CAIR Gaslighting in Case of Antisemite Khalil Adem

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, New Jersey (CAIR-NJ), strongly condemns the unjust termination of Imam Khalil Adem, a respected religious leader and healthcare professional, by Hackensack Meridian Health. Imam Adem, who was wrongfully fired after exercising his First Amendment rights by expressing his views on the ongoing genocide in Palestine, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the healthcare organization.

Imam Adem, a long-time employee of Hackensack Meridian Health, was terminated after delivering a sermon that expressed his concerns about the ongoing violence and suffering in Palestine. 

Despite his positive record over a decade of service and his dedication to both his professional and religious communities, Hackensack Meridian Health placed him on administrative leave and then dismissed him after his social media posts and sermon ignited backlash from pro-Israel and anti-Muslim groups.

In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:

“The firing of Imam Khalil Adem is an outrageous attack on the fundamental rights of free speech and religious expression. Imam Adem, like all individuals in this country, has the right to speak out against injustice and to express his views on matters that deeply affect him and his community. His termination is not only an infringement on his rights but also a clear example of how certain voices, particularly from Muslim communities, are targeted and silenced for speaking truth to power. We stand in full solidarity with Imam Adem and support his lawsuit as a necessary step to protect our rights to speak freely without fear of retaliation.

CAIR-New Jersey stands firm in defending Imam Adem’s rights and in advocating for all individuals to speak freely without fear of retribution. We urge Hackensack Meridian Health to rectify this injustice and take immediate steps to ensure that no one else faces this kind of unjust treatment in the future.”

In a separate statement, Attorney Omar T. Mohammedi, Esq., said: “We will seek redress for the violation of Mr Adem’s civil rights, and we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”

Imam Khalil Adem said: “I was wronged. I was terminated, subjected to a hostile environment, and retaliated against. I was defamed, and a false criminal complaint was filed against me. I am a Muslim and a religious leader. Hackensack has a troubling pattern of treating certain voices and communities unfairly while protecting others. It is deeply painful to see that when I speak out for justice, I am punished – while others, expressing contrary views, are encouraged, or left alone.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, accuses Hackensack Meridian Health of retaliation, defamation, and creating a hostile work environment based on religious bias. Imam Adem’s legal team asserts that he was wrongfully dismissed for voicing his opinions on a highly politicized and tragic issue—the genocide in Palestine. His speech, made outside of his professional duties and within a religious and social context, was protected under the First Amendment.

CAIR-NJ firmly supports the right of individuals, particularly religious leaders, to speak out on social justice issues without facing discrimination or retaliation in the workplace.