In Defense of the Constitution

News & Analysis
021/05  June 17, 2005



CAIR: Hurt Feelings in Lodi, California
 
        The federal government indicted a father and son from Lodi, California on 16 June on terrorism related charges:

        This is an example of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) getting around to doing its job properly; defending the United States from terrorist attacks.  The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has taken the usual tack of not addressing the crime and instead attacking the accuser.    

        These are the words of Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento chapter of CAIR:

“We have documented numerous reports of intimidating tactics used recently
by some FBI agents.  We’ve become disappointed and alarmed at reports of abuse
by local FBI.”

        And:

"There have been threats of deportation, telling someone they can't have an attorney,
when the attorney was on the phone they wouldn't speak to the attorney."

        In addition, Elkarra made allegations that law enforcement threatened to detain people for jaywalking; conducted surveillance of a mosque, and grabbed a youth by the arm. 

        During one arrest, according to Elkarra, agents "knew there were three females in the house and five children, but they still came in with guns”.

        CAIR alleges egregious violations of civil rights, but then, in our opinion, fails to provide any proof.  In the alleged case of the agents effecting an arrest with women and children in the house, would CAIR rather law enforcement knock politely and invite the terrorism suspect to come out for a quick chat on the stoop?  Or does CAIR believe that terrorism suspects in America should use women and children as human shields, as they do in Iraq and Gaza?

        What do local Muslims think of CAIRs interference?

        Apparently, not much. 

        According to the article, Lodi Muslims are not appreciative of CAIRs standing by the father and son as well as two local imams arrested on immigration violations.  Local Muslims plan to protest at the Sacramento office of CAIR.

        Lodi Muslim Mosque board member Nick Qayyum stated that the two imams:

"…divided our families -- brothers against brothers, sisters against sisters. If (CAIR) is going
to go out to support these people, we're going to protest…that's not a joke, either. 
As far as I'm concerned, (Khan and Ahmed) hijacked our religion and tried to hijack us “

        A sizeable proportation of Lodi Muslims have chosen to stand up to CAIRs hateful tactics, rightly pointing out that it is their community and that CAIR clearly is on the wrong side in this latest battle against Islamofascism.

        It looks to ACAIR that Lodi Muslims have rejected the hate, bigotry, and cheap tactics of CAIR; we’re happy to note this development and hope that this is a continuing trend in the American Muslim community ...






Andrew Whitehead
Director
Anti-CAIR (ACAIR)
ajwhitehead@anti-cair-net.org
www.anti-cair-net.org



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