Keeping an Eye On CAIR: Part I

And CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, does bear watching for several reasons, including their support of and ties to terrorist groups, their propaganda efforts in support of Wahabbi Islam, and their efforts to change the laws and culture of America. I previously posted on CAIR here, and most recently here, on their disgraceful part in promoting the canard of Israeli wrongdoing in making repairs to a walkway near the Temple Mount. Maverick News Network recently covered CAIR's support of convicted terrorist supporter Sami Al-Arian.

CAIR's latest act, shown in their post here, involves an attempt to change the laws and culture of the United States.

CAIR has asked the FBI to investigate a video on MySpace as a civil rights violation. The video, called "Kill the Koran," shows a Koran being shot and then deposited on the steps of a Mosque. Certainly while this may be distasteful to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, that alone does not constitute a civil rights violation. To the extent that CAIR is arguing that any desecration of the Koran should be a violation of law, they are in essence enlisting the FBI to help impose - by law or by coercion -- Sharia law in the U.S. Under Sharia, the Koran is considered holy and its desecration is a punishable sin. Under U.S. secular law, you of course, as the NYT will tell you, have a First Amendment right to speak out symbolically by showing such things as a cross in a glass of urine. I see no difference here.

The closest possible basis for a civil rights violation arises from the burning of a cross. In 2003, the Supreme Court held, in Virginia v. Black, that states can explicitly outlaw the burning of a cross on someones lawn, largely because the well known historical basis for that act was illegal coercion. But it is a far cry from that one exception to the rule to now say that the destruction of any religious icon amounts to coercion and is a civil rights violation. Indeed, CAIR cannot even claim coercion in this case since it is they, not the attendees at the mosque, who have brought this matter to the FBI. Moreover, the title of the video was "Kill the Koran," not "Kill Muslims." That also vitiates against any finding of coercion as opposed to simple exercise of free speech.

While CAIR could publicly condemn this act -- and I for one would join them in such condemnation -- instead they vastly, and foolishly, overreach. They have no right or basis to make the desecration of the Koran a crime in America.

I would urge you, if you see the actions of CAIR as a threat, to tell the same to your elected representatives, and ask them to make sure that our tools of government are not being improperly enlisted to further the goals of CAIR and Wahabbi Islam.

White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Sen: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Representative: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Update: There is an excellent post from Martin McBride on the MNN site that strongly urges that anyone concerned about CAIR start attending their local functions and document for the world what is going on. I could not agree more. Here is the link to Mr. McBrides post.