For the past couple of years, I have been writing about the outrageous events and speakers being brought to UC-Irvine by the campus Muslim Student Union. I have posted many of my comments on the Red County blog of Orange County, a center-right blog. This has led many back and forth exchanges with other Red County readers, most agreeing with my posts, some disagreeing.
One of the figures who has occasionally commented in defense of the MSU and accused its critics of being anti-Muslim is none other than the local attorney for CAIR (Council of Islamic American Relations), Todd Gallinger.
Guess who is running for the Irvine City Council.
Not only is Mr Gallinger running for the City Council, he is upset that one of the incumbents running for re-election, Dr Steven Choi, recently spoke to a group of people and warned them about voting for someone who is associated with a "dangerous" organization (Gallinger-CAIR). Gallinger and CAIR are demanding an apology from Choi, which Choi refuses to give.
(CAIR's website today is reporting that Gallinger has just received a telephone death threat from an unidentified person. If that is the case, I certainly condemn it.)
Here's my 2 cents worth. CAIR insists that it is a moderate group which represents mainstream Muslims. It says it condemns terrorism (in all its forms), which, in my view, is a convenient add-on that opens the door to equate Israel with Islamic terrorism. Its Communications Director, Ibrahim Hooper, has refused to condemn Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. In addition, CAIR has engaged in lawsuits on behalf of US Muslims alleging discrimination and racial profiling. One example is the case of the "Flying Imams".
Finally, CAIR was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Homeland Foundation charities case.
Gallinger himself has participated in some of CAIR's lawsuits including suits against the Dept of Homeland Security and the FBI over those agency's roles in alleged delays in processing citizenship applications of Muslims due to background checks.
He also was involved in a lawsuit against Yale University Press representing a group called KinderUSA and trying to stop publication of a book entitled; "Hamas:Politics, Charity and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad", by Matthew Levitt, who is director of the Stein Program on Terrorism, Intelligence and Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. This book linked KinderUSA to groups raising money for terrorism under the guise of charity. The case was settled in August 2007. An article from the New Haven Independent dated 5-9-07 by Paul Bass entitled; "Alleged terror front group sues Yale Press" may be found at the below website:
http://newhavenindependent.org/archives/2007/05/hamas_terrorism.php
As for CAIR, it is fair and accurate to say that it is under a great deal of suspicion. Many of its critics charge that CAIR is connected to terrorist organizations overseas, which CAIR denies.
So, is CAIR a "dangerous" organization? I don't know, but I would be very comfortable in saying that CAIR is a suspicious organization.
Which means that I would not be voting for Mr Gallinger. But, of course, I don't live in Irvine anyway.
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations Created For Hamas
Federal Bureau of Investigation recorded evidence places CAIR founders Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad at a Philadelphia meeting of the radical Muslim Brotherhood's "Palestine Committee". According to the FBI, "all attendees of this meeting are Hamas members or sympathizers."
An Investigative Project on Terrorism report on the HLF trial reveals that FBI agent Lara Burns testified CAIR's Omar Ahmad was "a leader of the Palestinian committee".
In FBI wiretaps of various telephone conversations and the "Philadelphia Meeting" surveillance, CAIR Chairman Emeritus and Founder Omar Ahmad appears to lead, organize, and call votes on the many issues that members discussed. The extent of Omar Ahmad's involvement in this secret committees' activity has shown to be vast and at a top level. There is a clear reason Omar Ahmad is listed as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the Holy Land Foundation trial.
It should be noted that the FBI identifies Omar Ahmad also as "Omar Yehya". Omar Ahmad acknowledged his alias in a 2003 deposition:
"Some people call me Omar Yahya [sic] because it's like one of my middle names"
In September of 1993, "Omar Yehya" (Ahmad) discussed the participants, agenda, and organizing the program format of the "Philadelphia Meeting". Omar Ahmad mentions that "four or five" IAP members would attend and indicates he will get "Nihad" to write a paper for the meeting.
"I mean the Association [IAP] organization will write a paper and the Fund will write one and Al Aqsa will write one"
In September 2008, FBI agent Lara Burns reviewed wiretap transcripts during the new trial of the Holy Land Foundation, specifically from the event called the "Philadelphia Meeting" in which among other things, the participants discussed the need to create a new political organization.
"In my opinion, we must form a new organization for activism which will be neutral because we are placed in a corner, ... It is known who we are, we are marked and I believe that there should be a new neutral organization which works on both sides."
Furthermore, Omar Ahmad discussed forming a lobbying group that would "bolster our position in America with the U.S. Administration and other media and political organizations." (Note: Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad formed CAIR the following summer.)
"This can be achieved by infiltrating the American media outlets, universities and research centers ... if Muslims engage in political activism in America and started to be concerned with Congress and public relations we will have an entry point to use them to pressure Congress and the decision-makers in America"
Omar Ahmad (A.K.A. "Omar Yehya") and Shukri Abu Baker discussed with others at the Philadelphia Meeting the need to hide their affiliation with Hamas by using the name "Samah" instead.
Shukri Abu Baker explains:
"Samah ... Samah is classified a terrorist (organization). By constitution, by law, if I wanted to adopt it's work, they kick me out, they kick me out of this country..."
Shukri Baker later makes additional comments:
"I cannot say to him that I am Hamas."
"You can go meet a congressman in your name, in Omar Yehya's name of the Association...and tell him, '(Yassir Arafat) doesn't represent us. Mr. Ahmad Yasin represents us'"
(A committee member objects):
"You cannot say that ..."
The FBI points out that "Ahmad Yasin" is none other than Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - the founder and spiritual leader of Hamas. Yassin was assassinated in 2004 by Israeli Forces. Here is clear evidence that the men of the Palestine Committee including CAIR founders Omar Ahmad and Nihad Awad, considered themselves "represented" by the head of Hamas - Ahmad Yassin.
At the Philadelphia Meeting, Omar Ahmad discussed the ease of "registering" organizations in America. He then mentioned not having enough people to do the type work they want to "hide".
"Registering an organization is easy. I can register 100 organizations in 100 cities in one day..."
"I mean, we don't really have available people whom we could dedicate for the work we want to hide..."
A NEFA Foundation analysis of the meeting in Philadelphia reveals that the group discussed a "rumor" circulating that a new organization was being formed, causing some concern among members. Omar Ahmad tried to quell the talk of this new organization; however, Shukri Baker expressed a real need for a new group because current organizations may be viewed as too "Islamic."
Shukri Baker speaks of not "hoisting the Islamic Flag" to keep an organization's true nature from being revealed. Baker speculates they'd be:
"unable to work because all of us have become burned, all of our organizations are purely Islamic organizations..." "we should start right now ... begin thinking about establishing alternative organizations ...whose Islamic hue is not very conspicuous."
Omar Ahmad then had an interesting exchange with Shukri Abu Baker:
Baker: “I swear by Allah that war is deception,”...“We are fighting our enemy with a kind heart ... Deceive, camouflage, pretend that you’re leaving while you’re walking that way. Deceive your enemy ...”
Ahmad: "I agree with you. Like they say, politics is a completion of war"
It should be noted that in a 2003 deposition, Omar Ahmad stated that he "can't recall attending this meeting". Nihad Awad, also in a 2003 deposition, said he couldn't remember if he attended the Philadelphia Meeting either, even though he was an active and vocal participant at the event.
The FBI revealed that HLF paid the airline tickets and hotel bills for Omar Ahmad's attendance of the Philadelphia meeting. The Holy Land Foundation also provided CAIR with a "donation" check for $5000 in October of 1994.
In February of 1994, "Omar Yehya" (Ahmad) discussed the Hamas Charity Al Aqsa Fund with other members including the transfer of Holy Land Foundation money to Sheikh Jamil Hamami's [Islamic Culture and Science Society] and that HLF would represent and oversee it's interests in America. Omar Ahmad (Yehya) calls a vote for the following decision:
"Sheik Jamil's program is to proceed as is, but under the name of the Holy Land Foundation Fund.And that the one which will oversee the program is the Holy Land Foundation and that the funds
will be collected ...we leave the agreement concerning the funds to be between him and the Holy Land Foundation"
Omar Ahmad's involvement in the business of HLF continued throughout the 1990's. In May of 1999, FBI wiretaps disclosed "Omar Yehya" (Ahmad) discussing Holy Land Foundation records with Shukri Baker including how many thousands of dollars to pay a member:
"We reviewed the Holy Land record for the past 3 years and the brothers sat down and your due compensation is 20,000 for the past 3 years"
The FBI began investigating the actions of future CAIR officials during a time when they were clearly active working for the interests of Hamas here in America. It can only be concluded through FBI evidence that Omar Ahmad's and Nihad Awad's interests were based in supporting Hamas.
CAIR officials and members try to deflect these glaring facts with ridiculous statements on CAIR's "work" as the "largest American Muslim advocacy organization," all the while denying that events like the Philadelphia Meeting - that obviously inspired the creation of CAIR to support Hamas - took place the way that FBI evidence, and not CAIR spin, reveals.
Omar Ahmad expressed how easy it was to "register organizations" here in America, and proved it by creating many CAIR Chapters across the country (including Canada) - apparently for the nefarious purpose of supporting Hamas goals.
The Truth exposed by FBI investigations that snared CAIR founder and Chairman Emeritus Omar Ahmad - a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood's clandestine "Palestine Committee" - and partner Nihad Awad, flies in the face of CAIR's denials.
CAIR, in its own words, supports those working from within to damage our country.
We have been warned ...
http://www.anti-cair-net.org/FBItiesCAIRHamas
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