One day after the 25th anniversary of 9/11, CAIRCon will put a wider education network in focus

On September 12, just one day after the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will convene its annual conference, CAIRCon, in Washington, D.C. The notable timing has brought renewed attention onto CAIR itself.

The organization has faced years of controversy over its history and affiliations, including terrorism-related designations or restrictions in Texas, Florida, and the United Arab Emirates that have raised questions about CAIR’s support for organizations such as Hamas, and its leaders’ praise for antisemitic events such as October 7.

Its continued partnership with academic figures under scrutiny for antisemitism, such as Rutgers University’s Sahar Aziz, is concerning as CAIR’s reach has extended far beyond just political advocacy, and into classrooms nationwide.

CAIR describes itself as the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. It states that its mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, and empower American Muslims.

Its relationship with federal law enforcement has nevertheless drawn scrutiny. In 2008, the FBI restricted certain non-investigative contacts with CAIR following evidence introduced during the Holy Land Foundation terrorism-financing case. The foundation and five of its leaders were later convicted of providing material support to Hamas. CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator, but was never charged in the case.

CAIR has consistently rejected claims that it supports terrorism. And yet the very material it is attempting to introduce into American classrooms includes content aiming to “nuance” conversation around terror, written by the perpetrators of that terror.

By Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | May 8, 2006
Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Reed Rubinstein, the Washington, D.C., attorney who successfully represented Andrew Whitehead of Anti-CAIR in CAIR’s libel suit against him.

FP: Reed Rubinstein, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Rubinstein: Thanks, Jamie. It is a real pleasure to be here.
FP: First, tell us briefly what this libel suit was about.
Rubinstein: CAIR filed suit against Andrew Whitehead, claiming Mr. Whitehead’s statements on the Anti-CAIR website (www.anti-cair-net.org) were false and defamatory. The main statements were that CAIR is a terrorist supporting front organization, that CAIR was founded by Hamas supporters seeking to overthrow Constitutional government in the United States and replace it with an Islamist theocracy, and that CAIR receives funding from Islamic terrorist supporting countries. In other words, this case was about CAIR’s connections to and support for radical Islam.
FP: CAIR clearly had something to hide by not wanting to open up its records right?
Rubinstein: Well, I think that this is one conclusion that could be fairly drawn. It would be logical to assume CAIR did not want to expose its finances, its connections to foreign interests, and possibly the beliefs and intentions of its key leadership to legal process. My guess, based on the information we obtained during this case from a variety of sources, is that CAIR may have been most concerned about protecting its funding sources and its foreign backers. In truth, its leadership has been pretty open about ideology and goals.
FP: Tell us some people that have been found to be connected to CAIR.
Rubinstein: As stated in papers filed with the court, CAIR has been connected to the Islamic Association of Palestine (which has been held civilly liable for the Hamas murder of an American teenager), convicted Hamas financier Ghashan Elashi, Saudi interests, and radical groups, among others. The court papers state:
*CAIR is connected to Musa Abu Marzook (”Marzook”), a key Hamas operative. Marzook was named a terrorist and deported from the United States. On May 10, 1996, CAIR’s Omar Awad organized a press conference to support Marzook at which Awad said, “[T]he arrest, detention and extradition is politically motivated...[and] this campaign has been orchestrated to serve as a wedge between America and Islamic countries.” In June 1996, CAIR signed an open letter to then Secretary of State Warren Christopher that railed against “the injustice that has prevailed Dr. Marzook” and alleged that “our judicial system has been kidnapped by Israeli interests.”

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