The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the selection of Bill Maher for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor given his support for Israel.
“The Kennedy Center‘s decision to give this prestigious award to Bill Maher highlights the glaring double standards surrounding bigotry and violence that exist in our society,” CAIR, a prominent Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said in a statement.
“Mr. Maher would have never received this recognition if he were an antisemitic comedian who supported terrorism against Jewish-Americans or Israelis, but his open bigotry against Muslims and support for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza are somehow perfectly acceptable,” the statement continues.
“Until our society rejects all forms of hate and all forms of violence against innocent people as wrong, regardless of the victim, hypocrisy and inconsistency will continue to undermine the reputation of institutions like the Kennedy Center,” the organization added.
A publicist for Maher did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While CAIR did not single out specific statements Maher has made, the host has expressed a pro-Israel stance on his show and spoken out against the “evil” of Hamas.
The Kennedy Center announced Thursday that the Real Time host would receive the honor at the ceremony June 28. This came after White House had previously called a report of him receiving the award “fake news,” and after President Trump, who is chair of the Kennedy Center, had released statements on social media critical of Maher.
Still, the arts center was in a bit of a time crunch, as it is currently scheduled to close July 7 for two years of renovation work. (That is, unless a judge puts a stop to the closure). Netflix struck a deal with the Kennedy Center in 2024. As part of that, the ceremony has typically been taped in April, to stream in May, which may have also sped up the timeline. The ceremony is set to air on Netflix again this year, but a release date has not yet been announced.
Maher has also expressed support for the war in Iran, and previously visited Trump in the White House, later calling the President “gracious and measured,” in a departure from his previous critiques.
