ISNA has admitted ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. CAIR operatives have repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas and Hizballah as terrorist groups. CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case. Several of its former officials have been convicted of various crimes related to jihad terror. Two of its other officials have made Islamic supremacist statements. CAIR also was involved in the Flying Imams’ intimidation suit against the passengers who reported their suspicious behavior.
The “interfaith leaders” who are bamboozled by these groups have only themselves to blame. CNN likewise should be ashamed of itself for reporting this story without mentioning the unsavory aspects of either ISNA or CAIR — but in that CNN is just like the rest of the mainstream media.
“Interfaith leaders: Fear, intolerance emerge over Islamic center,” from CNN, September 7:
Washington (CNN) — Interfaith leaders from across the country will continue their push Tuesday to “address the growing tide of fear and intolerance” that has emerged in the debate over a Muslim community center planned near ground zero in New York.
In reality, we — the opponents of the mega-mosque — are the ones with the actual death threats. The CAIR grievance-mongers point to various recent incidents against mosques, but in every case the connection with anti-jihad or anti-Ground Zero mega-mosque activism is asserted without a shred of evidence.
The Washington meeting is being organized by the Islamic Society of North America.
“Participants are expected to release a joint declaration underscoring the clergy’s moral responsibility in communicating the need for solidarity and compassion and to lay out a plan of action for interfaith collaboration,” a statement from the group said.
The debate has been heightened by a Florida church’s plan to burn copies of the Quran on Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
Opponents of the plan to build the community center say it is too close to the site of the terror attacks, and is an affront to the memory of those who died in the al Qaeda strike.
Last week, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) launched a series of commercials designed to fight what it called growing Islamophobia. One in the series features a Muslim firefighter who was among the first responders on 9/11.
Opponents of the New York Islamic center are “trying to tell the world and tell Americans that Muslims do not belong here. That Muslims are the others, when we are in fact, all Americans,” said Nahad [sic] Awad, executive director of CAIR.
“They’re trying to portray Muslims as foreigners. This is a dangerous repeat of history. If it’s allowed, it’s going to hurt all of us,” he said….