by Sperry, Paul
47 “An Explanatory Memorandum On the General Strategic Goal for the Group In North America,” 22 May 1991, 15. (Government Exhibit: 003-0085; 3:04-CR-240-G; U.S. v. HLF, et al.) One such “friendship society” is the Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations (CCMO), which does a lot of interfaith outreach and works closely with CAIR. CCMO Chair Asma Hanif last year proved just how insincere such interfaith dialogue is when she made the following remark on a Muslim blog: “It is written that the worst of Muslims is better than the best of non-Muslims. And so I want to go on record as saying that pious or not, the only thing that a non-Muslim man can personally do for me is to step out of the way of my Muslim Brothers.” (http://www.tariqnelson.com, 28 May 2008.)
CHAPTER EIGHT: CAIR’S TEN BIGGEST WHOPPERS
1 Ibn Taymiyah, The Sword on the Neck of the Accuser of Muhammad, 221.
2 “Urgent Fax Letter to CAIR Executive Director and Board Members,” Jameila Al-Hashimi, MBA, to Nihad Awad, et al, “Re: Profound Problems at CAIR,” 21 August 2000, 2.
3 Internal CAIR records show Hooper rode herd on convicted jihadist Royer’s appeal, personally speaking with his attorney, among other things. Hooper hired and rehired Royer around his protege’s jihadi tours in Bosnia. The two shared a burning passion over the Bosnian issue. In fact, Hooper early last decade was manager of communications and media relations for Islamic Information of Bosnian Relief Committee. Awad was coordinator of the committee.
4 Nihad Awad, “Muslim-Americans in Mainstream America,” The Link, February-March 2000, Volume 33, Issue 1.
5 U.S. Government Exhibit 016-0069, 3:04-CR-240-G, U.S. v. HLF, et al., FBI transcript of 2 October 1993 meeting, 15-20.
6 Nihad Awad, “Muslim-Americans in Mainstream America.”
7 In 2006, the latest IRS filing, CAIR National spent a whopping $100,000 for “research and information services.”
8 http://www.mca-sfba.org/guests/ibrahim_hooper.htm. Hooper also anonymously operates a blog touting the ancient holistic benefits of honey (he claims it can heal wounds better than conventional treatment methods involving modern medicine). The blog is located at http://www.apitherapy.blogspot.com. In Minneapolis, he owned a business dealing in halal foods – Halalco Export Management -- state business records show.
9 Paul Findley, Silent No More (Beltsville, Md.: Amana Publications, 2001), 215.
10 Written testimony of Nihad Awad before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, “Terrorism: Two Years after 9/11, Connecting Dots, American Muslim Community Under Seige,” 10 September 2003. Awad declined an invitation by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee to answer the charges under oath during a Sept. 10, 2003, hearing. He submitted written testimony instead. Later, when presented with evidence of the Holy Land check, Awad changed his story in supplemental testimony, stating: “CAIR is a nonprofit, grassroots organization. Our only source of income is through donations, and the amount in question was a donation like any other. HLF was not indicted for any criminal activities at the time of its donation in 1994, and its assets were frozen by the Justice Department seven years later in December 2001.” Why he stenuously denied the existence of the donation in his earlier testimony remains unexplained.
11 Boim v. Quranic Literacy Institute, et al., “Deposition of Omar Ahmad,” 133-134. During the 2003 civil deposition, CAIR founder Ahmad was asked, “Did they [HLF] give you any money to help start CAIR?” Ahmad replied unequivocally, “No.”
12 David Koenig, “Documents said to provide insight ino Hamas support in U.S.,” Associated Press, 26 August 2007.
13 Boim v. Quranic Literacy Institute, et al., OOC-2905, “Deposition of Nihad Awad,” 195 (E.D. CA October 22, 2003). Boim v. Quranic Literacy Institute, et al., OOC-2905, “Deposition of Omar Ahmad,” 221-225 (E.D. CA May 27, 2003). See Appendix for copy of Ahmad’s Courtyard Marriott reservation voucher.
14 “Important phone and fax numbers (Palestine Section/America),” U.S. Government exhibit 004-0001, 3:04-CR-240-G, U.S. v. HLF, et al., 2. (See Appendix.)
15 Boim v. Quranic Literacy Institute, et al., “Deposition of Omar Ahmad,” 122-123.
16 “Deposition of Omar Ahmad,” 196-199.
17 Letter from Powers to Sen. Jon Kyl, Senate Judiciary Committee, 28 April 2009.
18 “Demystifying ‘Urban Legends’ About CAIR,” 4.
19 “CAIR Staff Meeting, First Tuesday of the Month,” minutes, 1 May 2007, 1. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad opened the meeting. Under the heading, “Membership/Fundraising,” the minutes state that “CAIR has a total of 5,133 members.” (See Appendix.)
20 “CAIR Accuses Washington Times of ‘Agenda-Driven Reporting;’ Civil rights group says paper falsely suggested drop in its grassroots support,” CAIR, PRNewswire-USNewswire, 12 June 207.
21 Amicus Curiae Brief of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation, No. 3:04-CR-240 (TX ND), 14 August 2007. Alexandria, Va.-based lawyer Moffitt, who also defended terrorist Sami al-Arian, recently passed away.
22 “Demystifying ‘Urban Legends’ About CAIR,” 9.
23 Transcript of Hooper interview with radio host Keith Larson, WBT-1110 AM, Charlotte, N.C., 3 October 2006.
24 Sperry, Infiltration, 255-257.
25 Transcript of U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Virginia) speech, “Council on American-Islamic Relations – CAIR,” on floor of House of Representatives, 12 June 2009.
26 Transcript of Hooper interview with Tucker Carlson, “Tucker” show, MSNBC, 18 September 2006.
27 American Muslims: A Journalist’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims, CAIR, 2007, 35.
28 Sperry, Infiltration, 23.
29 Patrick Sookhdeo, Faith, Power and Territory: A Handbook of British Islam, (McLean, Va.: Isaac Publishing, 2008), 103.
30 Sperry, Infiltration, 21. Also: Transcript of speech by Ahmad Totonji, “The Universality of Islam,” Cornell University, 1971, 3. Totonji is chairman of ADAMS Center, the Brotherhood mosque that the FBI has agreed to do formal outreach with outside Washington.
31 Letter from Egyptian Ambassador (to U.S.) Nabil Fahmy to then CAIR Chairman Parvez Ahmed, 29 March 2007, 2.
32 American Muslims: A Journalist’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims, 37.
33 Emerson, “Grand Deception.” Sperry, Infiltration, xi.
34 Transcript of sermon by Wahhaj, “Stand Up for Justice,” Brooklyn, N.Y., VHS recording, IBTS Distributor, 8 May 1992.
35 Transcript of speech by Totonji, 7. “Do you Muslims marry more than one? Yes.”
36 Ann Rodgers and Bill Schackner, “Muslim writer embroiled in dispute at Morgantown mosque,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11 May 2004.
37 Shama Farooq, “Report on Meeting Between FBI Agents and Dr. Ahmed,” 3.
38 Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Quran (Beltsway, Md.: Amana Publishing, 1989), 195. Yusuf Ali in his commentary confirms that “some slight physical correction may be administered” against disobedient wives.
39 Ibid, 90.
40 Robert Spencer, “Beheading in Buffalo,” FrontPageMagazine, 18 February 2009.
41 Jamal Badawi, “Wife Beating in Islamic Perspective,” IslamOnline.net, 21 April 2004.
42 Muzammil Siddiqi, “Wife Beating in Islamic Perspective,” IslamOnline.net, 21 April 2004.
43 American Muslims: A Journalist’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims, 20, 48.
44 Imam Zaid Shakir, “Jihad or Terrorism?”
45 Ibid.
46 Wahhaj, “Stand Up for Justice.”
47 Sookhdeo, Faith, Power and Territory: A Handbook of British Islam, 104.
48 Wahhaj, “Stand Up for Justice.”
49 Ibid.
50 Imam Zaid Shakir, “Jihad or Terrorism?”
51 Transcript of speech by Totonji, 6.
52 American Muslims: A Journalist’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims, 40, 41.
53 Olivier Guitta, “The Cartoon Jihad: The Muslim Brotherhood’s
project for dominating the West,” The Weekly Standard, 20 February 2006, Volume 011, Issue 22.
54 “Rejoice! The good news of the establishment of the Khilafa,” Islamic Educational Services, Mt. Holly, N.J., 3.
55 FBI Hate Crime Statistics, http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2007/table_01.htm. Even in 2001, when anti-Islamic incidents saw a small spike, they still accounted for just 26 percent of total religious hate crimes, with anti-Semitic crimes making up the majority. CAIR acknowledged the most recent drop in anti-Muslim hate crimes with only “cautious optimism,” and demanded the FBI continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute anti-Muslim hate crimes.
56 “Hyping Hate Crime Vs. Muslims” (editorial), Investor’s Business Daily, 3 December 2007.
57 “CAIR’s Fuzzy Math” (editorial), Investor’s Business Daily, 23 May 2007. Also, Sperry, Infiltration, 263, 264.
58 “CAIR Maryland and Virginia Chapter 1st Leadership and Empowerment Conference.” In his presentation, Hooper described the “characteristics of a journalist” as follows: “They will expect you to do their work.” Also, the typical journalist “does little primary research,” so they are easy to spoonfeed info. Hooper has equally low regard for police. On Aug. 13, 2007, after an FBI agent visited CAIR’s headquarters, he cracked to Awad that the agent was “wet behind the ears” and probably only “a high school graduate.”
59 Ibid.
60 American Muslims: A Journalist’s Guide to Understanding Islam and Muslims, 29.
61 “CAIR Maryland and Virginia Chapter 1st Leadership and Empowerment Conference.” (Presentation by Rabiah Ahmed, former CAIR spokeswoman.)
62 Ibid.
63 “Media, PR and Politics,” 2nd Annual Caribbean Islamic Conference, 2.
64 Transcript of Hooper interview with Carlson, “Tucker” show, MSNBC, 25 July 2007.
65 Undercover video log (Chris Gaubatz) of Hooper at ISNA convention, 30 August 2008. Hooper’s wife, Rhonda Reese, also had been a regular speaker at ISNA conventions, conducting workshops on homeschooling to “help your child develop a stronger Islamic identity and get the information you need on integrating Islamic studies.” Hooper declined to be interviewed.
66 “CAIR Elects N.C. State Senator Larry Shaw as Board Chair,” CAIR, PRNewswire-U.S. Newswire, 3 March 2009. Shaw is listed as vice president of another nonprofit group called the Muslim Peace Foundation, which was started to “build alliances between people of all faiths who are working for the cause of peace and justice in this nation and worldwide.” According to its articles of incorporation recently filed with the District of Columbia, the entity lists CAIR’s Awad and Hooper as fellow officers. Its registered office is located at 227 Massachusetts Ave., SE, but the IRS says it “has not filed an application and has not been recognized as a tax-exempt organization.”
67 Author (Sperry) interview by phone, 22 March 2009.
CHAPTER NINE: PULLING THE CURTAIN BACK ON CAIR
1 Joshua Salaam, “Status Report,” CAIR Civil Rights Department, 27 June 2002, 1.
2 Memo from Iqbal to CAIR board, “Subject: Concern about CAIR Staff Turnover,” 7 September 2004, 1. (See Appendix.)
3 Salaam, “Status Report,” 2.
4 Email from Wazir to staff interns, along with Awad and other executives, “Subject: Regarding the Online Intern Profiles,” 16 July 2008.
5 http://themuslimguy.com/about-a.i.html
6 Jeff Brumley, “Chairman of Council on American-Islamic Relations resigns,” Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville), 8 July 2008.
7 Undercover video of Hooper taken by Chris Gaubatz at ISNA convention, 30 August 2008.
8 Ibid. Hooper declined comment, arguing he doesn’t talk to “Islamophobes.”
9 Letter from Haddadi to Omar Ahmad and Awad, “Subject: Discrimination at CAIR,” 19 March 2001, 1. (See Appendix.)
10 Ibid, 4.
11 “CAIR Staff Meeting,” minutes, 1 May 2007, 1. “CAIR has a total of 5,133 members.” (See Appendix.)
12 “CAIR Board Meeting,” minutes, Washington, D.C., 5-6 January 2002, 3.
13 “Council on American-Islamic Relations 2007-2008 Strategic Plan,” memo, Company Proprietary, 14 January 2007, 2. (“Long-term” goals.)
14 “The public naming of CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator has impeded its ability to collect donations as possible donors either do not want to give to them because they think they are a ‘terrorist’ organization or are too scared to give to them because of the possible legal ramifications of donating money to a ‘terrorist’ organization,” CAIR’s lawyers said in an amicus brief filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Also, a June 2009 ACLU report, “Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity: Chilling Muslim Charitable Giving in the ‘War on Terrorism Financing,’” complains that CAIR’s Dallas-Fort Worth chapter has suffered a drop in contributions since the naming of CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator. The ACLU reports the chapter president, Moufa Nahhas, saying the following: “Contributions to CAIR have gone down, so we can hire fewer people, can run fewer activities. People are afraid to come to events. Mosques are also hesitant to open the doors to us, to the organization. In Richardson (Texas, the headquarters of the Holy Land Foundation), the mosque doesn’t even want the administration of CAIR to come and pray there, because of fear.…People don’t want to serve on the board. They say they support us and want to help, but they don’t want to be named as a member of the board. People don’t want a letter or newsletter from CAIR coming to their house -- they don’t want their name on the mailings.”
15 “June 2002 Membership Status Report for Board Meeting,” 1. The 9,211 total includes 3,000 supporters CAIR could not locate, so the 9,211 total represents a cold, not active, list of members. In addition, CAIR counted family memberships twice, padding the total by 1,728.
16 Ibid. Map of CAIR’s “Members/Donors by State.” (See Appendix.)
17 Audrey Hudson, “CAIR Membership falls 90% since 9/11,” Washington Times, 12 June 2007, A01.
18 Salaam, “Status Report.”
19 CAIR IRS Form 990, 2006, 1. CAIR IRS Form 990, 2005, 1. CAIR IRS Form 990, 2004, 1.
20 CAIR IRS Form 990, 2006, 4, 31.
21 Ibid, 10.
22 CAIR IRS Form 990, 2006, 25. CAIR IRS Form 990, 2004, 14.
23 “CAIR Board Meeting,” minutes, 2.
24 See Appendix for internal CAIR listing of its investment properties (excluding the New Jersey Ave. headquarters property) plus current market value.
25 Letter from CAIR official Rizwan Mowlana to ADAMS Center Board of Trustees, RE: “Emergency Fund for CAIR MD/VA,” 11 March 2005. “I urge you to consider allocating us a sizeable donation.”
26 Letter from Haddadi to Omar Ahmad and Awad, “Subject: Discrimination at CAIR,” 4. “My interns are sent to grant-writing classes,” she complained, “and are givin the responsibility of researching and grant-writing on behalf of CAIR.” CAIR appears to have provided misleading information while applying for public grants. CAIR’s national office often shares its fundraising proceeds with its chapters, but at least one chapter repeatedly denied any such co-mingling of funds while soliciting grant money. “CAIR-MD [Maryland] does not receive any financial assistance from CAIR-National,” former CAIR-MD Executive Director Seyed Rizwan Mowlana wrote in a 2003 proposal to the National Conference for Community and Justice for a $100,000 grant to help fight “severe discriminatory backlash” against the local Muslim community. Also, in soliciting Muslim members for donations, Mowlana claimed: “CAIR-MD does not receive funds from CAIR-National, which means your donations keep us alive.” Yet that same year, Mowlana confirmed in a letter faxed to then-CAIR National Operations Director Khalid Iqbal terms of an agreement struck between headquarters and the chapter for revenue-sharing. In the letter, dated Nov. 10, 2003, Mowlana wrote that “ALL funds raised by CAIR-National [at Maryland mosques], including monthly pledges, will be split 60/40 (60 percent for CAIR-Maryland and 40% for CAIR-National).”
27 Notice of Mechanic’s
Lien, Mark Merino Construction vs. Council on American-Islamic Relations (453 New Jersey Ave.), Government of the District of Columbia, $1,918, 14 October 1999.
CHAPTER TEN: CAIR’S ARAB PAYMASTERS
1 Author (Sperry) interview by phone, 22 March 2009.
2 “Islamaphobic Smear Campaign Goes Public,” CAIR Press Release, 8 November 2001. More recently, in a statement made on its “Urban Legends” rebuttal now missing from its website, CAIR admits taking gifts from foreign individuals, but still denies they’re tied to foreign governments. “There is nothing criminal or immoral about accepting donations from foreign nationals,” CAIR maintained. “The U.S. government, corporations, and non-profit organizations routinely receive money from foreign nationals.”