The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Bill Maher’s selection for the Mark Twain Award for American Humor due to his support for Israel.
“The Kennedy Center’s decision to bestow this prestigious award on Bill Maher highlights the glaring double standards surrounding intolerance and violence that exist in our society,” CAIR, a prominent Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said in a statement.
“Mr. Maher would never have received this recognition if he were an anti-Semitic comedian who supports terrorism against Jewish Americans or Israelis, but his overt bigotry against Muslims and support for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is quite acceptable to some extent,” the statement read.
“Until our society rejects all forms of hatred and all forms of violence against innocents as wrong, regardless of the victim, hypocrisy and inconsistency will continue to undermine the reputation of institutions like the Kennedy Center,” the organization added.
Maher’s publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While CAIR did not single out specific statements made by Maher, the host expressed a pro-Israel stance on his show and spoke out against the “evil” of Hamas.
The Kennedy Center announced Thursday at present The host will receive the honor at the ceremony on June 28. This came after the White House earlier called a report about him receiving the award “fake news,” and after President Trump, who heads the Kennedy Center, issued statements on social media criticizing Maher.
However, the arts center has been on a time crunch, as it is currently scheduled to close on July 7 for two years of renovations. (That is, unless the judge stops the closure). Netflix has a deal with the Kennedy Center in 2024. As part of that, the ceremony is typically taped in April, to be broadcast in May, which could also speed up the timeline. The concert is set to stream on Netflix again this year, but a release date has not yet been announced.
Maher has also expressed support for the war in Iran, previously visited Trump at the White House, and later described the president as “generous and thoughtful,” in a departure from his previous criticism.
