Muslim Mafia (25 page)

One of its sister organizations, the Saudi-based International Islamic Relief Organization, is also a CAIR booster. Its American branch has contributed at least $17,000 to CAIR.
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IIRO’s northern Virginia office was twice raided by the FBI as part of a money laundering and terrorism investigation. Before 9/11, IIRO had helped fund six militant training camps in Afghanistan. And its branch in the Philippines was founded by bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Mohamed Jamal Khalifah, a senior al-Qaida member.
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Despite Khalifah’s deep involvement in terrorism, tellingly, CAIR founder and chairman Ahmad testified on his behalf after his arrest on terrorism charges, imploring that the al-Qaida leader had a “good reputation.” Asked about IIRO, Ahmad said, “I’m very familiar with their work. I work very closely with their office in Washington DC.”
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IIRO operates a dozen branch offices inside Saudi Arabia, each overseen by a member of the Saudi royal family. According to court records, the so-called charity is used by the Saudi government as an instrument to spread militant Islam.
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The Saudi pipeline to CAIR doesn’t end there.

CAIR also has received at least $250,000 from a Saudi-based bank headed by the former director of the Muslim World League, a charity founded by the Saudi royal family and overseen in part by the kingdom’s chief Islamic cleric, himself a government official. Osama bin Laden has identified the Muslim World League as a primary source of al-Qaida funds. Its U.S. offices also were raided after 9/11.

‘MULTIPLE INVESTORS AS CO-OWNERS’

Ahmad Mohamed Ali, the Muslim World League’s former secretary general, has served as president of the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank for more than twenty years. IDB originally donated a quarter of a million dollars to help CAIR purchase land in Washington to build its headquarters. The grant was announced at the time by the Saudi embassy.

The IDB is not like any bank. It has distributed more than $250 million to the families of Palestinian “martyrs” from two large
intifada
funds it manages—the Al-Quds Fund and the Al-Aqsa Fund, which get most of their contributions from the Saudi kingdom. It also has a special projects branch that funds projects in non-Muslim countries to propagate militant Islam.

Recent board meeting notes show that CAIR and IDB have discussed the creation of a “building endowment,” bringing in “multiple investors as co-owners” of CAIR’s portfolio of properties.

“Nihad (Awad) reported that IDB is evaluating the building proposal,” a copy of the minutes states, “and considering how the entity will be structured financially.”
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After the book
Infiltration
exposed its silent Dubai partner, CAIR created a limited-liability holding company to shield its real estate investors. The Greater Washington LLC was formed in Delaware, which allows the owners, managers, and directors of the LLC to remain anonymous.

However, CAIR doesn’t think the holding company goes far enough to protect its real estate assets from lawsuits. Its lawyers and accountants have warned of “liability concerns in case of lawsuit,” explaining that CAIR’s assets could be attached to a judgment for damages.

“Our accountant Joey Musmar has serious concerns if CAIR does not create a totally separate entity with (a) different board of directors for the holding company,” Awad wrote in a report to the board. “He strongly feels that the current proposed structure will not protect the properties unless there is a clear separation.”
²³

Before the recent real estate crash, CAIR estimated the combined value of its real estate assets—including its Capitol Hill headquarters—at almost $10 million.
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Most of its investment properties are DC townhouses, and include the following addresses (along with purchase price and date of purchase):

CAIR has also tried to acquire two additional properties on K Street, as well as one on Second Street, an internal spreadsheet listing its assets indicates. (See Appendix.)

QUID PRO QUO?

The large donations from individuals, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds closely identified with Arab governments have raised suspicions within the Justice and Treasury Departments that CAIR may be controlled by foreign states hostile to the U.S. and its interests.

Is CAIR doing their official bidding? Has it been wrongfully acting as a lobbyist or agent for foreign governments?

There’s no doubt the group has been acting as their mouthpiece in America. But there are signs it has engaged in political activities on their behalf that are in violation of its charter.

Consider its coordination with the OIC for starters. After receiving $300,000 from the fifty-seven-member Arab alliance, CAIR organized a workshop for its leaders on “Islamophobia” held at the Prince al-Waleed bin Talal Center for Christian-Muslim Understanding at Georgetown University in Washington. During their 2007 symposium, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and other participants made several recommendations, including:

During his visit to Washington, Ihsanoglu met with Awad at CAIR’s headquarters, where Awad briefed him about CAIR “providing training to the U.S. government’s agencies and departments including the State Department and Department of Homeland Security,” an OIC report says.
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While briefing the general secretary, Awad “emphasized the need for partnership with the OIC to counter the phenomenon of Islamophobia,” the report adds. “He stated the readiness of CAIR to extend all possible assistance to the OIC.”

Internal documents show Awad routinely receives Arab delegations in his office and has hosted dinners for the UAE and Pakistani ambassadors as well as the former president of Iran. CAIR’s office calendars also show high-level meetings at the UAE embassy and other Arab consulates.

In addition to the OIC, CAIR has brokered a “strategic plan on correcting the image of Islam and Muslims among the American public” with its paymasters in the UAE, who have a vested interest in changing perceptions in the wake of its failed bid to operate U.S. ports.

The Emirates fear that if that image is not repaired, their business interests will continue on a downward slide in America. CAIR’s leaders have promised to act as a bulwark against any further backlash, and described the planned $50 million endowment as more of a business contract than charity.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

“Do not think about your contributions as donations. Think about it from the perspective of rate of return,” former CAIR chairman Parvez Ahmed told finance ministers in Dubai, according to the Arab press. “The investment of $50 million will give you billions of dollars in return for fifty years,” if a sufficiently Arab-friendly environment can be created in America to allow
sheiks
to buy up key U.S. assets.
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In other words, investing in CAIR means having a reliable lobby for UAE business interests in Washington. CAIR’s leaders have clearly stated their intention to use UAE funds to promote UAE interests in America, even though CAIR is not a registered foreign agent or even lobbyist.

Likewise, CAIR receives generous Saudi funding, and turns around and defends and promotes the interests of the Wahhabi lobby.

For example, CAIR has attacked Freedom House reports exposing the Saudi government’s dissemination of hate literature in the U.S. The reports have documented clear examples of Saudi materials in mosques and Islamic schools advocating jihad against Jews and Christians and condemning Western societies.

Yet CAIR has pooh-poohed the findings. “The Freedom House report fails to rise to the level of an objective, unbiased, and academically worthy study,” sniffed CAIR board member Nabil Sadoun.
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Similarly, CAIR has downplayed revelations that textbooks used at the Islamic Saudi Academy in northern Virginia teach Muslim children that Judaism and Christianity are false religions. The
madrassa
, which has graduated terrorists, is run by the Saudi embassy.

CAIR actually helps the Saudi embassy spread its hateful ideology. According to correspondence obtained from CAIR’s executive files, CAIR routinely orders religious materials from the embassy to distribute to members and to use in converting Americans to Islam. Here’s one request made by a top CAIR official in a letter to the embassy:

“On behalf of CAIR, I would like to request the following: