouted anti-Islamic messages through a megaphone, and threw a copy of the Qur’an into a bonfire.”

“We are deeply disturbed by this hateful act targeting Muslim students who were exercising their right to gather peacefully in worship,” said Imran Ghani, Director of CAIR-Houston. “Publicly shouting xenophobic statements and burning the Quran, our most sacred scripture, is not only an attack on the Muslim community, but also an affront to the values of respect, diversity, and inclusion. We commend the University of Houston for filing an incident report and urge law enforcement authorities to treat this incident as a possible hate crime and to ensure the safety and religious freedom of all students.”

Last month, CAIR-Houston expressed support for a group of University of Houston students participating in a peaceful hunger strike and urge the university to engage with the students regarding their call to protect immigrant students on campus and end to partnerships with corporations allegedly complicit in human rights violations.

CAIR-Houston also expressed support for hate crime charges for a suspect who allegedly used racial slurs during an assault on a Black woman following a traffic incident.

Earlier this year, CAIR released its 2025 Civil Rights Report, Unconstitutional Crackdowns, which reveals that Islamophobia remains at record-high levels nationwide. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.

CAIR recently released an analysis of the Islamophobic fearmongering led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and anti-Muslim campaigner Amy Mek around a Muslim-led development project, EPIC City. The analysis places the attack in the context of a continuing tradition of Texas political figures engaging in anti-Muslim actions. 

SEE: EPIC Hate in Texas

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.       

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.            

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CONTACT: Imran Ghani, Executive Director, CAIR-Houston, ighani@cair.com, 713.922.5270