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March 12, 2007—The Washington Times today reported that a House Democrat has arranged for use of a conference room in the United States Capitol by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR is a Muslim advocacy group that refuses to denounce Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations. The Times indicated that CAIR officials have been charged, and in some cases convicted of offenses related to or supporting terrorism. Moreover, CAIR was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit related to the 911 attacks.
Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) said, “It absolutely boggles my mind that some American lawmakers refuse to make a moral distinction between peaceful and tolerant countries like Israel and non-state terrorist groups that are supported by countries like Iran and Syria. It is a disgrace that a group such as CAIR has been ushered in by an elected official to speak in the United States Capitol building. I urge Speaker Pelosi to make the moral distinction between peaceful people and those who condone terrorism, to wash her hands of groups who do not make the distinction, and to revoke this privilege given to CAIR.”
Nihad Awad, Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and presenter at tomorrow’s Democrat-sponsored meeting in the Capitol, said, “I am in support of the Hamas movement,” at a symposium at Barry University in March 1994.
“At the Islamic Association of Palestine's third annual convention in Chicago in November 1999, CAIR [co-founder] Omar Ahmad gave a speech at a youth session praising suicide bombers who ‘kill themselves for Islam.’ ‘Fighting for freedom, fighting for Islam — that is not suicide. They kill themselves for Islam,’ he said.” (The Washington Times, 3/16/04)
Congressman Franks is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, is a member of the Committee on Armed Services, Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Committee on the Judiciary, is Ranking Member on the Constitution Subcommittee, and member of the Anti-Terrorism Caucus
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