This afternoon, I read an ‘article’ in the Chicago Tribune. The article was essentially a puff piece on Ahmed Rehab by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah. The more accurate way of describing it would be to say that she asked softball questions and Mr. Rehab told some fanciful fibs. Here’s the best example of Mr. Rehab’s fanciful fibs:

Q. What is the source of the latest criticism/accusations being launched against CAIR at the national level?

A. Every one of the dozen or so urban legends about CAIR that are circulating out there can be traced back to a single and homogeneous source of interlinked individuals and groups with such deceptively benign names as the Investigative Project, the Middle East Forum, Jihad Watch and Americans Against Hate. These groups typically flourish in the unmoderated, chaotic world of the blogosphere; they attempt to sell themselves to political and media circles as experts on Islam and terrorism and as patriots who are looking out for American interests. A second look exposes them as career Islamophobes who are deathly afraid of Muslim-American enfranchisement and its possible effects on the Israeli lobby’s interests.

As an occasional contributor to Americans Against Hate blog, I take it personally when people say that I’m spreading urban legends. I’d further submit that Mr. Rehab’s line that a “second look exposes them as career Islamophobes who are deathly afraid of Muslim-American enfranchisement and its possible effects on the Israeli lobby’s interests” is a fanciful flight of fibbery. Speaking strictly for myself, I can unequivocally state that I’m not “deathly afraid of Muslim-American enfranchisement” nor am I worried what effect that might have on “the Israeli lobby’s interests.” Based on my conversations with a friend who also blogs at AAH, I got the distinct impression that he found Rehab’s answer to be nothing short of hilarious.

As for these ‘urban legends’, let’s examine them. Here’s an example:

Disinformation: Former CAIR employees and board members have been arrested, convicted, deported, or otherwise linked to terrorism-related charges and activities.

This is probably the most widely recycled example of McCarthy-like attempts to portray CAIR as guilty by association. Such efforts evoke memories of attempts to smear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a communist or womanizer. CAIR would like to make it absolutely clear that it is our belief that anyone who is found guilty of committing a crime, especially one in the furtherance of terrorist motives, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. CAIR would never compromise its principles, both American and Islamic, in the furtherance or assistance of any illegal criminal endeavors.

Anyone who has any knowledge of the law would know that the acts of a person done outside the scope or duration of his or her employment, and without the employer’s knowledge, have no legal bearing on the employer.

For example, when Aldrich Ames (CIA) and Robert Hanssen (FBI) admitted to being spies for foreign governments, it did not automatically associate the CIA or FBI with being complicit in any of these criminal activities. Currently we have members of US Congress serving jail time and many others under the cloud of ethical suspicion. Does such behavior by members of Congress while in office incriminate the entire US Congress? Only Islamophobes will assign guilt to Muslims by such false associations.

These smears against CAIR are disseminated by agenda-driven extremists who seek to marginalize and disenfranchise the American Muslim community and its leaders. The smears normally involve the following individuals: Ismail Royer, Dr. Bassem El-Khafagi, Rabih Haddad, and Ghassan Elashi.

Let’s not forget what Nihad Awad said:

At a 1994 meeting at Barry University, Nihad Awad stated succinctly, “I am a supporter of the Hamas movement.”

Here’s how CAIR got started:

CAIR was co-founded in 1994 by Ibrahim Hooper, Nihad Awad, and Omar Ahmad, all of whom had close ties to the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which was established by senior Hamas operative Mousa Abu Marzook and functioned as Hamas’ public relations and recruitment arm in the United States. Awad and Ahmad had previously served, respectively, as IAP’s Public Relations Director and President. Ibrahim Hooper was also an employee of IAP. Thus it can be said that CAIR was an outgrowth of IAP.

CAIR opened its first office in Washington, DC, with the help of a $5,000 donation from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), a self-described charity founded by Mousa Abu Marzook. In May 1996, CAIR coordinated a press conference to protest the decision of the U.S. government to extradite Marzook for his connection to terrorist acts performed by Hamas. CAIR characterized the extradition as “anti-Islamic” and “anti-American.”

In other words, it isn’t just that a few bad apples happened into CAIR. It goes much deeper than just association. CAIR accuses anyone of highlighting their checkered history as making “McCarthy-like attempts to portray CAIR as guilty by association.” That’s nice spin but, with all due respect, the fact is that it isn’t guilt by association. It isn’t that difficult to make a case that CAIR’s been rotten from its inception. They opened their first office with a donation from the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a ‘terrorist charity’. What’s worse is that CAIR had a fit when HLF was shut down, saying that it was “unjust” and “disturbing.”

Here’s another enlightening Q & A exchange:

Q. Is CAIR linked with Hamas and Hezbollah?
A. No, CAIR is not associated with Hamas, Hezbollah or any other foreign group. CAIR unequivocally condemns all acts of violence against civilians by any individual, group or state.

Either Mr. Rehab’s memory is faulty or he just told a whopper. After all, Ibrahim Hooper, Nihad Awad and Omar Ahmad were originally part of the IAP, which essentially was the American PR firm for Hamas.

Q. Does CAIR pursue an extremist Islamist political agenda?
A. You would have to be living under a rock to buy that. CAIR’s contribution to the democratic process of this country is hard to miss. In dozens of American cities, we have helped guide Muslim Americans toward political enfranchisement: voter registration, education and mobilization. We consistently urge our constituents to funnel political grievances to their elected representatives. Conspiracy theories will be just that, and right now, Muslims make for a convenient lightning rod.

Speaking of CAIR’s political agenda, here’s what they’ve involved themselves with:

• They’ve sought to limit the reach of the Patriot Act.
• They’ve asked John Conyers to shepherd the End Racial Profiling Act through the House. Speaker Pelosi is a “proud co-sponsor” of the bill, having first lent her support to ending racial profiling in 2004.

In other words, CAIR claims that it’s a mainstream organization that wants to gut the Patriot Act and render airport security ineffective. Only in San Francisco would those things be considered mainstream.

Here’s another noteworthy exchange:

Q. How much money has CAIR accepted from individuals or foundations associated with wealthy Arab governments such as Saudi Arabia? What has the money been used for? Why take such donations when many non-profit Islamic organizations have faced problems post-9/11 because of this?

A. All CAIR chapters, which are independent corporations, solicit contributions only from people residing in the states where they are incorporated. Neither CAIR chapters nor the national office solicits or accepts money from any foreign government.

The CAIR national office does on occasion receive donations from private citizens of foreign countries. Such donations are the exceptions, not the rule, and have to meet three conditions: They come with no strings attached, they go toward supporting existing CAIR projects…and they come from people who have standing within their societies as upright citizens engaged in legitimate professional pursuits.

Here’s what the American Islamic Forum for Democracy said in their press release opposing CAIR’s lawsuit on behalf of the ‘Flying Imams’:

A relatively small percentage of the 5-6 million American Muslims are enrolled as members of CAIR. Recent reports of considerable donations to CAIR from foreign nations like Dubai and Saudi Arabia make these types of costly, distractive actions against domestic airlines such as US Airways very concerning in its manifestation of foreign interference.

If AIFD’s information is correct, then these donations fail to meet any of CAIR’s supposed conditions. First of all, they’re donations from foreign governments. Second, this money clearly comes with strings attached, specifically to a lawsuit against an American company. Third, this lawsuit isn’t an “existing CAIR project.”

In other words, it’s difficult to find the truth in anything that Mr. Rehab said in the interview. In political America, that’s called spin. In the Middle East, it’s called al taqiyya, which means: literally means: “Concealing or disguising one’s beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies.”

In real America, it’s called lying.

Technorati Tags: CAIR, Ahmed Rehab, Nihad Awad, Ibrahim Hooper, Mousa Abu Marzook, Holy Land Foundation, Hamas, Patriot Act, End Racial Profiling Act, John Conyers, Nancy Pelosi, American Islamic Forum For Democracy, Flying Imams, Ghassan Elashi

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

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1. The anti-CAIR forces are not spreading their propoganda due to Islamophobia, as it would seem on the surface. A close look at their finances shows that they are war profiteers, using disinformation (lies) to play on and increase Americans’ fears of Muslims, and making millions of dollars doing it.

   CAIR did not file the lawsuit against the airline, the six imams filed it. CAIR is not a plaintiff, so all the propaganda about CAIR profiting from it is either from very uninformed or very “willfully incorrect” sources.

   You can find further, factual (look it up, I know it’s not a word commonly known by the anti-CAIR forces) reports at http://hatewatchhallofshame.blogspot.com

   Comment by Rev. Jim Sutter — March 29, 2007 @ 7:53 pm