Nihad Awad (Arabic: نهاد عوض) is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

In June 1994, IAP President Omar Ahmad and Rafiq Jabir founded the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Awad was hired as the Executive Director.

"[3][4] At the time Awad expressed support for Hamas, the group had not conducted suicide bombings and was not designated a terrorist organization by the US.

[10][11] On November 24, Awad said in a speech at the American Muslims for Palestine convention that "The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp, on October 7th.

The people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, have the right to defend themselves, and yes, Israel as an occupying power does not have that right to self-defense.”[12][13] During the same speech, he condemned violence against Jews as "a real evil".