There were two big developments today in the attempt to shut down debate about Islamic terrorism.
First, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch fulfilled her promise to excise from the transcript of the Orlando terrorist’s 911 police tape all references to Islam and ISIS. After intense and near universal criticism and mockery from across the political spectrum, DOJ relented and included the references.
Second, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which the United Arab Emirites declared a terror group, released a report titled Confronting Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact on the U.S. 2013-2015. The Report, produced jointly with the U.C. Berkeley Center for Race and Gender, was published on a website run by CAIR called Islamophobia Monitor, with the url islamophobia.org. A pdf. of the report is here
The report has a laundry list of groups that CAIR claims spread hate of Muslims, then combines their budgets for 20113-2015, and declares that $205,000,000 was spend promoting Islamophobia (emphasis mine):
According to a report released today by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Center for Race and Gender at UC Berkeley, 33 Islamophobic groups had access to at least $205 million in total revenue between 2008-2013.The report, titled “Confronting Fear,” also presents a four-point strategy designed to achieve a shared American understanding of Islam in which being Muslim carries a positive connotation, and in which Islam has an equal place among the many faiths that together constitute America’s pluralistic society.
Significantly, CAIR highlights the role Hatem Bazian:
“The work of the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at UC Berkeley is enriched and inspired by the partnership and the hard work undertaken jointly with CAIR to produce another annual report that exposes the bigotry-producing industry in America while providing opportunities and strategies on how best to reclaim an open, democratic and religiously-inclusive society,” said Dr. Hatem Bazian, director of the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race and Gender at UC Berkeley.Bazian added: “The hope is that this report and others like it will provide the needed grounding for communities across the country to use for effective engagement with policy makers, educators, civil society leaders, and media outlets. Education and applied research is the best avenue to uplift and bring about a social justice transformation in society and this report is a step in that direction.”
Hatem Bazian is one of the founders of the viciously anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine and is notorious for his incitement against Israel on campuses.
The list produced by CAIR of supposedly Islamophobic organizations includes Fox News, The Washington Times, The American Center for Law and Justice (which defends religious and First Amendment freedoms), The David Horowitz Freedom Center, and a host of other groups and blogs which focus on Islamic terrorism.
The individuals listed include Fox News’ Roger Ailes, Lauren Green and Brian Kilmeade, former Congressman Allen West, Representative Peter King, radio talk show hosts Mark Levin (his show is listed as a group) and Glenn Beck, conservative blogger Steven Crowder, and numerous Muslims or former Muslims who seek reformation of Islam away from violent Jihad and Sharia law, such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
There is a unifying theme for almost everyone and group listed — they are political opponents of CAIR, and there is little to no proof presented that they hate or instill hatred of Muslims, as opposed to Islamic radicals and jihadists.
CAIR also attempts to censor opposing viewpoints with its Islamophobia claims:
This is what CAIR does. It seeks to shut down debate about Islamic radicalism by tagging those who oppose them as Islamophobic. This is a tactics used by other leftist groups, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Center for American Progress, which have produced similar “Islamophobia” reports and lists.
As with the Obama administration, CAIR views the true threat not as being the person who shoots up a gay nightclub while proclaiming that he is fulfilling the will of Allah and pledging allegiance to ISIS. No, to the CAIRs and Obamas of the world, calling attention to the Islamist connection is the greatest threat.
This is a bogus report — but I’m thrilled it came out on the same day as the government attempted to censor the Orlando terrorist’s own words about his allegiance to Islamist radicals.
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