Irvine's CAIR Kerfuffle: Is CAIR a Terror-Loving Group or Not?
Posted by: Chuck DeVore | 09/24/2008 1:04 PM
An interesting kerfuffle has arisen in my hometown of Irvine over
Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and city council
candidate, Todd Gallinger, who provides legal immigration counsel to
the California Chapter of CAIR. In a September 23 blog entitled "Choi's Shameful Smear"
on the LiberalOC.com liberal Democrat blogger Dan Chmielewski takes
Republican Irvine City Councilman Dr. Steven Choi to task for calling
CAIR an "Islamic terrorist group."
Mr. Chmielewski then cuts and pastes a large portion of CAIR's
Orange County website to bolster his claim that CAIR is not a terrorist
organization, including, "CAIR condemns all acts of violence against
civilians by any individual, group or state." Chmielewski then writes
of Choi, "This is the sort of divide the community approach the people
on this side of the ticket have tried to do the past few elections in
Irvine. It's hate speech coming from elected officials and candidates
for office against Muslims..."
I have a different view - perhaps one a little more nuanced than Dr.
Choi's - but then, Councilmember Choi is running for reelection against
CAIR-affiliated Mr. Gallinger and election season does tend to produce
bold, black and white statements for public consumption.
I spent 24 years in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer with a
top secret clearance. I also studied Arabic and spent half a year at
the American University in Cairo, Egypt. I've been to Israel four
times, been shot at in Lebanon, and have traveled the West Bank. As
such, I know a few things about Islam, CAIR, HAMAS, the Muslim
Brotherhood, etc. I have no doubt that the local chapter of CAIR is
filled with many caring people and diligent citizens - that said, I
also have no doubt that CAIR has had its share of members who have
supported terrorism and have raised money for terror (not too
dissimilar to Irish-American groups in Boston who raised money for the
IRA to attack the British in Northern Ireland).
In this light, it is very interesting to examine the recent
interview on the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood website "Amlolammah" as
reported by the BBC of Nihad Awad, CAIR's Executive Director. Of 9/11,
Awad said, "...we should not blame the United States alone for the 11
September 2001 attacks, but we should also blame the perpetrators."
That Awad levels any blame on America for the terror attacks of 9/11 is
revealing as such is the beginning of a moral equivalency argument,
"Al-Qaeda and America are both at fault..." And moral equivalency can
lead to all kinds of rationalizations.
With this in mind, it is not surprising that just after 9/11 CAIR's
website was asking for money for Holy Land Foundation for Relief and
Development (HLF). HLS is a HAMAS-front group. HAMAS is the
Palestinian terror group that now runs the Gaza Strip.
Mohammed Habib, the Muslim Brotherhood's deputy chief, acknowledged
recently that there is a link between the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR.
Federal prosecutors have been saying this for sometime in the HAMAS
financial support case against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and
Development (HLF) when they named CAIR as a member of the Muslim
Brotherhood's "Palestine Committee." The "Palestine Committee" is
another name for HAMAS. Federal prosecutors clearly see CAIR as part
of the HAMAS financial support umbrella.
As with HAMAS, CAIR's Awad denies the right of the state of Israel
to exist. Now, one can argue that this is a legitimate political view
to hold in the context of American political discourse - not, however,
when acting upon that view leads one to donate money to armed groups
seeking to make the view a bloody and genocidal reality.
About the Presidential election, Awad revealingly told his Egyptian
interviewers that he favors Sen. Obama over Sen. McCain - of course,
Awad wants more than Obama appears willing to give, saying, "Public
opinion polls among American Muslims point out that they support Obama
more than they support McCain although Obama's recent statements were
unsatisfying. The Democrats should be more careful and should not
sacrifice the votes of the Muslims."
Awad's equivocation on Sen. Obama was based on Obama's early June
speech to the members of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC) in which he supported Israel and voiced approval of a unified
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Obama later flip-flopped after his
speech was panned by Muslim critics.
Lastly, whatever one thinks of Mr. Chmielewski's assertion that Dr.
Choi was improperly injecting religion into politics in his critique of
Mr. Gallinger and CAIR, it is relevant to note in this discussion that
none other than CAIR's own Chairman Emeritus, Omar Ahmed, said the
Muslim holy book, the Koran, should be the "highest authority in
America, and the Islam the only accepted religion on earth."
One can only imagine Mr. Chmielewski's outrage at council candidate Choi if Choi uttered such about the Christian faith.
If you are still not convinced about the connections between CAIR
and HAMAS, then don't take my word for it, believe liberal California
Senator Barbara Boxer who, in late 2006, took back an award she gave to
CAIR official Basim Elkarra after she learned about Mr. Elkarra's CAIR
involvement. Sen. Boxer herself "expressed concern" about CAIR's
actions and past statements while her press secretary said that CAIR
"gives aid to international terrorist groups."
So, could Councilman Choi and Sen. Boxer be right and Mr.
Chmielewski be wrong about CAIR and whether Mr. Gallinger's close
connection with them should be a matter of public discourse? It looks
like it will be up to the voters of Irvine to decide on November 4.
You can assist Dr. Choi in his reelection effort by clicking here.
Choi's running mates include Councilmember Christina Shea, who is running for mayor.
And former Irvine Police Officer Pat Rodgers who is running for
Council.
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
You can't condemn an entire organization due to misplace priorities of some of its members; all Republicans are not sexual deviants despite people like Larry Criag, David Vitter and Mark Foley.
Here are some quotes on CAIR for your consideration. As to the line about outrage if it were a slap against Christians, well, I am Christian and would take offense to that as well. Plus, theocracies are bad no matter what faith they are.
“Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesday's attacks…This is a great country. It's a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They're outraged, they're sad. They love America just as much as I do.”
–President George W. Bush, September 17, 2001
"Throughout its decade of existence, CAIR-LA has been instrumental in promoting cultural and religious understanding of the Muslim community. I am pleased that CAIR-LA has dedicated their efforts to building coalitions between non-Muslim and Muslim communities in an effort to eliminate stereotypes and promote tolerance, compassion and understanding. I commend CAIR-LA for playing a vital role in the integration of the Muslim community into American society in an effort to promote patriotism and pride in their home country. I look forward to a continued partnership with CAIR-LA as we strive for freedom and understanding among all who call America home.”
-Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
The Washington Field Office of the FBI praises CAIR’s dedication in representing the heart of the Muslim American community.”
-Congratulatory letter from the Washington, DC Field Office of the FBI
“Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Los Angeles FBI has worked closely with CAIR, and a multitude of other community based organizations, to develop and foster relationships that encourage an open exchange of ideas and concerns relative to the FBI's mission. In order to prevent another act of terrorism from occurring on American soil, government agencies and communities must work together, and the FBI is extremely pleased to be partners with CAIR, and the other members of the Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee, in pursuing this mission.”
-J. Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in Charge, Los Angeles, California Field Office of the FBI
“I wanted to say that we really appreciate the effort of Ahmed Bedier [Executive Director, CAIR-Tampa] here in Florida and all the good work that he does on behalf of CAIR in the community in the area of civil rights…Mr. Bedier has done a great job in reaching out to law enforcement, establishing open forums for us to exchange information in order to keep the nation safe.”
-Carl Whitehead, Special Agent in Charge, Tampa Bay, Florida Field Office of the FBI, speaking at the CAIR 2006 Tampa Banquet
"We could and would have freely and accurately characterized CAIR as a responsible and highly-esteemed force for reconciliation and sanity, both in international affairs and in deepening interfaith understanding here in the United States."
-January 2007 letter of support signed by 203 Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Baha'i leaders, professors and concerned citizens
“CAIR is a responsible force for reconciliation and sanity, both in international affairs and in deepening religious understanding here in America. We urge Congress to state clearly what we know is true: CAIR makes a valuable contribution to democracy and interfaith relations.”
-Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr., Professor Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology, Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, Co-Director, Faith Voices for the Common Good, Rev. Peter Laarman, Director, Progressive Christians Uniting, Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker, President, Starr King School for the Ministry
“As a Christian pastor, I support of the work of CAIR, Council on American Islamic Relations. This is a national group with a very balanced and effective voice that speaks up for the rights of all peoples, and especially Muslims in the United States. It is akin to the NAACP. I think that because it is so effective, it has been targeted. I have worked with CAIR locally in the Tampa Bay area and nationally supporting interfaith relations. I find the leaders to be clear, moderate, and at the same time very articulate in defending Muslim-American rights. We need groups like CAIR in these fear-mongering times.”
-Pastor Warren Clark,Tampa, FL (Source: St. Petersburg Times, 3/19/2007)
"...I have been informed that the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Tampa has made a contribution to be sent to assist those Christian churches in the Holy Land, which have suffered damage as a result of the anger aroused by the Holy Father's talk. This is a very magnanimous gesture on the part of genuine believers..."
-Bishop Robert Lynch, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg in Florida
“We are inspired by the interfaith work that CAIR does, which serves to make all communities of faith stronger, and helps to address a serious gap in the understanding of Islam in the United States. As co-descendants of the legacy of Abraham, we fully support CAIR in its efforts to bring our shared values to the wider community… CAIR is doing the same kind of civil rights work and public education that Jewish communities had to do in the United States when the first wave of immigrants faced ignorance, intolerance and discrimination, and so we understand and support their efforts.”
- Rabbi Jeff Sultar, Mishkan Shalom, Pennsylvania
“The impact of your report was to give the false impression that ‘the Jewish community’ condemns CAIR and the Congressman for speaking, because you did not bother to report other Jewish opinions. Nor did you make any effort to ascertain and report that in fact CAIR speaks out strongly against terrorist attacks by Muslims, while you reported the utterly uncorroborated assertions by two local Jews that CAIR ‘has connections to terrorists.’ This kind of reporting encourages these McCarthyist assertions. It gives credence to lies. Good reporting should tell the whole story, not a one-sided version of it.”
-Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director of the Shalom Center, in a letter to Philadelphia Enquirer reporter Tom Infield. In his letter Waskow notes that he is a Rabbi that has been “described by last week's issue of Newsweek as one of the fifty most influential rabbis in the United States, and one described by the Forward newspaper at the end of 2005 as one of the ‘Forward Fifty’ of most effective and creative Jews (not just rabbis) from the whole country…”
“I was deeply touched when I received a phone call from Mr. Ahmed Bedir of the Council
So Chuck,
You say that you have no doubt that individuals involved with CAIR havd funded and supported Islamic terrorist groups and terror. Do you have any actual proof of your allegation? If so, you should immediately report you "military intellegence" findings to the Department of Homeland Security. Unless of course, you are a closet supporter of terrorism.
Your statement is ridiculous, but here is a counter to your smear.
"I have no doubt that supporters of Chuck DeVore support and fund radical Neo-nazi White Supremacist groups and terror."
I guess one baseless accusation deserves another.
Chuck,
This is the biggest piece of garbage out there. Do us all a favor and keep CAIR out of your mouth and out of your blogs.
EVERYONE READING THIS SHOULD WATCH ONE COUNCIL MEETING. ONE is all it takes to see just how incompetent Steven Choi is. I don't know why it was on TV but thank goodness I actually watched the last meeting.
Dan I read your blog, keep up the good work!
Did I miss something or was this not picked up by the OC register? In any case, I feel sad that such bigotry and racism still run rampant, especially amongst these people who are supposed to be our leaders. I'm actually quite surprised that Mr. Choi would candidly express such racisim in public... somewhat of a moronic political move if you ask me. Sounds like the same BS that opponents of Barack Obama are saying now, and what people said to Keith Ellison when he was running. LIke when that idiot Glenn Beck asked Ellison "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies"
Whatever happened to our first amendment and the freedom of religion.
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Well, let's see now, it is so refreshing to see all the liberals spouting their rationalization for CAIR being a Mother Teresa kind of group devoted to saving the world. Of course this is the propaganda that CAIR uses to con people who don't understand what their organization is all about. In these days of political corectness, who dares to step forward and tell the truth, for fear of being labled a Muslim hater. In fact, the issue is not about Islam at all, but rather those organizations and individuals who twist it to promote hatred and the religious domination they seek. I read somewhere recently, that moderate Muslims and there are many of them out there, are turning their backs on CAIR and other such organizations.
I don't pretend to have the expertise and experience that Chuck Devore presented in his article, but combined with other materials available on the internet, I found it to be compelling. I congratulate Chuck Devore and suggest he has more credibility in the eyes of the American public than all of you liberals rolled together. I encourage more patriotic Americans to step forward and lend your comments and support to a man who has been there and done that, when it comes to defending America against terrorism.
I have not made one single accusation against any political candidate or the local CAIR organization and yet they threw my name around at the orchestrated appearance at this weeks Irvine City Council meeting. Hey, guys, sorry I wasn't there to respond to your "bully pulpit." I have read many of the facts available on CAIR, including quotes from Barbara Boxer, Charles Schumer, Richard Durbin and others from Congress, who have the inside track on national intelligence about such organizations. About the National CAIR organization. In my experience, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, chances are that it is a duck.
For those of you still be on the fence, google Anti-CAIR and make up your own mind. Thank you Chuck Devore for continuing to be a "Great American."
Let there be no doubt that the Council on American-Islamic Relations
is a terrorist supporting front organization that is partially funded by terrorists, founded by terrorists, and that CAIR wishes nothing more than the implementation of Sharia Law in America
(Proven In Lawsuit)
Statements by national Elected officials:
*U.S. Senator Richard Durbin: "[CAIR is] unusual in its extreme rhetoric and its association with groups that are suspect"
*U.S. Senator Charles Schumer: "we know [CAIR] has ties to terrorism" ..."intimate links with Hamas"
*U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer: "To praise [CAIR] because they haven't been indicted is like somebody saying, 'I'm not a crook'"
Ain't this a great country? Muslim candidates have to fend off accusations that the Islamic non-profits they associate with are terrorist fronts. Mexican-American candidates do the same with MEChA (supposed Reconquista machine), and African-American candidates of a different era dealt with being accused of being unwitting dupes of Commies. Chuck: your post reminds me of what Joel Dvorman had to undergo way back when. Just because an organization might have unsavory connections through some members doesn't make the organization itself bad, or its members. Unless the individual in question partakes of the said suspicious activities, their membership in the group really has no relevance to a political race. So to tie Gallinger to CAIR again and again is a red herring, and a lazy one at that.
c.a.i.r is has been named by the United States Department of Justice as a co-conspirator in the largest terrorist funding case in American history that is now being held in Dallas, Texas.
Islam for all of the uniformed out there is NOT like any other group. It is not like the Jews or the Mexicans. Islam is NOT some benign peaceful religion in any way shape or form. Islam is a 1350 year old cult of conquest, murder, plunder, torture, decapitation, kidnapping, piracy,etc. The closest thing Islam equates to is nazism. Hitler and Mohamed were the mass murderer-conquerers of their day. The first country to attack the United States after independence was guess who? None other than the moslem savages of the BARBARY coast. They were called the BARBARY pirates and considered to be BARBARIANS(mussselmen).
When John Adams and Thomas Jefferson went to London to ask the moslem BARBARIAN ambassador, Haj Abdul Rahman Aja, why his fellow mussselmen were attacking unarmed merchant ships, he replied that they were simply following the the holy quoran to plunder and kill or enslave the infidels. In case you don't know, WE are all infidels in their eyes, i.e. c.a.i.r.
HOORAY FOR STEVEN CHOI, he tells the truth about c.a.i.r
c.a.i.r is a dangerous and seditious group with sinister intent.
Joe Kaffir's history is absolutely correct in regard to Totalitarian Islam. I was shocked to discover the truths about the origins and history of Islam when I did an intensive study of it. There are many awesome books on the subject of today's
Totalitarian Islam. Some of the best are these:
The Truth About Mohammed (Robert Spencer), Because They Hate &
They Must be Stopped (Brigette Gabriel), America Alone (Mark Stein), Londonistan (Melanie Phillips).
There are not just a few lonely voices trying to warn Americans about what totalitarian Islam has done very recently to destroy communities in Europe, No! There are MANY, MANY authors trying to wake Americans from our trajic stupor to see what is happening in Europe and how quickly it is now starting to spread here on US soil. Go see The Third Jihad http://thethirdjihad.com/ if you want to get your own serious wake up call! This film sums up the entire issue and it is narrated by a Muslim. So forget about trying to write this all off as hate speech or religious intolerance, because it is moderate Muslims themselves who are sounding out the warnings about CAIR and other front groups. Dr. Choi'S warning is to Muslims as well as non-Muslims to Beware of CAIR! His warning is to all Americans!