The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on the Anti-DefamationLeague to retract a statement against the proposed Islamic center close to the 911 site. According to the CAIR statement:
A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy group today called on the Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to retract its statement against the construction of an Islamic community center in New York City. The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the ADL acknowledged that Muslims have the right to build the center, that the planned 13-story building is designed to send a “positive message about Islam” and that “bigotry” has been expressed by opponents, but that “ultimately this is not a question of rights.” A number of commentators have slammed the ADL for apparently caving in to a vocal smear campaign waged against the center by anti-Muslim bigots. “It is shocking that a group claiming to seek ‘justice and fair treatment for all’ would side with those engaged in one of the most egregious Islamophobic smear campaigns in recent memory,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We ask the ADL to reconsider and retract this ill-considered and divisive statement. With its shameful statement, the ADL is exploiting and fueling the rising level of anti-Islam sentiment in our society.” Awad urged ADL members to contact the Jewish group’s leaders to express their opposition to the statement against the Islamic community center. He added that officials of a Texas mosque targeted by arson and hate graffiti say the attacks may be linked to the New York City mosque controversy. Awad also noted opposition to the construction or expansion of mosques nationwide and a planned “Burn the Koran Day” in Florida.
Documents released in the Holy Land Trial have revealed that the founders and current leaders of CAIR were part of the Palestine Committee of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as identifying the organization itself as being part of the US. Brotherhood. A recent post discussed an interview with the Deputy leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in which he confirms a relationship between his organization and CAIR. Investigative research posted on GMBDW had determined that CAIR had it origins in the U.S. Hamas infrastructure and CAIR and its leaders have a long history of defending almost all individuals accused of terrorism by the US. government, frequently calling such prosecutions a “war on Islam.”