This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/307

CAIR: 'Moderate Friends of Terror' celebrates "10 years of community service" in Florida

October 31, 2004

Altaf

Altaf Ali director CAIR - FL - In 2003 Ali voiced concern that Khalid Sheik Muhammed , the mastermind behind the attacks on 9/11,had been deprived of sleep during his incarceration. He also worried that Adnan Shukrijumah, designated as 'Muhammed Atta's sucessor', might not get a fair trial.(See CAIR vs The FBI ): http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2

MIM: The Council on American Islamic Relations, a Saudi funded front group for Hamas, is one of the largest and most pervasive Muslim organisations in North America. CAIR portrays themselves as the Islamic equivalent of the NAACP, but the cracks their façade, which involved the arrests of several of their employees on terrorism related charges and an ongoing Senate committee investigation, have revealed their militant Islamist agenda .

In "A Bad Day for CAIR" Evan McCormick recounts the 2003 Senate hearings scrutinizing CAIR's involvement in terrorism.

."...Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat who has been steadfast in his efforts to uncover the nexus of Hamas front groups in the U.S., was ruthless in his portrayal of CAIR as part of an international terror network. In his opening remarks, Senator Schumer stated that prominent members of CAIR—referring specifically to Nihad Awad and Omar Ahmed—have "intimate links with Hamas." Later, he remarked that "we know [CAIR] has ties to terrorism." http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=9981

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http://www.geocities.com/johnathanrgalt/emerson.html

"Pretending to be a civil rights group, CAIR is representative of the new transformation of militant Islamic groups. CAIR's origin and the affiliations of its founders. It was formed not by Muslim religious leaders throughout the country, but as an offshoot of the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP). Incorporated in Texas, the IAP has close ties to Hamas and has trumpeted its support for terrorist activities. Its publications, the Arabic al-Zaytuna and the English language Muslim World Monitor, frequently praise terrorist actions,s Nihad Awad, the founder and executive director of CAIR, was contributing editor of the Muslim World Monitor when CAIR began operations .9 IAP has issued Hamas communiques calling for the killing of Jews, produced training videos for Hamas operatives, and actually recruited for Hamas in the United States. 10 Oliver Revell, former head of FBI counter-terrorism, has called the IAP a "Hamas front."11 CAIR has used the IAP Web Site for its early Internet publications. 12 The close connection between Hamas, IAP, and CAIR reveals CAIR's true purpose."

MIM:The CAIR 10th anniversary celebration took place at the Miami Gardens Masjid . In 2001 the mosque hosted Saudi Sheik Al Sudais and an official of the Saudi Embassy in 2001, indicating their ties to Wahabism and Saudi funding..

Tasneem Khan

"...The visiting Imam Ka'aba, Sheikh Abdur Rehman As-Sudais was accorded a warm send off at the Miami International Airport by a group of local Muslim leaders at the conclusion of his five day visit to South Florida.

Among those present at the MIA to see off the honorable guest, included ICNA Amir Dr Zulfiqar Shah, Engineer Tasnimuddin of Islamic School of Miami, Dr Zahid Qureshi of School of Islamic Studies at Broward and Engineer Mohammad Irshad.

The Imam, accompanied by an official of the Royal Saudi Embassy in Washignton DC, had come to Miami last Sunday at the invitation of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) after attending its annual Convention in Ohio, besides leading Isha'a prayers at the Masjid Miami Gardens Drive and at the Broward Islamic School in Fort Lauderdale, had also addressed a large gathering of Muslims at the Hotel Inter Continental in Miami."

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http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20020712/feat10en.htm

The Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), Dr. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsin Al Turki, has held a Press Conference, in which he gave a brief on the MWL delegation's tour of the United States of America...."He also noted that the MWL would continue its dialogue with religious leaders in United States. The Secretary General of the Muslim World League (MWL), Dr. Abdullah Ibn Abdul Mohsin Al Turki, has stressed the necessity of promoting effective coordination among Islamic organisations in the United States of America. During a visit to the Headquarters of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Dr. Al Turki said: "This coordination will achieve the best results for the future of Muslims in the U.S., strengthen relations between them, and highlight the comprehensive principles of Islam." Dr. Al Turki and members of his accompanying delegation conducted a tour of different sections of the CAIR, during which its Director General, Dr. Nihad Awad, briefed them. Dr. Al Turki expressed the League's readiness to offer assistance in the promotion and coordination of Islamic works, and noted that it will establish a Commission for this purpose. The MWL Secretary General also visited the Islamic Centre in Washington, during which he toured the Centre and was briefed by the Director, Dr. Abdullah Ibn Mohammad Fowaj, on its activities. The Secretary General of the (MWL), and his accompanying delegation, visited the League's Washington-based Bureau. They were received by the Director of the Bureau, Abdullah Ibn Abdul Rahman Al Noushan, and other officials. At the venue, Dr. Al Turki met the Muslims who are propagating in the United States under the supervision of the League. Dr Al Turki delivered a speech on this occasion, in which he strongly encouraged distinguished qualifications in Islamic culture, literature and information programs, and noted that the League has patronized 1300 Muslim propagators in the world.

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For more on CAIR's Saudi connections see : CAIR's Saudi Masters http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/36

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Naseeb Khan, of the South Florida Youth and Communty Center ,reiterated CAIR's militant Islamist agenda :

"...He cautioned Muslims not to wait until they get into trouble or something strange happens, to become involved in CAIR as it is necessary for all of us to be involved so that "we can make ourselves participatory in the affairs of this country in a position of power because we need to do that".

"...They do more than that. They (CAIR), help us to recognize the power we have as citizens of this country and help us to mobilize that power and translate it into being perfected so that we may be able to establish ourselves in this country", he added."...

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MIM: One of the speakers at the CAIR anniversary event was Miami Dade Sheriff James Wright, who groveled in abject dhimmitude and assured Muslims that, "I will make sure that this mosque is inclusive of the county government" if elected to the county commission.

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Another speaker was FAU professor Bassem Al Halabi, who worked with Sami Al Arian at USF, co writing papers together with Al Arian and Hussam Jubara, who is in jail awaiting deportation for his role in setting up the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the US.

Al Halabi was treasurer of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton and helped organise a fundraiser which featured Rhafil Dhafir who is also imprisoned on terrorism related charges.

In 2003 Al Halabi was charged with illegally exporting a thermal imaging device to his native Syria. Halabi asserted that the device, which is used for military purposes , was meant for his brother in Syria to pursue his hobby of looking for coins in the sand.

4. "Bassem Alhalabi Settles Charges Concerning the Illegal Export of Thermal Imaging Camera to Syria," Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce, June 24, 2003 http://www.uga.edu/cits/documents/html/xcnews30.htm

"The U.S. Department of Commerce today imposed a one-year denial of export privileges on Bassem Alhalabi to resolve charges that Mr. Alhalabi caused the export of a thermal imaging camera to Syria without the license required under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) charged that, on March 12, 1998, Alhalabi caused the export of a thermal imaging camera to Syria in violation of the EAR. Thermal imaging cameras are controlled for export to Syria for national security, regional stability, and anti-terrorism reasons."

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http://www.cse.fau.edu/~bassem/

At the same time he was working as a research assistant to Sami Al Arian at the University of South Florida, Bassem Al Halabi was also employed at Al Halabi Industries in Damscus , Syria as an Electrical and Computer Engineer /Manager .

MIM: In 2002 Bassem Al Halabi applied for a patent for a device to transfer computer images .Named as co inventer was Khalid Hamza who was denied tenure at FAU on the grounds of work improprieties and threatened a lawsuit for "anti Muslim discrimination". Hamza was the co founder of the Islamic Center of Boca Raton and the advisor to the FAU Muslim Student Association. His lawsuit never materialized and Hamza seems to have suddenly "disappeared".

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=%2210%2F114%2C405%22&OS=%2210/114,405%22&RS=%2210/114,405%22

http://www.cse.fau.edu/~bassem/baa-cv-Patents.htm

MIM:It is worth noting that USF professor Ramadan Shallah,who had been brought to USF by Sami Al Arian, left in 1995 to take up the leadership of the Islamic Jihad in Syria after the assassination of it's leader Fathi Shikaki by the Mossad. At the beginning of the Iraq war, Shallah urged his followers to go to Iraq and become suicide bombers against the Americans.

For more on Bassem Al Halabi and the Islamic Center of Boca Raton see:

" Boca Raton City of Terror " (The director of MIM contributed to the research of this article).

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=7982

Bassem Al Halabi's homepage at FAU

http://www.eng.fau.edu/homepages/cse/alhalabi.htm

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CAIR : Moderate Friends of Terror

by Daniel Pipes

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations presents itself as just another civil-rights group. "We are similar to a Muslim NAACP," says spokesman Ibrahim Hooper. Its public language - about promoting "interest and understanding among the general public with regards to Islam and Muslims in North America" - certainly boosts an image of moderation.

That reputation has permitted CAIR to prosper since its founding in 1994, garnering sizeable donations, invitations to the White House, respectful media citations and a serious hearing by corporations.

In reality, CAIR is something quite different. For starters, it's on the wrong side in the war on terrorism. One indication came in October 1998, when the group demanded the removal of a Los Angeles billboard describing Osama bin Laden as "the sworn enemy," finding this depiction "offensive to Muslims."

The same year, CAIR denied bin Laden's responsibility for the twin East African embassy bombings. As Hooper saw it, those explosions resulted from some vague "misunderstandings of both sides." (A New York court, however, blamed bin Laden's side alone for the embassy blasts.)

In 2001, CAIR denied his culpability for the Sept. 11 massacre, saying only that "if [note the "if"] Osama bin Laden was behind it, we condemn him by name." (Only in December was CAIR finally embarrassed into acknowledging his role.)

CAIR consistently defends other militant Islamic terrorists too. The conviction of the perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing it deemed "a travesty of justice." The conviction of Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind sheikh who planned to blow up New York City landmarks, it called a "hate crime." The extradition order for suspected Hamas terrorist Mousa Abu Marook it labeled "anti-Islamic" and "anti-American."

Not surprisingly, CAIR also backs those who finance terrorism. When President Bush closed the Holy Land Foundation in December for collecting money he said was "used to support the Hamas terror organization," CAIR decried his action as "unjust" and "disturbing."

CAIR even includes at least one person associated with terrorism in its own ranks. On Feb. 2, 1995, U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White named Siraj Wahhaj as one of the "unindicted persons who may be alleged as co-conspirators" in the attempt to blow up New York City monuments. Yet CAIR deems him "one of the most respected Muslim leaders in America" and includes him on its advisory board.

For these and other reasons, the FBI's former chief of counterterrorism, Steven Pomerantz, concludes that "CAIR, its leaders and its activities effectively give aid to international terrorist groups."

Nor is terrorism the only disturbing aspect of CAIR's record. Other problems include:

Intimidating moderate Muslims. In at least two cases (Hisham Kabbani and Khalid Durán), CAIR has defamed moderate Muslims who reject its extremist agenda, leading to death threats against them.

Embracing murderers. CAIR responded to the arrest and conviction of Jamil Al-Amin (the former H. Rap Brown) by praising him, raising funds for him and then denying his guilt after his conviction for the murder of an Atlanta policeman. Likewise with Ahmad Adnan Chaudhry of San Bernardino, Calif.: Disregarding his conviction for attempting murder, CAIR declared him "innocent" and set up a defense fund for him.

Promoting anti-Semitism. The head of CAIR's Los Angeles office, Hussam Ayloush, routinely uses the term "zionazi" when referring to Israelis. CAIR co-hosted an event in May 1998 at which an Egyptian militant Islamic leader, Wagdi Ghunaym, called Jews the "descendants of the apes."

Aggressive ambitions. As reported by the San Ramon Valley Herald, CAIR Chairman Omar M. Ahmad told a crowd of California Muslims in July 1998, "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran . . . should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth."

CAIR's real record is one of extremism. North American Muslims themselves are beginning to discover - and the government, leading media, churches, and businesses should follow - that CAIR represents not the noble civilization of Islam but an aggressive and radical strain similar to that which led to the suicide hijackings last September. CAIR must be shunned as a fringe group by responsible institutions and individuals throughout North America.

For more information on CAIR, see: http://www.danielpipes.org/article/

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http://www.cair-florida.org/ViewArticle.asp?Code=CM&ArticleID=262

CAIR CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF SERVICE
7/9/2004
By Hazrat Ali
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) was lauded for its efforts to protect Muslims throughout the country from acts of discrimination and harassment and Muslims were called upon to give their full support to the organization. Praises for the work of the Organization came at a 10th anniversary celebration at the Miami Gardens Masjid attended by about 300 brothers, sisters and children.
Brother Naseeb Khan of the South Florida Youth and Community Center noted that CAIR was a unique organization which has helped thousands of Muslims in terms of discrimination, harassment and with grievances and championed the cause of Muslim civil rights in this country.
"They do more than that. They help us to recognize the power we have as citizens of this country and help us to mobilize that power and translate it into being perfected so that we may be able to establish ourselves in this country", he added. Mr. Khan noted that CAIR has encouraged Muslims to participate in this country and try to get involved in the highest level of political, social and civil leadership, "and so we need to take some time to learn about this organization and I say to you that if you are not yet a member of CAIR, then you are not an aware and astute Muslim and you still need to know what is happening. Each one of us must be a member of CAIR and become involved in its work".
He cautioned Muslims not to wait until they get into trouble or something strange happens, to become involved in CAIR as it is necessary for all of us to be involved so that "we can make ourselves participatory in the affairs of this country in a position of power because we need to do that".
Maulana Gamal Mohamed who spoke on behalf of the Nur Ul Islam Masjid expressed sincere congratulations to CAIR on its tenth anniversary and "acknowledged and realizes the great contribution which the organization has made to this society". "We are encouraging Muslims to support CAIR because we think that they are justifiable and well qualified to do the dynamic service to Muslims which they are doing over the years", he added.
Maulana Gamal observed that the day chosen by CAIR to celebrate its anniversary was appropriate in that it also marked America's Independence anniversary, freedom and independence and upholding of human rights and civil liberties which are the same qualified which CAIR is working to establish for Muslims in this country.
Another speaker, Brother Yusuf Ishmail of the Islamic School of South Florida said Muslims need to support CAIR because in so doing we are supporting ourselves. There is need for us to be united as we live in this country, our children are born here and we have to fight for our rights, which would not be granted to us, but rather we have to earn it."
Lieutenant James B. Wright of the Miami Dade Police Department delivered a short address in which he gave the assurance that he was always available to anyone in the community who may have a grievance. "I will make sure that this Mosque is inclusive of country government" should I be elected to the County Commission District 1 come August 31 when elections will be held.
He assured the gathering that there will be open accessibility to him as he will operate and hold the office of commissioner with integrity and determination and will reach out to other sections of the community.
Other speakers including Imam Foud Farahi of Masjid Shamsuddin, Bassem Al-Halabi of Islamic Society of Boca Raton, Yusuf Ishmail of Islamic Center of South Florida and Mohammed Baig also lauded the efforts of CAIR and called for full support of the organization
CAIR-Florida Director Altaf Ali thanked the speakers and other participants and the Board of executives of Miami Gardens Masjid for providing their facilities for the function.

Attendees were provided with Bar B Q chicken and sodas while the children took delight in shaved ice with syrup, fun with the clown and bounce house, and the older youths played basketball. Even some grown ups took part in the offer. SEE RELATED STORY: Voters Recruited At Muslim Celebration, (Tampa Anniv. Picnic in Tampa Tribune)
MUSLIM GROUP TO HOST COMMUNITY PICNIC ON 4TH OF JULY (Press Release) VIEW PHOTOS: Tampa 10 Year Anniv. Picnic Photos South Florida 10 Year Anniv. Picnic Photos

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Ahmed Bedier- CAIR Florida spokesman in Mecca

Abdullah Al- Turki of Saudi Arabia stated : We have establish joint institutions to carry out Islamic activities".

"Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, Secretary-General of the MWL called for cooperation between Muslim governments and Islamic organizations to confront ongoing anti-Islamic campaigns by parts of the Western media. "We have to establish joint institutions to carry out Islamic activities," he added.

On the other hand a prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group expressed concern that that the US ' Friday's announcement of a rise in the national terror alert from yellow to orange seemed to link the Muslim religious observance of Hajj to terrorism.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said Hajj, or pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, is a once-in-a-lifetime journey of spiritual purification, repentance and renewal, not an excuse for killing innocent people. http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20030221/feat7en.htm

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FBI Plans To Interview Florida Muslims Ahead Of Election

http://web1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/C56119/

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Arab-Americans and Muslims in Florida are questioning the FBI's latest plan to interview people nationwide to uncover possible terrorist plots that could disrupt the presidential election next month.

For the past week, FBI officials have held meetings across Florida with Islamic community leaders to explain a July directive from FBI Director Robert Mueller to seek new information about suspicious activity ahead of the Nov. 2 election.

Although Arab-American community leaders said they understand the need for vigilance, they raised questions about the plan.

"Our community is already afraid and jittery, because there has already been several rounds of detainees and interviews since 9-11," said Ahmed Bedier, a Florida spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"Arab-Americans will do everything in their capacity to ensure the security of this country," said Taleb Salhab, president of the Arab-American Community Center of Central Florida. "However, we will not tolerate the violation of our community's constitutional rights."

Salhab was one of eight leaders who met Monday with Carl Whitehead, head of the Tampa FBI division, and four other high-ranking FBI and state agents.

FBI officials said the questioning was not in response to any specific threat and wouldn't focus on only Muslims or Arab-Americans. For example, federal agents plan to question people who may store chemicals or explosive materials or operate rental businesses, said Sara Oates, an FBI spokeswoman in Tampa.

"We have done this before, and we're going to have to do this as many times before in order to prevent a terrorist attack," Oates said.

"The intent is not to influence the elections. It's to keep the nation under the democratic process," Oates said. "Our interest is to make sure that we don't have an incident because of not getting some information and not being able to prevent an attack." (AP)

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MIM: On October 26th 'moderate friends of terror' Altaf Ali, director of CAIR,and Maulana Shafayat Mohammmed, Ameer of the Dar Ul Uloom islamic Institute in Florida, joined C.B. Hanif, editor of the Palm Beach Post. This is another example of how CAIR and Dar Ul Uloom to exploit gullible citizens groupsand and manipulate the media to legitimise their facades as moderates.

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/091102reflections/civil_liberties/

MIM: Note that this picture was taken by CAIR executive director Altaf Ali

Mohammad Shafayat
Mohammad Shafayat stands in front of the Darul Uloom Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Photo: Altaf Ali

Maulana's Mohammed's Dar Ul Uloom Institute was home two dirty bomber wannabees Jose Padilla, Adnan Shukrijumah, and Imran Mandhai and Moessa Shueyb Jokhan who were jailed in a jihad plot . Mohammed is also touts his connection to Ahmed Deedat, the head of the International Center for the Propagation of Islam. Deedat has met Osama Bin Laden several times and the ICPI is housed in a building named the Bin Laden Center. Maulana was also close to the now deceased father of dirty bomber fugitive Adnan Shukrijumah. The mosque next to Shukirijumah's home also houses Mohammed's Caribbean American organisation. For more on Maulana Shafayat Mohammed see : "President of Hollywood Interfaith Council embraces Bin Laden buddies -Dar Ul Uloom welcomes South Florida terrorists "

http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/126

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Palm Beach Post editor and ombudsman C.B. Hanif

Palm Beach Post editor Hanif 's Islamist bias is apparent in his participation in a panel together with CAIR's Alta Ali and Maulana Shafayat Mohammed and his affiliations explain why the paper has become a propaganda organ for Muslims.

Hanif's own criticism of the media and citation of a quote "that there are two sides to this issue is Goebbels- like in it's dishonesty." could be referring to the MO of his own publication's coverage of Islamic issues.

http://www.thatliberalmedia.com/archives/002624.html

Palm Beach Post ombudsman C.B. Hanif dismisses allegations made by the 250 plus members of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about John Kerry, and chastises the media for lending them any credence. He approvingly quotes a reader who states, "‘John Kerry's war record is the truth; the attack on it is a lie.' The suggestion ‘that there are two sides to this story is Goebbels-like in its dishonesty."

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MIM: The irony of the participation of Altaf Ali and Maulana Shafayat Mohammed in a meeting of the AAAT is further heighted by the fact that the Muslims are coming to explain how the post 9/11 situation is "affecting their community' and the general community as well.

http://www.bocaratonnews.com/index.php?src=news&category=Politics%20Gossip&prid=9897

The Association of Americans Against Terrorism (AAAT) was organized in response to the 9/11 attack against the United States. Its purpose is to educate the public on Islamic fundamentalist terrorists activities and about how Homeland Security is functioning in America. At the meeting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26 in the auditorium of the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department, 13026 Jog Road in Delray Beach, three members of South Florida's Muslim community will address how they see the current situation affecting their community and the general community as well. The panel will include C.B. Hanif, an editorial writer, columnist and the ombudsman for the Palm Beach Post; Altaf Ali, the local representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Maulana Shafayat Mohamed, an Islamic scholar and president of the Interfaith Council of Greater Hollywood

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MIM:PB Post ombudsman Hanif' own writing belie any claims he might have of tolerance towards anyone who is non Muslim or a Democrat.

Here is an account of how Hanif and the PBPost were personally involved in intimidating an office employee who had a greeting card with a cross displayed with her personal possessions.

"The Palm Beach Post, which exposed the Injustice of the Greeting Card Cross, has come back with a follow-up piece explaining the story behind the story. An editor admits that the story was overblown and should not have appeared in the paper in the first place, but Ombudsman C.B. Hanif is unrepentant.

Even after hearing how the reporter bullied the receptionist among whose personal items the cross was found and made her cry, Hanif says the article "conveyed legitimate public-interest issues." It's a case of private ideas in public spaces, he says.

We should all sleep easier knowing that the public interest is being served by crusading journalists like Messrs. Hanif and S.V. Date, the paper's Tallahassee bureau chief." ..http://www.tonguetied.us/archives/week_2004_08_01.php

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Hanif's crude hatred of Jews, Christians, and neocons is evident in his article "Bush blesses Sharon's apartheid"

Bush blesses Sharon's apartheid
By C.B. Hanif, Palm Beach Post Editorial Writer
Neo-colonialism policy for the West Bank.

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IslamicNewsUpdates/message/4078

Contrast the Christian, Jew, and Israel bashing with Hanif's glowing report of his trip to the Hajj in "An American in Mecca"
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Election 2004 - Islamic Vote

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/10070992.htm

More than two weeks into the holy month of Ramadan and four days until Election Day, Muslim leaders in South Florida are delivering a message to their congregants: Get to the polls.

"Silence is a form of acceptance," Altaf Ali, director of South Florida's chapter of the Council for American Islamic Relations, told some 700 Muslims gathered for Friday prayers at the Darul Uloom Institute in Pembroke Pines. "You have to do this."

As people filed out of the mosque, Ali stopped them at the door: "Salam alaikum," he said, offering the traditional greeting. "Come to the polls with us. We're going now."


Scaling new heights of political activism, American Muslim leaders have mobilized their communities this election season. They are sponsoring voter registration drives, organizing car pools to the polls and running phone banks to increase voter turnout. During Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer that began in mid-October, local Muslim leaders are reminding their congregants that voting is a civic responsibility.

Voter turnout is likely to be bolstered by the American Muslim Task Force's recent endorsement of Sen. John Kerry. The group, an umbrella organization that represents 10 American Islamic organizations, issued a qualified endorsement of Kerry last week. Four years ago, the group endorsed President Bush.

"It's a collective vote for a common end, the aim being the restoration of civil liberties," said Agha Saeed, the task force's leader.

Not everyone agrees with the endorsement, however.

"Bush, he shares our values," said Ahmed Kabani, president of Florida's Pakistani American Chamber of Commerce.

"We are pro-life. We think marriage is between a man and a woman. These are Koranic values."

Other Muslim leaders have disputed the strategy behind the endorsement, saying a bloc vote for Kerry might increase Muslims' political clout in the short term but diminish Muslims' influence in the long run.

"We cannot remain a one-issue community that swings from party to party," said Muqtedar Khan, an assistant professor of political science at Adrian College in Adrian, Mich.

Others say the endorsement is needed to increase American Muslims' political clout.

Estimates for the number of American Muslims vary widely, from three million to seven million. About 150,000 live in South Florida.

Mukit Hossain, president of the Virginia-based Muslim American Political Action Committee, said his organization estimates that about 2 1/2 million Muslims are registered to vote. Many are concentrated in swing states.

"There are enough Muslim votes in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio to swing the election," he said.

Some activists say they worry that a second Bush term will mean an erosion of civil liberties for Muslims.

"If the Bush team comes back, we're going to see Patriot Act Two," said Mohammad Shakir, executive director of Miami-Dade's Asian-American Advisory Board. "We are citizens. We have every single right, the same as everyone else."

Other Muslims say Kerry's record on civil liberties is no better.

"John Kerry wrote parts of the Patriot Act; he fought for it on the Senate floor," said Muhammad Ali Hasan, the Colorado founder of the website Muslims for Bush. "President Bush has practiced a very responsible management over the Patriot Act."

Maulana Mohammed, an Islamic scholar at the Darul Uloom Institute in Pembroke Pines, says neither candidate's platform conforms to Muslim values.

"Muslims should abstain from this vote," he said. "We're just showing Bush a message that we don't like him. We don't have evidence from Kerry to vote for him."

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Flordia residents share a meal at an interfaith Ramadan Iftar; the banquet, held in cooperation with the Islamic Community of Hernando County, was part of CAIR's nationwide 'Sharing Ramadan' program.

Flordia residents share a meal at
an interfaith Ramadan Iftar; the
banquet, held in cooperation with
the Islamic Community of Hernando
County, was part of CAIR's nationwide
'Sharing Ramadan' program

MIM:Imam Rafiq Mahdi and CAIR exploit the homeless shelter to preach Islam to the unconverted and assure them the the hands that feed them are "not there to blow them up" . The newspaper version of the article was captioned "Imam Mahdi talks about Islam to the needy people at the Jubilee Ministries Center ..."

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/10118979.htm
RAMADAN IN SOUTH FLORIDA
Muslims display their generosity


South Florida Muslims are reaching out to help those in need during their faith's most holy month -- Ramadan.
BY DARRAN SIMON
[email protected]

Donald Kostka does back-straining work at warehouses and on construction sites for $5 or $6 an hour. But at the end of the day, he can barely afford to eat.

His meals come from outreach centers that feed the hungry and the poor.

On Saturday, he got a helping hand from local Muslims. They provided a seafood sandwich, butter cookies, homemade macaroni salad, chips and soda -- among other items -- for him and about 60 other hungry people at the Jubilee Center of South Broward in Hollywood.

The soup kitchen is normally closed on Saturdays, but opened at the request of the Florida office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"It helps me understand that, at least in the community, there are people who care about people that are less fortunate than themselves," said Kostka, 51, who stays with friends in Hollywood.

In South Florida and around the world, local Muslims have been reaching out to those less fortunate than themselves during the holy month of Ramadan.

The annual celebration of spiritual and physical cleansing commemorates the month that the prophet Muhammad is said to have received the word of Allah, or God.

For 30 days starting on Oct. 15, followers of Islam have been fasting and avoiding bodily pleasures from dawn until dusk.

Fasting helps Muslims think about those less fortunate and feel the pain and hunger of the impoverished, said Rafiq Mahdi, imam of Masjid Al-Iman in Fort Lauderdale.

"It represents our effort in Ramadan to share what Allah has given us and recognize there are those who are less fortunate than us," Mahdi said.

The Jubilee Center in Hollywood was not the only place where Muslims displayed their generosity.

Masjid Al-Ansar, a mosque in Miami, normally feeds 200 to 300 homeless people a week in Overtown. During Ramadan, it feeds about 100 more people a week than normal.

The mosque, which also helps with employment, mortgages and school tuition, intensifies those efforts during Ramadan also, said Imam Nasir Ahmad.

The Columbus, Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations also fed 400 people Saturday, said Altaf Ali, executive director of the council's Florida office.

And in downtown Los Angeles, Muslims, Christians and Jews will help the Coalition to Preserve Human Dignity today to feed the homeless at the annual Humanitarian Day Health Fair for the Homeless.

Saturday's feeding session in Hollywood was not only a chance for Muslims to display their altruism. It was also an opportunity to diffuse anti-Islamic sentiment that grew following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"The vast majority of Americans don't understand that charity is an integral part of our life," Ali said.

Mahdi told those at the Jubilee Center to stand up when they hear "blanket condemnation" of Muslims, and to tell people that Muslims helped to feed them.

"We want you to know that Muslims are not your enemy. Muslims are not out to hurt you," he said. "Muslims are not out to blow you up."


------------------------------------------

MIM: Avram Hein traces the origins and connections of CAIR and other terrorist and Muslim groups in the United States.

A Long Time Threat

by Avram Hein

Much of the world saw the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 as a new threat to America whose perpetrators were a small group of terrorists known as al-Qaeda. They were unaware of the tremendous network and support that the terrorists received from the American Muslim community for many years. They were not aware of the role militant Islamic theology plays in mainstream Muslim groups and, as President Bush referred to Islam as "a religion of peace," the justifications for 9/11 and cover-ups made by mainstream Muslim groups were all but ignored. In fact, even today many people are still not aware of the dangers of the ideology of "Islamism."

Like fascism or communism, Islamism is a dangerous ideology (distinct from the religion of Islam but based on some of Islam's teachings and practiced only by Muslims) devoted to the upheaval of society and the overthrow of the current order. Adherents of Islamism look towards a world run by Islamic religious law, Sharia.[i][i]

While the Islamic religion and Islamism are fundamentally different, there is significant concern about the growing control of Islamist leaders over mainstream Islamic institutions. The head of the moderate Sufi Islamic Supreme Council Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani noted at a 1999 State Department Open Forum that the extremist Islamists " took over the mosques." He notes that "they took over more than 80% of the mosques that have been established in the US. And there are more than 3,000 mosques in the US."[ii][ii] Because of his statements, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani has been harassed by Muslim organizations that purport to be mainstream organizations. The Shaykh has been harassed by groups including the American Muslim Political Coordination Council (AMPCC), American Muslim Alliance (AMA), the American Muslim Council (AMC), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, and the Muslim Student Associations of USA & Canada (MSA).[iii][iii] It must be emphasized that the religion of Islam is not the same as the terrorist ideology of Islamism. According to Dr. Daniel Pipes, "Islam is the religion of the Qur'an and the Sunna; Islamism is the political path of Hasan al-Banna, Abu'l-A`la al-Mawdudi, and Ayatollah Khomeini."[iv][iv]

While making clear that Islamism is not Islam, there are a significant number of overlaps. These threats are due to the radicalization of the Islamic political leadership – a worldwide phenomenon. According to Matthew Epstein, a lawyer and assistant director of the Investigative Project, the largest non-governmental organization devoted to researching the militant Islamic threat, the Islamic political leadership in the United States have parallels with the radicalization of the Islamic leadership worldwide, including "a ... conspiratorial belief that Western nations, led by the United States, aim to destroy Islamic culture" and "an acceptance that violence in the name of Islam is justified in the face of western aggression against the ummah (Islamic community)." Epstein points out that the institutional Muslim leadership in the U.S. has become anti-Western and anti-American. Numerous mainstream American Muslim organizations have portrayed U.S. counterterrorism policy as anti-Muslim in an attempt to weaken the legitimate and constitutional search for domestic terrorists.[v][v]

In understanding domestic terrorism, one has to understand that it is defined not just by terrorist attacks which occur on American soil or even on American targets, but must include terrorist financing and backing of terrorists and terrorism which occurs overseas. When understanding Islamism, it is important to remember that the goal to make America a Muslim country, run by Sharia law, does not have to be obtained through force. In 1996, the then-head of the American Muslim Council (AMC) Abdulrahman Alamoudi, spoke about this at a Chicago, Illinois conference of the Islamic Association for Palestine. He said:

It depends on me and you, either we do it now or we do it after a hundred years, but this country will become a Muslim country. And I [think] if we are outside this country, we can say oh, Allah destroy America but once we are here, our mission in this country is to change it. And (the prophet) told us that there are three ways of changing things, either by your hand or your mouth or within yourself, and we can change it by our hand and by our mouth, but positively. There is no way for Muslims to be violent in America, no way. We have other means to do it. You can be violent anywhere else but in America.[vi][vi]

When advocating violence overseas and advocating the Islamification of America, Alamoudi is expressing a view common among Islamists, yet he is a mainstream leader of the American Muslim community. His organization, the American Muslim Council, was addressed by FBI director Robert Mueller at its 2002 conference in Alexandria, Virginia. Mueller's spokesperson called the AMC "the most mainstream Muslim group in the United States."[vii][vii] While these organizations are mainstream Muslim groups, according to Matthew Epstein, "they draw support from far fewer American Muslims than they claim fall under their leadership." Given their funding from Saudi Arabia and other wealthy benefactors, however, militant Islamists garner a disproportionate amount of power and attention.[viii][viii] According to a CIA report, of the more than 50 Islamic non-governmental organizations that existed in 1996, "available information indicates that approximately one-third of these Islamic NGOs support terrorist groups or employ individuals who are suspected of having terrorist connections."[ix][ix] In analyzing militant Islam one has to understand both that while approximately 16 out of 50 organizations with terror ties is significant, the majority of Islamic NGOs were not suspected of terrorist connections in 1996.

Terrorist activity is perpetrated in America through a variety of techniques. Terror groups recruit American passport holders as it is easier for them to travel undetected in North America and abroad. There are numerous corporations and charitable organizations existing in the United States which fund, assist, and justify terrorism against American targets.[x][x] Two of the most prominent are connected to Hamas: Internet Service Provider InfoCom corporation (which hosts and has hosted the websites of several terrorist organizations including the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development) and CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, purportedly a civil rights organization for American Muslims.[xi][xi] Osama bin Laden and his affiliates have created "front" organizations under false cover to raise funds for his al-Qaeda network. The most prominent had offices in London, Kansas City, and Denver. The Islamic Jihad terrorist network set up its headquarters under the false cover of an academic institute connected to the University of South Florida. Numerous relief agencies and charitable organizations located in the United States funnel money to terrorist groups overseas, some of which attack American citizens and American targets.

Internet service provider, InfoCom Corporation, based out of Richardson, Texas is known to have ties to the Hamas terror organization.[1][1] Seven days prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, the FBI raided Infocom's offices. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) froze two of InfoCom's bank accounts due to a 1993 investment and cover totaling $250,000 from Nadia Elashi Marzook, the wife of Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook and from Abu Marzook.[xii][i] According to the affidavit:

In or around July 1992, the defendant Mousa Abu Marzook sent, or caused to be sent, $150,000 to the defendants Bayan Elashi, Ghassan Elashi, Basman Elashi, and Infocom, which was recorded on the books and records of ... Infocom as a credit to the pre-existing investment account of ... Mousa Abu Marzook.

It is then alleged that Nadia Marzook gave another $100,000 to the Elashi brothers and Infocom, but Infocom records were altered to make it look like the investment from her husband, a high ranking Hamas official, really came from her, thus obscuring the terrorist financing of Infocom Corporation. Mousa Abu Marzook is named by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as a terrorist and a threat to US national security.[xiii][i]

InfoCom's export privileges were revoked shortly after the September 5, 2001 search due to suspicions relating to shipments made to Libya and Iran. In addition, the United States government seized the assets of one of its clients – the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. The Holy Land Foundation is another charity affiliated with Hamas whose funds go to support and reward terrorism. Infocom Corporation clients have included several other organizations, such as the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which is known to be affiliated with Hamas.[xiv][ii]

The founder of InfoCom, Ghassan Elashi, was also a co-founder and board chairman of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, shut down by President Bush due to its terror ties. Two weeks after the Holy Land Foundation was shut down, Elashi and other founded the Muslim Legal Fund of America. The address of the resident agent of the Muslim Legal Fund is the home of a board member of HLF. Its board of directors includes a former board chairman of CAIR, a current CAIR board member, a former president of the Dallas chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America, the president of a Texas Islamic association and the owner of a website business. The Muslim Legal Fund hosted a fundraiser for the Elashi brothers' legal expenses. The fund brochure was designed by Minaret Management Group. That Group is listed by the State of Texas as operating from the home of Shukri Abu Baker, a former president of the Holy Land Foundation.[xv][iii]

Ghassan Dahduli, a former employee of InfoCom, was taken into custody on September 22, 2001. He refused to answer questions from the US government and has been implicated as an associate of one of the men convicted for their role in the attack on the US embassies in Africa.[xvi][iv]

According to federal court affidavits, a corporation in the DC-area, Sana Bell, Inc. was formed to provide funds to the International Relief Organization (IRO), the U.S. arm of the Islamic International Relief Organization (IIRO), shown below to be connected to Saudi financing of terrorism. Sana Bell, also known as the "SAAR" network, was involved in funding of numerous terrorist groups both overseas and domestically. "SAAR" is named after Suleiman Abdel Aziz al-Raghi, the Saudi financier of the Northern Virginia network. He been accused of being one of the original financiers of al-Qaeda. According to the government, SAAR was the primary financial supporter of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad operations in Florida (described below) through their IIRO and Sana Bell affiliates. The network is also suspected of laundering funds to organizations including al-Qaeda and Hamas. [xvii][v]

For several years, South Florida had been the American headquarters of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Run out of a think-tank affiliated with the University of South Florida, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is responsible for numerous deaths. Upon arriving at the University of South Florida in 1986, Sami al-Arian, a Palestinian professor of engineering incorporated the Islamic Concern Project, soon renamed the Islamic Committee for Palestine (ICP). He was also the chairman of the World Islamic Studies Enterprise (WISE), which, on March 11, 1992, entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of South Florida. At various times, the ICP and WISE shared a post office box, office space, and leadership.

However, it is important to note that the ICP was not formally affiliated with the University of South Florida, whereas WISE was affiliated, although both were operated by al-Arian while he was a professor at USF. In its newspaper Inquiry, the ICP often carried articles about the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including interviews with PIJ leaders. A board member of ICP is the brother of the late PIJ secretary-general Fathi Shikaki. Every edition of the Arabic-language magazine, Al Mujahid, published by ICP included the Palestinian Islamic Jihad logo and the words "Publication Produced by the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine-Lebanon." The Islamic Committee for Palestine organized annual conventions throughout the United States. Through these conferences, the ICP brought militant Islamic terrorist leaders into the US, including Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman and representatives from Hizbollah, the Sudanese National Islamic Front, the Tunisian An-Nadha, Hamas, and Tawheed. ICP also raised funds for Islamic Jihad and other terror groups. They also overtly called for terrorist attacks against Israeli, Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian, and American targets. ICP overtly solicited funds for families of terrorists, aided known terrorists, and overtly called for terror.

In 1995, Michael Fechter of the Tampa Tribune wrote an prominent series publicizing WISE and ICP's connections to terror. After a scourge of protest, two weeks later, the University of South Florida suspended its cooperation with WISE.[xviii][vi] Yet, less than five months later, after the assassination of Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Dr. Fathi Shikaki, the new leader of Islamic Jihad was none other than Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, a former professor at the University of South Florida who was also a board member of WISE. In fact, several individuals who were associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad later came to be associated with WISE and the University of South Florida.[xix][vii] In 1995, the FBI investigated ICP, WISE, and its members.

In November 1995, two Florida bank accounts belonging to Ramadan Abdullah Shallah were frozen by Presidential order and shortly after the home and office of al-Arian were raided by federal agents. In an affidavit, FBI Special Agent Barry Carmody testified that, "located and seized at the residence of Sami al-Arian on November 20, 1995, was a letter written by Sami al-Arian in which al-Arian is soliciting funds for the Islamic movement in Palestine. . . . This letter also appeals for support for the [Palestinian Islamic] Jihad. . . . [T]he Jihad has been declared an international terrorist organization by the Department of State." When the full letter was declassified in October 2000, it appears that al-Arian was soliciting funds for suicide bombings in Israel. In the late 1990s, numerous evidence existed to show WISE's connection to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as evidence that a WISE board member, Tarik Hamdi, had delivered a satellite phone and battery pack to Osama bin Laden.[xx][viii] In 2002, Dateline NBC explored al-Arian's connections to terrorism and the USF filed a lawsuit against al-Arian seeking to dismiss him. The USF had tried several times to terminate him, but he was kept on in the name of "academic freedom" despite proven ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.[xxi][ix] Al-Arian is currently in jail, awaiting trial.[xxii][x]

One mainstream Muslim-American organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), bills itself as "dedicated to presenting an Islamic perspective on issues of importance to the American public."[xxiii][xi] Despite a seemingly innocuous goal, and many supporters who are unaware of CAIR's more sinister roots, CAIR and its leadership promote militant Islam in the United States, in accordance with its roots in Hamas. CAIR disguises its support for terrorism and terrorist organizations as legitimate defense of civil rights. Its 2002 Civil Rights Report defends the actions of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, Benevolence Foundation, and other individuals and organizations in which clear evidence has been revealed regarding terror connections.[xxiv][xii] The roots of CAIR can be found in the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoot, Hamas. CAIR was founded in 1994 by two officials from the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), a U.S.-based support organization for Hamas. CAIR founder and Executive Director Nihad Awad explained that:

After the Gulf War was over, I was offered a job with the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) as their public relations director. ... In this effort I worked closely with IAP president Omar Ahmed. ... Omar suggested we leave the IAP. . .. ...In June 1994, we used a modest donation as a starting budget to open the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington, DC.[xxv][xiii]

The IAP was founded by the head of the Hamas Political Wing, Mousa Abu Marzook in 1981 IAP has published Hamas communiques, recruitment videos, and hosted conferences raising support for Hamas. At an IAP conference shortly after the 1991 Gulf War, a speaker said that America and the marines were trying "to penetrate the flesh of our girls. And our honor, and our values, in order to turn our society in a perverse nation."[xxvi][xiv] That speaker was standing in front of a banner with "Hamas" spelled out in Arabic using images of human skulls, under the words "Islamic Association for Palestine."[xxvii][xv] In an August 2002 court order regarding freezing terrorist assets in the U.S., a federal judge found that "the Islamic Association for Palestine has acted in support of Hamas."[xxviii][xvi] In 1994, CAIR received a $5,000 initial disbursement from the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.[xxix][xvii] According to the Treasury Department, the "U.S.-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development provides millions of dollars each year that is used for HAMAS."[xxx][xviii] CAIR has repeatedly engaged in fundraising activities for the Holy Land Foundation and, in fact, share common board members in Ghassan Elashi.

CAIR's leadership is a supporter of the terrorist organizations that fund it. In a 1994 speech at Barry University, the current executive director of CAIR, Nihad Awad announced that "I am in support of the Hamas movement."[xxxi][xix] That same year he announced his support for Hizbollah. FBI wiretaps have shown several CAIR board members, including Ghassan Elashi, founding board member of the Texas CAIR chapter and the head of the InfoCom Corporation, announcing support for Hamas.[xxxii][xx] In 1993 in Philadelphia, future CAIR leadership was present at a meeting that was described by the FBI as "a meeting in the United States among senior leaders of HAMAS, HLFRD, and IAP." According to the FBI, the meeting was attended by future CAIR board member Omar Yahya Ahmed and Ghassan Elashi, brother-in-law of Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook. According to FBI notes, "the overal goal of the meeting was ... to continue and improve their [HAMAS] fund-raising and political activities in the United States." The note continues,

It was mentioned that the United States provided them with a secure, legal base from which to operate. The democratic environment in the United States allowed them to perform activities that are extremely important to their cause. In discussing financial matters the participants stated a belief that continuation of the Holy War was inevitable. [emphasis added]

It was decided that most or almost all of the funds collected in the future should be directed to enhance the Islamic Resistance Movement and to weaken the self-rule government. Holy War efforts should be supported by increased spending on the injured, the prisoners and their families, and the martyrs and their families.[xxxiii][xxi]

According to Khalid Durán, a moderate Muslim activist and academic, "CAIR is the principle front organization of a coalition of Islamist (or fundamentalist Muslim) groups that have taken root in America over the past two decades." He says that "CAIR's mission has differed from the others: its special assignment is the insinuation of the Islamist agenda into the mainstream American politics. Like the many front organizations established by the Soviet Union in its heyday, CAIR works to give a ‘white bread' image to advocates of illiberal and even radical ideas

Despite that "white bread" image, less than a month after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, officials of CAIR-New York openly denied that any Muslim individuals had a role in the attacks which were perpetrated by Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and several other Saudi nationals.[xxxiv][i] CAIR has a history of defending Islamic terrorists and terror organizations, defending several groups – including the Holy Land Foundation, Benevolence International Foundation – who have been shut down by the U.S. government for engaging in terrorist financing. CAIR has also hosted or co-sponsored rallies that support terrorism. In May 1998, CAIR co-sponsored a rally at Brooklyn College in which one of the speakers said that "he who equips a warrior of Jihad is like the one who makes Jihad himself." In October 2000, CAIR co-sponsored a rally in Washington, DC in which Abdurahman Alamoudi, the executive director of the American Muslim Council, declared "Hear that, Bill Clinton, we are all supporters of Hamas – Allahu Akbar. I wish they added that I am also a supporter of Hizbollah."[xxxv][ii]

In the past year, at least three former board members or employees of CAIR have been incited on terrorism, money-laundering, or fraud charges. As mentioned above, Ghassan Elashi, a founding board member of CAIR's Texas chapter, was indicted on charges of transacting with terrorist entities. In June 2003, CAIR Communications Specialist, Randall Todd Royer (aka Ismail Royer) was indicted on charges of being part of a conspiracy to support violent jihad overseas. According to the indictment, Royers traveled overseas to train at terrorist training camps. According to Matthew Epstein, while he was working for CAIR, he purchased an AK-47 assault rifle, 219 rounds of ammunition, distributed newsletters for a group designated as a terrorist organization, and fired at Indian troops.[xxxvi][iii] He faces federal charges that he "conspired to provide material support to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization and to his Taliban protectors in Afghanistan."[xxxvii][iv] In January 2003, CAIR's Director of Community Relations, Bassam Khafagi was indicted on bank fraud charges. He was also a founding member and President of the Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA). While he was in a leadership position, IANA hosted an al-Qaeda recruiter at IANA's conferences from 1993-1995.[xxxviii][v]

CAIR receives significant funding from the government of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Gazette and Saudi Muslim World League have reported on significant funding received by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, a radical Muslim organization which is an arm of the Saudi government, for CAIR.[xxxix][vi] In 2002, CAIR received $500,000 from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal according to Arab News. In August 1999, a Saudi Government press release announced that the Islamic Development Bank (founded in October 1975 and inspired by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, and of which Saudi Arabia was the top contributor in founding capital) approved "$250,000 as a contribution to the purchase of land in Washington DC to be the headquarters for an education and research center under the aegis of the Council for American Islamic Relations." CAIR also received at least $12,000 from the U.S. offices of the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO). The IIRO was financed with Saudi money out of Saudi Arabia. The IIRO has been the subject of several federal investigations regarding support to a variety of terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda and Hamas. According to Senior Special Agent David Kane of the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement "the terrorists who have attacked or tried to attack the United States around the world have been associated with MWL [Muslim World League]/IIRO."[xl][vii]

According to the Center for Security Policy, "CAIR uses the civil rights issue as a cloak to protect itself and its allies from allegations that they support terrorism, and consistently has denounced federal counterterrorism efforts as being racist and bigoted."[xli][viii]

Mainstream American Muslim organizations have refused to condemn terrorist organizations and terrorist attacks by Hamas, Hizbullah, and others as such. In November of 1994, less than a month after Hamas took responsibility for a bus bombing which murdered 23 men, women, and children, Nihad Awad, the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations was on CBS's 60 Minutes.

Mike Wallace: What do you think of the military undertakings of Hamas?
Nihad Awad: Well, I think that's – that's for the people there to judge.
Wallace: I'm asking you.
Awad: The – the United Nations Charter grants people who are under occupation to defend themselves against illegal occupation.[xlii][ix]

The same support of terrorist organizations is found with those affiliated with the American Arab-Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). In June 2000, the communications director, Hussein Ibish, was a guest on CNBC. He was asked his view of Hamas and Hizbollah, an organization responsible for the death of 241 American Marines. Both organizations are listed by the State Department as terrorist entities:

Rivera: How do you stand about Hizbollah and Hamas? Do you condemn them?

Ibish: I–it's not up to me to condemn people. I think he's absolutely...

Rivera: But I want to know. What do you feel about them?

Ibish: No. I think that Hizbollah fought a very good war against the Israelis, a guerrila war, a popular war that was clearly shown to be a war of liberation and that had the support of the majority of the south Lebanese people."[xliii][x]

The Executive Director of the American Muslim Foundation, Abdrulrahman Alamoudi, besides exhorting his support for Hamas and Hizbollah at a CAIR rally, as shown above, has also extolled the 1994 Iranian-sponsored bombing of the Jewish Community Center in Argentina as "a worthy operation" according to federal prosecutors. He also said, when referring to Islamic attacks overseas, "Many African Muslims have died and not a single American died. I prefer to hit a Zionist target in America or Europe." He continued, "I prefer honestly like what happened in Argentina," referring to an attack that killed 86 people and injured more than 300.[xliv][xi] Federal officials also disclosed that the American Muslim Council has been providing support for members of the Portland Seven – a group charged with attempted to get to Afghanistan and fight for al-Qaeda, against America. It was also reported that several of the al-Qaeda terrorists held in Guantanamo Bay have granted Alamoudi power of attorney. Yet, his group aides the American military select Muslim chaplains, particularly telling given recent arrests of Americans in Guantanamo.[xlv][xii]

As Ambassador Dore Gold pointed out in his groundbreaking book, Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism (Regnery: 2003), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plays a very significant role in funding and aiding terrorism, including on American targets. It is a threat that the United States is just beginning to quietly investigate, despite years of documented evidence. The Los Angeles Times reported on November 17, 2003, that U.S. officials are investigating whether Saudi money helped finance international terrorism. This is the first time that US officials are investigating the action of the Saudi government. The investigation may have been brought about by the Congressional investigation of the terror attacks of 9/11 which stated that ties between Saudi Arabia and the attacks "obviously raise issues with serious national implications."[xlvi][xiii] The Saudi Arabian government has been paying for lawyers and bail for Saudi nationals detained by the US. Saudi officials have admitted spending over $1 million in providing assistance to those suspected of terrorism and other crimes. Most of the detainments are due to visa violations. John Pistole, assistant director of the FBI counterterrorism division, testified before the Senate that the actions of the government of Saudi Arabia, "is tantamount to buying off a witness... So it gives us concern if the government is supplying money for defense counsel." The practice of providing legal counsel to nationals overseas is a practice that the United States does not engage in, according to the Associated Press.[xlvii][xiv]

According to Matthew Epstein, the assistant director of The Investigative Project, the Saudi's have

bankrolled a series of Islamic institutions in the United States that actively seek to undermine U.S. counterterrorism policy at home and abroad. In the United States, the Saudi Wahhabis regularly subsidize the organizations and individuals adhering to the militant ideology espoused by the Muslim Brotherhood and its murderous offshoots Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda, all three of which are designated terrorist organizations. Several of these U.S. based organizations drawing Saudi support have recently been shuttered and many of their leaders indicted, including, the Holy Land Foundation, Benevolence International Foundation and the Islamic Concern Project.[xlviii][xv]

The Saudi government has also financed the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) which, as was shown above, is a supporter of militant Islam which was a creation of Hamas.[xlix][xvi] Epstein writes:

With deep pocketbooks and religious convictions, the Saudi Wahhabists have bankrolled a series of Islamic institutions in the United States that actively seek to undermine U.S. counterterrorism policy at home and abroad. From Islamic centers to student associations, from relief organizations to bookstores, an ideology committed to the destruction of Western civilization is being offered as the only solution to the plight of the ummah.[l][xvii]

Saudi money has funded the Holy Land Foundation (connected to Hamas), Benevolence International Foundation (related to al-Qaeda) and the World Islamic Studies Enterprise (WISE) (Palestinian Islamic Jihad). These organizations have been shut down in the past three years as terror fronts or conduits. The Saudi government continues to fund the American Muslim Council (AMC), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) and Mercy International-USA. [li][xviii]

As Daniel Pipes points out, Islamism is an ideology like totalitarianism, fascism, or Marxist-Leninism.[lii][xix] As an ideology, it is not predicated on specific policy although it may use policy as a justification for its actions. While many -- pundits and politicians alike – blame Israeli policy and U.S. support for Israel as the cause of Islamist rage, such comparisons are inherently false and damage legitimate criticism of Israeli policy. Most people disagree with some aspect of Israeli policy or another (as most people also disagree with some aspect of American policy, or European policy, or some aspect of the policy of any other sovereign state), but are not led to terrorism due to their disagreements with a democratic government. America and Israel are often called "Big Satan" and "Little Satan," respectively. If Israel were truly the motivating factor behind militant Islam, than it should be the "Big Satan." Sadly, Islamists hate America and Israel for precisely the same reason – they both have a democratic government that stands for freedom of speech and expression, full voting rights for citizens of all races, creeds, and gender, and other individual freedoms.

The difficulty in garnering alternatives to Islamism is that Islamists are well funded and their American apologist organizations provide a facade of mainstream behavior, confusing Muslim and non-Muslim alike. According to Dr. Khalid Duran, "Organizations like CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) and MPAC (Muslim Public Affairs Council) have deliberately been trying to poison the hearts and minds of American Muslims against America. By subtly suggesting that American policies are controlled by Zionists, they exploit the anti-Semitism that prevails in Islamist - dominated communities."[liii][xx]

According to Pakistan Today, many moderate Muslims are upset and angry at the militant Islamist organizations and their successful attempts to portray themselves as the sole voice of Islam. Jamal Hassan, a writer in Washington, notes that the popularity of extremist Islamist organizations cause Americans to look at all Muslims with extreme suspicion. Tashbih Sayyed, President of Council for Democracy and Tolerance, notes that it is the duty of all American Muslims to condemn American Islamist groups. Sayyed also echoed the words of Hassan, emphasizing that keeping silent about Islamist extremism only furthers anti-Muslim bias.

According to Dr. Duran, there are numerous alternatives to Islamic extremism within Islam. He notes that the Congress of Muslim Americans (CMA) (in which he is involved in) seeks to organize non-Islamist Muslims. He notes that they protest against Islamist apologists organizations such as the American Muslim Council (AMC), CAIR, and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). According to Duran:

The fair-minded, moderate and tolerant majority of Muslims face enormous difficulties in competing with these Islamists – not because the Islamists are more numerous, but because they float on subsidies provided by Islamist millionaires and billionaires. In the United States, the difference between Islamists and common Muslims is largely one between haves and have-nots. Muslims have the numbers; Islamists have the dollars.[liv][xxi]

Duran notes that the Muslim community in America is only recently coming into its own, but he notes "that community can only take its rightful place if it builds upon hope and dialogue, not the fear of defamation."[lv][xxii]


This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/307