AP recommends Islamist group, CAIR
At the end of a Feb. 2 Associated Press article about the Islamic rite of passage known as “Ameen,” readers are referred to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Web site.
The Associated Press routinely directs readers to internet sites related to the content of their article— but is CAIR merely a resource for info about Islam? Hardly!
For one, the organization is thought to have close ties to Islamic terrorists. (See, for example, this sworn testimony before a U.S. Senate panel on 9/10/03.)
Furthermore, CAIR is as much an political advocacy group as it is a resource on Islam. At the CAIR Web site, before arriving at information about the Quran and related material, the visitor finds material – “current action alerts” – advocating the defeat or promotion of particular legislation related to the U.S. war on terror and other political issues.
CAIR’s actions over the years have included a number of unsubstantiated persecution charges. For example, on July 10, 2004, CAIR claimed a hate crime took place involving arson at a Muslim-owned grocery store in Everett, Washington. But investigators quickly determined that Mirza Akram, the store’s operator, staged the arson to avoid meeting his scheduled payments and to collect on an insurance policy. Everett’s daily newspaper, the Herald, reported on the federal court charges against Mr. Akram and his accomplice.
Is this really the type of organization that AP wants to promote?
(Additional information about CAIR can be obtained at CAMERA’s Web site.)
More from SNAPSHOTS
Double Standards: Boycotts and Discrimination in MassLive
May 16, 2025
Anti-Israel activists, including Harvard University’s Lara Jirmanus, a clinical instructor, seem to struggle with the concept of “discrimination.” Quoted in a May 14 MassLive article, “Harvard ‘failed to respond’ to 450 discrimination complaints. Staff hand-delivered [...]
Swarthmore Students Are Learning: It Was Never About Palestinian Rights
May 14, 2025
Students at Swarthmore College are so close to understanding the conflict. An article in the Swarthmore Phoenix details the frustrations of student activists with the college’s Students for Justice in Palestine. The gist of their criticism is [...]
AFP Arabic Stops Mislabeling Northern Israeli Communities ‘Settlements”
August 10, 2021
A view of Metulla, northern Israel (Photo by Hadar Sela)After failing to set the record straight last May when Agence France Presse's Arabic service repeatedly referred to Jewish communities in northern Israel as "settlements," the [...]
NY Times Praises Ilhan Omar’s Book While Glossing Over Her Antisemitism
August 19, 2020
A recent New York Times book review boosts Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) autobiography while glossing over her antisemitism. In the paper’s Aug. 16, 2020 edition, NYT reporter Christina Cauterucci writes: The memoir offers breathing room [...]
When TV Interviews of Ilhan Omar Constitute Journalistic Malpractice
August 11, 2020
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) documented animosity toward Jews and Israel was ignored in recent interviews by MSNBC and C-SPAN. MSNBC’s The Beat for July 23, 2020 included host Ari Melber’s 10-minute conversation at 6:16 [...]
Boston TV Station WCVB Teamed Up With Terrorist Supporter CAIR
July 7, 2020
WCVB-TV (channel 5) (Boston’s ABC network affiliate) recently misled area viewers about a matter involving antisemitic propaganda. This occurred on its local Sunday show Cityline hosted by Karen Holmes Ward who is described by the [...]
Harper’s Magazine Echoed Palestinian Propaganda Condemning Israel And America
June 2, 2020
Writing in Harper's, Kevin Baker condemns the U.S. Middle East peace plan [“The Striking Gesture,” Easy Chair, May 2020], mischaracterizing it as, “Give up all your [Palestinian] hopes and your holiest places, embark on a [...]