Rep. Myrick was asked to respond to a press release put out by CAIR.  This is yet another example of the media facilitating the propaganda put out by CAIR - the propaganda of the terrorist organization Hamas in the United States.  Below is Rep. Myrick's response, along with some background information as to who CAIR really is.

 Statement:

“According to the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CAIR has documented ties to the terrorist organization Hamas. This documentation links back to covert FBI recordings of a meeting of Hamas operatives in Philadelphia in 1993 where the founders of CAIR were captured on tape discussing the need to set up a propaganda organization in America hiding behind a civil rights designation. These recorded conversations became public during a 2008 Dallas, Texas based trial of a small nonprofit group called the Holy Land Foundation, a trial that led to convictions on 108 counts of laundering $12 million to the terrorist group Hamas. The Department of Justice named CAIR as an un-indicted co-conspirator to the illegal activities in the trial. Shortly after the trial, the FBI severed all ties with CAIR. Following this, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), among other elected members of Congress, called for a government-wide ban of CAIR.  Recently, the FBI served a warrant for internal documents of CAIR, which implies an investigation.  When you ask me to respond to CAIR, you are asking me to reply to the propaganda put out by the propaganda arm of Hamas in the United States.  Let me do so, by publicly denouncing them for who they are – Hamas – and chiding the media outlets that do not know this for your failure to educate yourselves.  I have a strong working relationship with true moderate Muslims and Muslim organizations of which I am proud. CAIR is NOT one of those groups”.  

- US Representative Sue Myrick (NC-09)

Who Is CAIR?

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), CAIR has documented ties to the terrorist organization Hamas. This documentation links back to FBI covert recordings of a meeting of Hamas operatives back in 1993 in Philadelphia.  The founders of CAIR were captured on the recordings discussing the need to set up a propaganda organization in America hiding behind a civil rights designation.  These conversations became public during a 2008 Dallas, Texas based trial of a small nonprofit group called the Holy Land Foundation.  This trial led to convictions on 108 counts of laundering $12 million  to the terrorist group Hamas. The Department of Justice named CAIR as an un-indicted co-conspirator to the illegal activities in this trial.  

Shortly after the Holy Land Trial, the FBI severed all formal relations with CAIR.
(http://www.investigativeproject.org/985/fbi-cuts-off-cair-over-hamas-questions)

Shortly after the FBI action, several members of Congress and the Senate, a bipartisan effort, called for a government wide ban of CAIR.
(http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/misc/242.pdf)

Just recently, the FBI served a warrant for internal documents of CAIR. (http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/1109/FBI_moves_to_seize_CAIR_records_from_author.html)

A federal grand jury was recently convened on CAIR because the Department of Justice is investigating possible violations of federal laws barring financial transactions with terrorist groups and countries subject to U.S. sanctions, according to a new court filing. (http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0210/CAIRrelated_probe_focuses_on_possible_sanctions_violations.html)

In February, the Department of Justice reiterated CAIR’s ties with Hamas.
(http://www.investigativeproject.org/1854/doj-cairs-unindicted-co-conspirator-status-legit)


Following is a partial listing of some of the early leaders / founders of CAIR and their association with radical activities:

Mr. Bassam Khafagi
Former CAIR Director of Community Affairs
Convicted of Bank and Visa Fraud
Served 10 months in Prison and Deported

Mr. Randall “Ismail” Royer
Former CAIR Communications Director
Connected to a Jihad Network that trained to kill US Soldiers
Sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Mr. Ghassan Elashi
Founding Member of the CAIR Texas Chapter
Convicted of shipping high tech goods to Hamas in Syria

Mr. Siraj Wahaj
Former Member of the National Board of CAIR
Named Un-indicted Co-Conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombings

Mr. Rabih Haddad
Former CAIR Fundraiser
Faced Terrorism Charges
Deported

Mr. Omar Ahmad
Founder of CAIR and Former Chairman of the Board of CAIR
Named as Un-indicted Co-Conspirator in Holy Land Terrorism Trial
 

Following are some clear and concise quotations of CAIR officials themselves which show their true intentions and beliefs:

“Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant.  The Qur’an should be the highest authority in America.”  Omar Ahmad, founder of CAIR, San Ramon Valley (CA) Herald, July 4, 1998,

"I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future," he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune in a 1993 interview. "But I'm not going to do anything violent to promote that. I'm going to do it through education." Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR National Communications Director

"After I researched the situation inside and outside of Palestine, I am in support of the Hamas movement." Nihad Awad, CAIR incorporator and current executive director. March 22, 1994, Barry University, Florida