Islamophobia : US Muslim Advocacy Group Targetted By Politicians

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is the latest victim of the paranoia

regarding Muslims and Islam which has been sweeping through the US in recent years. Unfortunately, this time, it looks like the proponents of the suspicion are not only the usual culprits; the right-leaning conservative media (Fox News et al), but
rather politicians.

Four members of the US House of Representatives: John Shadegg of Arizona, Paul Broun of Georgia, Trent Franks of Arizona and Sue Myrick of North Carolina, all Republicans, have requested an official investigation into CAIR on the basis that it is planting staff and interns in congressional offices.

Their source for these claims is a recently published book, Muslim Mafia: Inside the
Secret Underworld that’s Conspiring to Islamize America, written by anti-Islam
activist Dave Gaubatz, who wrote in the run-up to last year’s US elections that “a vote
for Hussein Obama is a vote for Sharia law.” Ironically, Gaubatz researched for his book by infiltrating CAIR by planting himself undercover as a staff member at the
organisation, and collecting some 12,000 pages of documents from its headquarters
(CAIR are pursuing legal action against him). The forward to his book is written by
Ms.Myrick, who has since admitted that several of the claims it contains are
unverified and need to be more thoroughly checked by others.

Ibrahim Hooper, the communications director of CAIR, ridiculed the claims. “All they can come up with is that we are political active,” Hooper said. “The terror threat is
that Muslims are politically active.”

Rep Keith Ellison of the Democrats read out a statement in Congress, issued by anorganisation which represents 87 US lawmakers, which denounced the claims: “These charges smack of an America 60 years ago where lists of ‘un-American’ agitators were identified. We should be affirming the importance of diversity and tolerance for all interns and staff who serve in Congress without suspicion of being identified as ‘spies’... The idea that we should investigate Muslim interns as spies is a blow to the very principle of religious freedom that our Founding Fathers cherished so
dearly. If anything, we should be encouraging all Americans to engage in the US political process, to take part in, and to contribute to, the great democratic experiment that is America.”

Senior CAIR members including Hooper have received death threats which are being
investigated by the FBI. (Muslimnews/voa-islam)

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