Posted on 01/08/2003 8:34:59 AM PST by Brian Mosely
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on President Bush and Congress to reject Israel's new request for billions more in U.S. taxpayer-funded aid, and to instead use those funds to stimulate America's economy. The Washington- based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says giving more financial aid to Israel drains much needed funds from the economy and serves to harm America's image and interests worldwide.
The group's request comes as President Bush released a new economic stimulus package designed to accelerate income tax rate cuts, wipe out all federal taxes on stock dividends and boost the child tax credit. The announcement of the stimulus proposal coincides with meetings this week between Israeli and administration officials to discuss a special aid request of up to $14 billion in grants and loan guarantees.
SEE: "U.S. Hears Israel's Plea for Billions in Arms Aid" http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20030107-550893.htm
"It is time for elected officials to decide whether they serve the interests of American taxpayers, or those of a foreign government engaged in a brutal military occupation. Sending more aid to Israel would not only deprive America's economy of much needed funds at a time of economic crisis, it would further damage our nation's interests in the Muslim world by again offering blind support for the oppression of the Palestinian people," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. He added that despite decades of American taxpayer support, Israel largely ignores American interests and entreaties when denying the Palestinians their right to freedom and justice.
Awad noted that Israel's aid request comes as a number of cash-strapped states are asking for economic support and lawmakers nationwide are seeking funds for drought relief, education, job programs, transportation, prescription drug benefits for seniors, environmental concerns, and law enforcement. President Bush recently invoked emergency economic powers to limit the annual pay raise for federal workers.
SEE: "Lid Put on Domestic Spending" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14741-2003Jan5.html
Israel's latest aid request is in addition to the more than $3 billion American taxpayer dollars that nation already receives annually. (Israel is the world's largest recipient of American aid. The Christian Science Monitor recently reported that Israel has cost the United States $1.6 trillion since 1973.) Israeli officials say the additional aid would help defray the cost of dealing with the intifada and support their recession-bound economy.
Media reports indicate that U.S. officials have asked that Israel keep a "low profile" during aid talks so as not to anger the Arab and Muslim world as the United States moves toward war with Iraq.
SEE: "US Urges Israel to Keep Low Profile on Aid Talks" http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=649772&fid=942
NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalist's window to the American Muslim community. Subscribers to the list, called ISLAM-INFONET, receive news releases and other materials dealing with American Muslim positions on issues of importance to our society.
To SUBSCRIBE to ISLAM-INFONET, go to: http://cair.biglist.com/islam-infonet/
Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations
CONTACT: Ibrahim Hooper, +1-202-488-8787, +1-202-744-7726,
cair@cair-net.org, or Ms. Hodan Hassan, +1-202-488-8787, +1-703-861-7294,
hhassan@cair-net.org, both of Council on American-Islamic Relations
Web site: http://www.cair-net.org/
Should we cut that too ?
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Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) |
CAIR: 'Moderate' friends of terror
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.
Of course we will.
We always put great value in sand-maggots' opinions and suggestions!
ROTFLMAO !!
CAIR and the AMC have mounted a steady effort to silence all criticism or unfavorable publicity from journalists and media. Using cues from other pressure groups, they react immediately to any mention of Islam they consider unfavorable. Each of these they treat as a threat or as "an attack on Islam," and through carefully calibrated barrages of phone calls, press releases, and cries of "Islamophobia," they have managed to extract public apologies from news agencies, journalists, and politicians. When arrests are made under the AntiTerrorism Act of 1996, CAIR and AMC beat the anti-Islam drum, evoking cries of outrage from major liberal newspapers and congressmen.
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
According to Khalid Durán (who is a Muslim), in an article entitled How CAIR Put My Life in Peril, published in the Middle East Forum:
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. Most are spin-offs of the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), such as the American Muslims for Jerusalem, the Holy Land Foundation, and the Islamic Institute. These are extreme groups, and some have even come under federal investigation for alleged support of Middle Eastern terrorism. But CAIR's mission has differed from the others: its special assignment is the insinuation of the Islamist agenda into 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.
CAIR is run by a duo. The executive director, Nihad Awad, is a Palestinian; his associate, Ibrahim ("Dougie") Hooper, is an American convert. Awad actively propagates the cause in Arabic, while Hooper handles most of the English-language work. To create the perception that CAIR speaks for Islam in America, the two indefatigably issue position statements on anything remotely touching on Muslim or Arab affairs, reacting on everything from U.S. foreign policy to letters in college newspapers.
A controversial American Islamic advocacy group has planned a voter registration drive to coincide with the upcoming Muslim holiday at the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, alleged to have ties to terrorist groups such as Hamas, says "our goal, insha'Allah (if Allah wills), is to register more than 100,000 new Muslim voters over the next eight months."
"They may not admit it, but ultimately they want to make the U.S. a Muslim country," Steven Emerson, a leading anti-terrorism specialist, told WorldNetDaily.
"In the interim they want to acquire as much political power as possible to push their agenda, to be afforded legitimacy by political officials," Emerson said. "So this (voter drive) is part and parcel of their campaign."
CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper indicated in a 1993 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he wants to see the United States become a Muslim country.
"I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future," Hooper told the Star Tribune. "But I'm not going to do anything violent to promote that. I'm going to do it through education."
Emerson cites as evidence of CAIR's affinity for Hamas "their co-sponsorship of conferences calling for the death of Jews, statements on behalf of Hamas leaders, statements defending Iran and the Sudan and sponsorship of hate rallies where attacks on America are made."
Alamoudi, the former AMC director, was quoted at a Washington, D.C. rally, Oct. 28, 2000, saying: "I have been labeled by the media in New York to be a supporter of Hamas. We are all supporters of Hamas. I wish they added that I am also a supporter of Hezbollah."
CAIR seeks to underscore its political clout by citing a figure of about 7 million Muslims in the United States, but recent counts have come up with a much lower total. An evaluation of current estimates, conducted by Howard Fienberg and Iain Murray of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Statistical Assessment Service, concluded there are about 2 million U.S. Muslims. A recent study commissioned by the American Jewish Committee puts the number between 1.9 million and 2.8 million.
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