US government moves farther away from CAIR

© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C.

Warning: Do not meet with representatives of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a “Dear Colleague” letter sent yesterday to every U.S. House member says.

The three-page letter, a copy of which was obtained by WND, warns legislators to “think twice” about meeting with CAIR officials due to mounting evidence the group is tied to terrorists.

FBI officials have been canceling planned outreach events with CAIR chapters across the country, following a recent directive by FBI headquarters to sever ties with the group.

“The FBI has cut ties with them,” the congressional letter says. “There are indications that this group has connections to Hamas,” the Palestinian terrorist group.

The letter, signed by five Republicans, including the head of the House Anti-Terrorism/Jihad Caucus, is attached to an article by IPT News, a counter-terrorism news service. It notes that FBI field offices have sent letters to CAIR chapters explaining they can no longer pursue an outreach relationship, because of concerns about the CAIR national office in Washington.

The letter, written under the bold-faced title, “BEWARE OF CAIR,” was signed by Reps. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., co-chair of the Anti-Terrorism Caucus; Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich.; Trent Franks, R-Ariz.; Paul Broun, R-Ga.; and John Shadegg, R-Ariz.

CAIR, which claims to be a “moderate” voice for Muslim-Americans, declined comment.

The disengagement policy is a major change for the FBI, which has met regularly with CAIR officials since 9/11, mostly to hear complaints about terrorism investigations in the Muslim community. Bureau officials have even attended CAIR fundraisers.

FBI sources, however, say the new policy has not been uniformly followed since it was put into effect late last summer. They say there is still political resistance to the rule, which has generated complaints from some in the Muslim community.

The policy coincides with the successful prosecution of leaders of a large U.S. Muslim charity who were convicted this fall of funneling more than $12 million to Hamas suicide bombers and their families. CAIR and its co-founder Omar Ahmed were named as unindicted co-conspirators in the case against the Holy Land Foundation.

CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, moreover, was caught on tape participating in a meeting with Hamas leaders to mask the payments as charity. He once told a Muslim crowd: “I am in support of the Hamas movement.”

During court testimony, FBI agents described CAIR as a front group for violent extremists, casting doubt on CAIR’s repeated denials that it supports terrorism.

Meanwhile, former clients of CAIR are suing it for criminal fraud.

In a recently filed class-action lawsuit, several Muslims say CAIR, which describes itself as an advocate for Muslims, fraudulently took thousands of dollars from them in exchange for help in attaining U.S. citizenship.

According to the federal lawsuit filed in Washington, CAIR directed an unlicensed lawyer to handle their immigration cases. The phony lawyer proceeded to steal their money while bungling their cases, the suit charges.

When the victims threatened to talk to the press, the suit also alleges, CAIR’s board threatened to sue them and coerced them into signing release agreements.

CAIR said in a statement that while the lawyer was unlicensed, it fired him and did not try to cover up the scandal. It also maintained that it offered to pay restitution to the defrauded Muslim immigrants.