Last week, Maryland legislators passed a bill restructuring the Maryland Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention. The move to restructure the commission came after a member of the Hate Crime Commission, Zainab Chaudry, director the Maryland chapter of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), was engaging in hate speech on her Facebook account.
“Maryland Statehouse passes new hate crimes commission bill after CAIR controversy,” by Gabby Deutch, Jewish Insider, March 19, 2024
“But the version of the bill that passed diverged sharply from the original legislation introduced by Jewish lawmakers.” “Current Maryland law explicitly names the organizations that will be represented on the commission, which evaluates and shapes the state’s hate crimes policy. Among the groups named in the existing legislation is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group whose leaders have a history of antisemitic remarks — especially after Oct. 7.
The original version of the bill, when introduced in January, sought to remove the group’s representation after CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, who sits on the commission, came under fire for pro-Hamas posts last fall. Instead, the bill was heavily amended in a way that changed the entire legislative framework behind the commission.
The bill that unanimously passed the Statehouse on Monday will give Maryland’s attorney general broad discretion to appoint the members of the commission, whereas most of the current members of the commission — which was formed last summer — were expressly named in state law. The new bill does not mention CAIR or any of the groups that were named to the commission, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, instead allowing the attorney general to select representatives from members of classes protected in the state hate crimes law.”
“He had confirmed that he was not going to select anyone from CAIR,” Attar told Jewish Insider. “He agreed with us that CAIR should not be on it. He just didn’t think he had the authority to remove them. So now he has the authority to not select them.”
Jewish community advocates who sit on the commission lauded the House passage of the bill, even in its amended form, as a win. However, they noted that they were not sure who had spearheaded the push to amend the bill.
“This bad faith bill was originally an attack by pro-Israel groups, not just on CAIR, but also on all those who advocate for basic Palestinian human rights,” Chaudry said in a statement. “The amended version that passed in the House today also strikes them from the commission, which is not the outcome that they were hoping for.”…
So neither Chaudry nor CAIR have apologized for calling Israel “Nazi” while on a hate crimes commission. Rather, Chaudry seems to be taunting the other members of the Commission, in effect saying, “Ha, Ha! You got removed, too!”
In 2023, CAIR was on TV 666 times, with only about five broadcasts critical of the group for incidents such as CAIR’s executive director saying that October 7 made him “happy,” or Zainab Chaudry engaging in textbook definition of anti-Semitism. That is less than one percent of the TV coverage of CAIR for the entire year.
It is indeed intriguing to see who pushed to amend H.B. 0809, as well as who is propping up, and protecting, one of the most throughly discredited organizations on the American public scene today.
Ray Jarman says
To say that he does not think he has the authority to remove Chaudry and other anti-Semitic scum is completely absurd. The Attorney General, Anthony Brown, surely has the authority to remove someone for cause and if calling Israel a NATZI state is not reason, then pray tell what is? One can be assured that if someone on the committee were to read certain passages from the unholy book of Satin called the Qur’an, he/she would be thrown off the committee quicker than a bridge falling into the Patapsco River.
A quote I read recently from the Gatestone Institute sums the situation up perfectly, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” — Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, December 10, 1986. This is exactly the action of the Maryland legislature. They are simply cowards.
James Lincoln says
The Gatestone Institute has some terrific articles.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/
Thanks for highlighting, Ray.
40 rounds says
Cair was on TV 666 times. How fitting.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Wait until it becomes 786! That number is one that muslims, especially from the sub-continent, are very superstitious about
Constance says
Why is that number so significant to the horde ?? Thanks, Infidel
somehistory says
I did a little search…without actually going to all those mozlum sites and getting cookies assigned to my computer….it seems that the number represents the foul name of their most foul fake prophet.
Kristen says
Precisely my thought! For the pro-jihadi, malignant vermin are the most *vile* of creatures.
somehistory says
It is the “wild beast” that makes 666, “a man’s number” so notorious for slaughtering so many “by the sword” .for refusing to bow to the “image of the beast.”
OLD GUY says
C.A.I.R. should be on the terror watch list and closed down as a hate group.
James Lincoln says
Yes, in a sane society, OLD GUY.