The Truth About C.A.I.R.

I post the following with the belief that most CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) members and supporters are good Americans, and probably don't even know about the turbulent history of the organization. That being said, here's The Truth About CAIR:

Origins and links to HAMAS

CAIR was a creation of the Hamas group in the United States. [1]

Hamas is considered to be a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department and has been responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens overseas, including five Americans who were killed during a HAMAS bombing of a cafeteria at the Hebrew University campus in 2002.[1]

Future CAIR leadership was present at a 1993 meeting in Philadelphia that was monitored by the FBI. [1]

According to FBI documents, the meeting was attended by future CAIR board chairman Omar Yahya Ahmed and future founding board member of the Texas CAIR chapter Ghassan Elashi. [1]

According to an FBI action memorandum analyzing wiretaps of the meeting:

"The overall goal of the meeting was to develop a strategy to defeat the Israeli/Palestinian peace accord, and to continue and improve their [HAMAS] fund-raising and political activities in the United States..." [1]

Extremist rhetoric and apologists for terrorism

In October 1998, CAIR demanded the removal of a Los Angeles billboard describing Osama bin Laden as "the sworn enemy," finding this depiction "offensive to Muslims." [2]

CAIR denied Bin Laden's responsibility for the twin East African embassy bombings. A spokesman said 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.)[2]

It deemed the conviction of the perpetrators of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing "a travesty of justice." [2]

It called the conviction of Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind sheikh who planned to blow up New York City landmarks a "hate crime." [2]

It called the extradition order for suspected Hamas terrorist Mousa Abu Marook "anti-Islamic" and "anti-American." [2]

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." [2]

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. [2]

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." [2]

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." [2]

Specific staff connections to terrorism

Randall Todd "Ismail" Royer has served as a "communications specialist"[3] and "civil rights coordinator"[4] for CAIR.

In 2003, Royer was indicted[5] and arrested on 14 counts for his association with terrorism - specifically conspiring to join a Muslim extremist terror group that has been blamed for thousands of deaths in the disputed Kashmir territory of India and Pakistan. [6]

Royer pled guilty to two counts and currently faces at least 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 9th. [7]

Bassem Khafagi is an Egyptian national and was CAIR's National Director of Community Relations[8] until his arrest on bank and visa fraud charges in January 2003. [9]
The FBI said Khafagi is a founding member of the Islamic Assembly of North America[8] (IANA) - one of two dozen Muslim groups under investigation by a U.S. Senate committee for potential links to terrorists.

Federal prosecutors in Idaho have said that IANA is "a powerful engine for groups that promote violence against the United States." [10]

The FBI has targeted IANA as one of the principal organizations under investigation in the United States for ties to international terrorism and even the Saudi Embassy has branded them as "Muslim extremists". [11]

Ghassan Elashi, a founding board member of CAIR's Texas chapter, was indicted on charges of engaging in financial transactions with terrorist entities. [12]

Elashi was also a founder of the now frozen HLF, originally known as the Occupied Land Fund. [12]

On December 17, 2002, Elashi was indicted in the Northern District of Texas for engaging in financial transactions with Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzook, a Specially Designated Terrorist. [13]