News
By Benjamin Baird, Middle East Forum
02-11-24
A controversial “Muslim civil-rights and advocacy” organization experienced a major blow to its reputation last week after the Florida House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution to denounce the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The rest of the country should follow suit and permanently blacklist this Hamas-linked Islamist group.
Introduced by State Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay), House Resolution 1209 encourages all state and local government agencies in Florida to “suspend contact and outreach activities” with CAIR, citing the group’s extensive history of terror connections and anti-Jewish bigotry. The non-binding resolution, which was passed 98-15, comes as CAIR faces growing public disapproval over its extremist rhetoric and record of pro-Hamas sympathies in the aftermath of Oct. 7, when Hamas massacred more than 1,200 men, women and children in southern Israel.
CAIR is no stranger to public disgrace. Throughout its tumultuous history, the Muslim nonprofit has faced legal scrutiny and survived multiple scandals, yet somehow remains the media’s go-to Islamic organization for any topic dealing with Muslims or the Middle East. Until recently, CAIR even belonged to a White House taskforce dealing with antisemitism.
In remarks delivered from the House floor, Fine noted that “this resolution seeks to follow the lead of a number of other states, and the FBI, and other countries around the world,” which have implemented policies forbidding contact with CAIR. Legislatures in Arkansas and Louisiana passed similar anti-CAIR bills years ago, and the United Arab Emirates labeled CAIR as a terrorist organization in 2014, citing its links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a global Islamic supremacist movement that includes Hamas.
The case against CAIR is laid out in 121 damning lines of text that make up HR 1209, which is supported by a robust staff analysis of the facts. The bill describes CAIR’s involvement as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a landmark terror finance case targeting the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a charity that was shut down and labeled a Specially Designated Terrorist Organization for funneling more than $12 million to Hamas. CAIR received startup money from HLF, and CAIR board member Ghassan Elashi was sentenced to a 65-year prison term for his part in the terror finance scheme.
Read the full article here: Florida House Passes Bill Slamming Hamas-Linked CAIR :: Middle East Forum (meforum.org)
