The country’s largest Muslim civil rights organizations publicly condemned a Halloween display in Powell that caused an uproar on social media.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations spoke out on multiple issues regarding race in a statement issued Monday. One of the topics covered was a Halloween in display that showed a dummy with a scarecrow’s head dressed in overalls on its knees, with its hands cuffed behind its back and a rope around its neck.
“Americans of all faiths and backgrounds must remain vigilant and continue to challenge all manifestations of racism and hate in our society,” CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said in the statement.
According to the Powell Tribune, police were called to investigate the display last week, discovering it was a Halloween decoration.
The residents changed the head from a scarecrow’s to a giant teddy bear’s, but ultimately took it down completely after receiving backlash on social media.
A Park County resident who reported the display to police, said she did not believe the display was originally intended as a Halloween decoration.
“There (weren’t) any other Halloween decorations, pumpkins in or around the yard or house,” Jessica Ursey wrote on social media. “I refuse to believe that it was some Halloween prank. Even if it was, it was absolutely disgusting. People of color, which includes myself, don’t feel welcome and/or safe when I see something like that on someone’s yard.”
In its statement, CAIR also condemned vandalism on native land in Minnesota and praised the firing of an Indiana police recruit with alleged ties to a neo-Nazi organization.
