Message

Sure=20 thing Ann, I definitely want to hold true to reporting everything to you = guys. In this case it=92s very CAIR specific, because Congressman = Pat Meehan=20 got involved.

In=20 a nutshell:

Aaron=20 Proctor, an author for the Examiner.com from Delaware County PA, started = writing=20 articles on Examiner.com saying a terrorist organization (CAIR) was = having a=20 banquet. He repeatedly used libelous statements and called it a = =93terrorist=20 gathering=94. Our concern was, if someone who wasn=92t fully = mentally=20 =93together=94, would read that and act out on it, ie possibly create = violence at=20 our event.

I=20 wrote to the Examiner.com of our concerns, they suspended the writer, = deleted=20 the inflammatory articles, then reinstated him so long as he didn=92t = attack CAIR=20 or Muslims.

What=20 the writer was able to do was get the Congressman of the district, Rep. = Pat=20 Meehan, to issue a statement expressing =93concern=94 for our = banquet. He=20 smeared one of our speakers from a google search that had no fact=20 checking.

We=20 wrote a letter to Congressman Meehan but received no response. =20

Here=92s=20 some media attention the story received:

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/02/= 16/news/doc4d5b577a6d3f8741275116.txt?viewmode=3Dfullstory =20

I=20 can explain some of the details of the story if you=92d like. = Basically, a=20 lot of attacks against CAIR come from something that came out of the = Bush=20 administration several years ago. A Bush federal prosecutor was=20 prosecuting a Muslim charity for allegedly funding terrorism. In = doing so,=20 the prosecutor named 307, over 300, Muslim organizations and leaders who = he=20 thought =93might=94 be complicit. These 300 include the largest = Muslim=20 American organizations, including CAIR. This prosecutor released = this list=20 on the internet, and none of the 300 groups named have ever been able to = defend=20 themselves in a court of law. It=92s a smear tactic. Perhaps = Sharon or=20 an attorney could explain, I=92d be happy to also. Basically, an = appeals=20 court said CAIR and the other 300=92s rights were violated, but nothing = can be=20 done to reverse the smear damage.

Here=92s=20 another organization named on that smear list, ICNA, the Islamic Circle = of North=20 America. In a suburb of Los Angeles, they were planning a banquet = to raise=20 money for homeless and women=92s shelters. Here=92s the greeting = they=20 received:

http://www.youtube.= com/watch?v=3DNutFkykjmbM =20

Thanks,

Moein=20 M. Khawaja, Executive Director

Council=20 on American-Islamic Relations, Philadelphia=20 Chapter (CAIR-PA)

1218=20 Chestnut St. Ste 510, Philadelphia, PA 19107 =

Website:=20 pa.cair.com =

E-mail: =20 mkhawaja@cair.com =20

Tel: =20 215-592-0509

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advice. =20

From: Van Dyke, = Ann Marie=20 [mailto:avandyke@state.pa.us]
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 = 9:41=20 AM
To: Moein Khawaja
Cc: Winey, = Doreen
Subject:=20 RE: Question re the CAIR-PA Banquet