CAIR’s “Summer of Censorship” Campaign and CSP’s Response

UPDATED: July 28, 2010

CAIR Targets: ACT! for America’s Brigitte Gabriel, Candidate Marco Rubio, Florida Tea Party

  • CAIR called on the Emerald Coast Tea Party Patriots to drop what they termed “an extremist anti-Islam speaker” – head of ACT! for America Brigitte Gabriel –  as the keynote speaker at an August 21 rally in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.  CAIR also pressured  political candidates including GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio to cancel their appearances unless Gabriel was dropped as a speaker.  This is not the first time CAIR has tried to punish a politician for their proximity to ACT! for America, which they call an “anti-Islam hate group.”  In April 2010 CAIR National and CAIR-Tampa called for 5,000 signatures condemning Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) for associating with ACT!.
  • “Now is the time for Tea Party leaders to clearly demonstrate that their movement will not allow itself to be associated with bigotry of any kind, including Islamophobia,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.  CAIR used a similar tactic against the Tennessee Tea Party Convention when they pressured Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to withdraw from the event if alleged “Islamophobic” speaker Pamela Geller was not dropped from the program.
  • Just four days after asking  the Florida tea party group to drop ACT! for American founder Brigitte Gabriel as their keynote speaker for an August event, CAIR launched an aggressive press release against GOP Senate Candidate Marco Rubio, who was invited to the event but had not yet confirmed.  “We ask Mr. Rubio not to lend legitimacy to this hate rally and to demonstrate through his actions that the Republican Party will not seek to benefit from the rising level of Islamophobia in our society,” said CAIR-Tampa Communications Director Ramzy Kiliç. “Since the rally organizers obviously believe a hate-monger is an appropriate keynote speaker, we ask all the elected officials and candidates listed on the event flyer to cancel their appearances.”

Documentation:

CAIR asks Tea Party to cancel ACT’s Brigitte Gabriel as keynote speaker

CAIR warns Marco Rubio away from tea party event; tells Rubio not to “lend legitimacy to this hate rally”

Center for Security Policy letter to Brigitte Gabriel

Center for Security Policy letter to Marco Rubio

CAIR Targets: Nationwide Tea Party, Fmr. Rep. Tom Tancredo, Candidate Lou Ann Zelenik

  • On July 15, 2010, CAIR leaders joined the NAACP in criticizing the Tea Party Movement for failing to “repudiate elements within the movement who use racist or bigoted language.”  CAIR Director of Communications, Ibrahim Hooper said, “If the Tea Party wishes to be taken seriously by mainstream Americans, it must repudiate all those who express or promote extremist, racist or bigoted views while claiming to be affiliated with the movement.”
  • Hooper made clear that “Islamophobic” elements should be included in the condemnation.   He went on to specifically name a number of these ‘Islamophobic’ perpetrators inncluding former congressman Tom Tancredo and Tennessee congressional candidate Lou Ann Zelenik.

Documentation:

CAIR backs NAACP “racism” resolution on Tea Party Movement; adds “Islamophobia” to the agenda

CAIR Targets: GOP Leadership, TN Congressional Candidate

  • CAIR called on Republican Party leaders to repudiate “Islamophobic” remarks by Tennessee GOP congressional candidate Lou Ann Zelenik who opposes the construction of a new mega-mosque complex in Murfreesboro, TN.  “State and national Republican leaders must repudiate Ms. Zelenik’s extremist and un-American remarks and address the growing perception that their party promotes Islamophobia and intolerance against minorities,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.  The press release went on to list several of CAIR’s recent attacks on congressional candidates, some of which are chronicled in the recent CAIR Observatory study regarding CAIR’s “Summer of Censorship.”

Documentation:

CAIR asks GOP leadership to repudiate Tennessee congressional candidate

Center for Security Policy letter to Lou Ann Zelenik

CAIR Targets: Gubernatorial Candidate and Lt. Gov. of Tennessee Ron Ramsey

  • CAIR criticized Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and called on him to meet with representatives of that state’s Islamic community after he stated his views on Islam in America.  Responding to a citizen’s question at a campaign stop Ramsey referred to the controversy over the expansion of a mosque in Murfreesboro stating: “You cross the line when they start trying to bring Shariah [Islamic] law into the state of Tennessee… into the United States.”
  • Said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, “We see a disturbing trend in our nation in which it is suggested that American Muslims should have fewer or more restricted constitutional rights than citizens of other faiths.  We urge Lt. Gov. Ramsey to meet with representatives of the Tennessee Muslim community who can offer him balanced and accurate information about Islam.”

Documentation:

CAIR censures TN gubernatorial candidate for “Islamophobic” remarks

CAIR Targets: Oklahoma Lawmaker Rex Duncan

  • On June 24, 2010 CAIR-Oklahoma  called on State Representative Rex Duncan to “acknowledge that his actions have contributed to a growing level of Islamophobia in Oklahoma and nationwide.”  Duncan was the sponsor of the sponsor a November ballot measure that would ban local courts from considering Islamic law.
  • “Representative Duncan’s bizarre vendetta against Islam will inevitably have a negative impact on the lives of ordinary Muslims and sends the false message that our great state is intolerant of minorities,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Razi Hashmi. “I urge Representative Duncan to acknowledge the harm he is doing to interfaith relations in our state and to meet with Oklahoma Muslim leaders.”

Documentation:

CAIR Condemns Oklahoma Lawmaker for “vendetta” against Islam

CAIR PROVES OUR POINT: Sometimes we’re lucky in that CAIR makes our case for us.  The following video released on the official CAIR YouTube calls for a campaign against “Islamophobia” and warns of the growing threat of “anti-Musilm commentators, extremist religious leaders, Muslim-bashing politicians.”  This video summarizes CAIR’s “Summer of Censorship” in a nutshell, and singles out the following American public figures for criticism:

  1. Florida congressional candidate Dan Fanelli
  2. U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)
  3. U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC)
  4. U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
  5. Reverend Franklin Graham
  6. Pamela Geller of Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA)

ORIGINAL REPORT: June 25, 2010

On June 25, 2010 the Center for Security Policy’s CAIR Observatory publicly released the results of an investigative report exposing CAIR’s orchestrated campaign to silence critics of Jihad, Shariah and Islamic Terrorism in the 2010 election season.  The following is a comprehensive guide to the documentation for the six selected instances from the “Summer of Censorship” investigation.  Scroll below for additional CAIR influence operations in 2010:

CAIR Targets: Reverend Franklin Graham, Pentagon, Members of Congress

  • CAIR issued a press release urging the Pentagon to disinvite the Rev. Franklin Graham from speaking at a National Day of Prayer Event scheduled for May 6, and called on the public to prevent “a person with such Islamophobic views speaking to military personnel.”  Rev. Graham was indeed disinvited by the Army and CAIR applauded the decision.  Shunned by the Pentagon, Graham was invited to speak on Capitol Hill instead.  CAIR once again issued a press release urging congressional sponsors to disinvite Rev. Graham.  CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor referred to Graham as an “Islamophobe” bringing a “message of religious intolerance.”  Graham persevered despite CAIR’s attacks, praying instead in the Pentagon parking lot and at the official Capitol Hill event later that day.  Outside the Pentagon Graham stated, “I’m happy for the Muslims that celebrate Ramadan here. I’m happy for them to celebrate prayer services here, but as a Christian, why can’t I have same right?”

Documentation:

CAIR Asks Pentagon to Disinvite Franklin Graham from National Day of Prayer

CAIR Asks Members of Congress to Disinvite Franklin Graham from National Day of Prayer

Center for Security Policy letter to the Reverend Franklin Graham

CAIR Targets: Senator Charles Schumer

  • On June 14 CAIR accused Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who faces reelection in November, of making statements that were “unconscionable, reprehensible and in blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life,” and demanded he retract them. CAIR lifted a quote from Schumer’s remarks at a public event on June 9 that it “makes sense” to “strangle [Gaza] economically,” while omitting the context of the statement in which Schumer made clear that his criticism was reserved for the Hamas regime and that “certainly there should be humanitarian aid and people not starving to death.”

Documentation:

CAIR-NY urges Sen. Schumer to retract statement against Hamas

Center for Security Policy letter to Sen. Charles Schumer

CAIR Targets: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and NCIS Director Mark D. Clookie

  • In March 2010 CAIR had called for a probe of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to investigate a report of “anti-Islam bias” in the NCIS’s training of security personnel.  CAIR expressed concern that “military, security and law enforcement personnel nationwide may be receiving agenda-driven Islamophobic training.”  In response to CAIR’s demands, NCIS Director Mark Clookie sent a letter to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad which CAIR claimed stated that the film “Obsession” should not have been used in training.  On May 11 CAIR publicized excerpts they alleged came from the letter.

Documentation:

CAIR claims victory in Navy law-enforcement agency “Islamophobia” case

Center for Security Policy letter to NCIS Director Mark Clookie

CAIR Targets: Tennessee Tea Party Convention, Congressman Steve King, Author Pamela Geller

  • In a May 20 press release CAIR called on the organizers of the inaugural Tennessee Tea Party Convention to disinvite AtlasShrugs.com blogger Pamela Geller, also Executive Director of Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), from speaking at the event.  CAIR described Geller as an “extremist anti-Islam speaker, far-right blogger” and called SIOA a “hate group.”  “We ask that convention organizers not legitimize Geller’s extremist anti-Muslim rhetoric by offering her an official platform,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.  Awad also called on Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to cancel his scheduled keynote address to the convention if Geller was kept on the schedule.  Neither the Tea Party nor Rep. King bowed to CAIR’s demands and Geller spoke at the event as planned.  Simon & Schuster will publish Geller’s new book The Post-American Presidency on July 27, 2010.

Documentation:

CAIR asks Tennessee Tea Party to drop “anti-Islam speaker”

Center for Security Policy letter to Pamela Geller

Center for Security Policy letter to Representative Steve King (R-IA)

CAIR Targets: National Republican Leadership, Congressional Candidate Dan Fanelli

  • On May 8 CAIR called on national Republican leaders to repudiate campaign advertisements released by Florida GOP congressional candidate Dan Fanelli.  CAIR said the ads “advocate racial profiling and promote Islamophobia.”  CAIR’s Corey Saylor called the ads “outrageously racist and Islamophobic” and called on local, state and national GOP leaders to condemn “such racist and un-American campaign tactics.”  One of Fanelli’s ads showed two men discussing a terror plot in Arabic, and in another ad he said he would keep terrorists away from airplanes.  Fanelli refused to back down on his concerns about terrorism and homeland security and continued his campaign.

Documentation:

CAIR Asks GOP to Repudiate “Islamophobic” Florida Ads

Center for Security Policy letter to RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Center for Security Policy letter to Dan Fanelli

CAIR Targets: Connecticut Republican Leadership, Congressional Candidate Rick Torres

  • On May 14 the Connecticut chapter of CAIR called on state Republican leaders to repudiate statements made by congressional candidate Rick Torres during a primary debate. CAIR’s press release described Torres’ remarks as “racist,” “anti-Muslim,” “intolerant,” and “Islamophobic.”  CAIR also attributed a May 10 bomb attack on a Florida mosque to a “growing atmosphere of anti-Muslim sentiment nationwide that results from Islamophobic statements like those made by Torres.”  Among the statements which CAIR found objectionable; Torres “wants America’s mosques and Imams to openly condemn terrorists’ actions.”  Torres acknowledged that his comments sound blunt: “We can be grown up about this, or we can be politically correct about it.  I don’t mean to say all Muslims are radicals but they are here and we have to know which ones they are.”  Former Muslims United Board Member Jerry Gordon described Torres, the son of a Cuban immigrant, as a “hero to former Muslims.”

Documentation:

CAIR calls on Connecticut GOP to repudiate candidate’s “Islamophobic” comments

Center for Security Policy letter to GOP congressional candidate Rick Torres

Center for Security Policy letter to Connecticut GOP leadership

The “Summer of Censorship” is only the latest manifestation…

CAIR’s influence operations on behalf of foreign principals are not limited to the election season.  The following is a selection of CAIR influence operations in 2010 targeting various sectors of the American government and public:

CAIR promotes the concept of “Islamophobia” as part of Organization of the Islamic Conference “10 Year Plan of Action”

Fore more examples see “Islamophobia” category…

CAIR Targets Israel in Defense of Hamas

For more examples see “Israel” category…

CAIR Targets the Law Enforcement Officials who keep us safe

For more examples see “Law Enforcement” category…

CAIR attempts to sway American foreign policy for the interests of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and Muslim Brotherhood

For more examples see “Foreign Policy” category…

CAIR interferes with local and state government functions

For more examples see “State/Local Government” category…

CAIR infiltrates media outlets

For more examples see “Media” category…

CAIR attempts to censor and intimidate national elected officials

For more examples see “Elected Officials” category…

CAIR objects to education materials that do not conform to their version of Islam

For more examples see “Academia” category…

For the most comprehensive analysis to date of CAIR’s alleged violations and neglected obligations under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), read the CAIR Observatory report “CAIR and the Foreign Agents Registration Act.”