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A grassroots petition calling on state officials to exclude the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) from Connecticut’s new Arab and Islamic Studies curriculum process has reached 2,000 signatures and is aiming for 10,000. Organizers say the effort is driven by concerns over transparency, academic independence, and the influence of an advocacy group with a long record of political activism on what students are taught in public schools.
The petition, titled “Keep CAIR Out of Connecticut K–12 Curriculum Development,” asks Connecticut officials to bar CAIR from institutional roles in developing, reviewing, or approving state-supported curriculum materials and to publicly disclose the full membership of the curriculum design team, including affiliations, who recommended each member, and any potential conflicts of interest.
The push comes after Public Act 26-1 directed the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) to develop optional instructional resources on Arab and Islamic studies for local districts. The CT Centinal previously released Freedom of Information records from CSDE that show CAIR-CT actively engaged with state education officials on the project. In July 2026, CAIR-CT expressed interest in participating. In August, its chairman recommended five individuals for the Curriculum Design Leadership Team. A state planning spreadsheet later identified a CAIR-affiliated consultant along with four candidates recommended by the group.
Among those linked to the process is Maryam Hasan, a Florida-based CAIR National consultant who has worked on the organization’s “Unhostile Campus” efforts. Critics note that CAIR has previously promoted materials, including a 9/11 curriculum resource that drew sharp criticism for its framing and recommended readings before being pulled. A recent report from George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, “The Long Game,” documented CAIR’s multi-state efforts to shape K–12 education policy, parent outreach, and curriculum content on topics including terrorism, Israel, Palestine, and antisemitism.
CAIR has faced repeated scrutiny from governments and critics. The United Arab Emirates listed it as a terrorist organization in 2014. Florida has designated CAIR and its state chapter as domestic terrorist organizations, a move that led CAIR to shut down its Florida operations on November 5, 2026. National leadership has also drawn attention for statements widely viewed as antisemitic.
Connecticut Centinal has previously reported on CAIR-CT’s role in celebrating the new law, its production of “Back to School” resource guides that go well beyond basic religious accommodation, and its recommendations for the state curriculum team. Republican lawmakers and the Connecticut Catholic Conference have raised separate constitutional concerns about the legislation, arguing it singles out one faith tradition for special instructional resources.
Petition organizers describe the 2,000-signature milestone as evidence of growing parent and resident concern that curriculum development should remain free from the institutional influence of political advocacy groups. They are urging Connecticut residents to sign and share the petition so that legislators and education officials receive a clear message demanding transparency and independent academic oversight. The goal is to gather at least 10,000 signatures.
The materials produced under the new law will be optional for districts, but critics argue that once state-endorsed resources are created with input from an organization like CAIR, they can shape classroom content for years. The petition’s backers say Connecticut families deserve to know exactly who is writing the materials their children may encounter.
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