In Defense of the Constitution


Anti-CAIR Press Release 022/03

September 1, 2003



     - CAIR Leader Sues for…Defamation?


     - Private Catholic High School Bars Wearing of Scarf, CAIR Cries Discrimination




CAIR Leader Sues for…Defamation?

     Mr. Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Southern California office of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR - Southern California) has sued Mr. Shawn Steel (former head of the California Republican Party) and National Review for falsely claiming that Mr. Ayloush co-hosted a May 1998 event where anti-Semitic comments were allegedly made.

     The lawsuit seeks compensation for; defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In addition, punitive damages are requested.


A close check of the facts by ACAIR has revealed:


1.  The event was CAIR sponsored.

2.  Mr. Ayloush has been a principal officer of the CAIR organization in California since at least March 1998  (This is two months before the May, 1998 event).  (He did not attend the event).  

3.  Mr. Ayloush has not sought to disassociate himself, or CAIR-Southern California from the comments made at the event by Mr. Wagdi Ghunaym (Egyptian militant Islamic leader).  At the event, Mr. Ghunaym called Jews “descendants of the apes”.  

4.  If Mr. Ayloush is not anti-Semitic, why did he not condemn this obviously anti-Semitic remark?  Did Mr. Ayloush complain to CAIR national headquarters about this remark?  Did he resign from CAIR-CA in protest over these disgusting words?  

     Mr. Ayloush must be aware that he is a principal officer in an organization that actively supports anti-Semitism?  He does know that CAIR supports Islamic terrorism, doesn’t he?  

     Mr. Ayloush refers to Israeli’s as zionazi's. Since it is safe to assume that Mr. Ayloush is not referring to Israelis of the Islamic faith, we infer that he is referring to Jewish Israelis? 


    It is safe to conclude:

1.  Mr. Steel owes Mr. Ayloush an apology for claiming Mr. Ayloush’s presence at the event.  (Is this really worth launching a lawsuit over?). 

2.  Mr. Ayloush owes an apology to Jewish Israeli’s for referring to them as “zionazi’s”. 


So…in the end, who is the bigoted member of a group that supports Hamas? 


     Yes, there is an apology to be made…and it isn’t Mr. Steel who should make it. 

    ACAIR’s prediction?  Mr. Ayloush will drop his lawsuit after milking it for all the free publicity he, and CAIR, can get. 





Private Catholic High School Bars Wearing of Scarf, CAIR Cries Discrimination

     An article in The Plain Dealer, tells the story of a young Muslim girl who has been banned from a private Catholic High School over the issue of wearing a head scarf, or hajib, to school.

     According to the article, Ms. Amal Jamal was asked to leave because she had chosen to begin wearing the scarf as her faith in Islam grew. She says she cannot go without her head covered in the presence of men.

     According to Sister Maureen Burke, Regina’s principal for 12 years,

 “Amal is a wonderful young woman. The family is very fine…But the uniform principle is very important to who we are as a Catholic school.”

     The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR); has weighed in on the matter. Mr. Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR spokesperson, had this comment;

 “It’s just ridiculous, you have a religious school denying a student the right to her religious belief.”

     “Denying a student the right to her religious belief”? How? Has the school told Ms. Jamal that she can no longer follow Islam? No. Has the school told her she must stop using the special room set aside for her use to pray in? No. The school has simply informed Ms. Jamal that she can not wear a head scarf as that is school policy. The Regina school handbook includes this rule,

“No hats, no bandannas or head wraps are permitted.”

     The bottom line? Regina High School is a private school that follows the dictates of the Catholic faith. Those who choose not to follow those dictates should seek an education elsewhere.

     ACAIR believes that this issue will be heating up in the next few weeks should Regina High refuse to recognize Ms. Jamal’s “right” to wear the head scarf.  We fully expect that CAIR will use this issue as another example of “discrimination against Islam”. 

     Isn’t it strange that CAIR expects every religion in the United States to accommodate the “rights” of Muslims while not recognizing the rights of other religions?  What would CAIR say should a Catholic student wish to impose their “rights” in a Muslim school? 

    What would Mr. Hooper say to that? 




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Andrew Whitehead

ACAIR
ajwhitehead@anti-cair-net.org

www.anti-cair-net.org






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