The Council on American Islamic Relations, a part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood, has responded to criticism of its role in supporting terrorism by citing it’s history of involvement with U.S. government agencies. Responding to a letter written about CAIR by well-known critic Steve Emerson titled “Don’t soft pedal group’s ties to radical Islam”, the group responded with an article posted on their website which included the following statement:
Unlike Mr. Emerson, others in a position to know a thing or two about terrorism — the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security — work regularly with the Council on American Islamic Relations and CAIR chapters nationwide on issues related to civil rights and national security. CAIR’s stance on terrorism is clear and consistent. We condemn all forms of terrorism unequivocally and without reservation.
The statement shows the great importance placed by global Muslim Brotherhood groups on their relationships with government agencies which are then used to establish their legitimacy and to deflect criticism. A recent post showed this same defense mechanism in use by an Italian Brotherhood organization. Another post has illustrated how this defense is then picked up by a wider audience. In fact, CAIR has a long history of support for terrorism which includes organizational ties to Hamas infrastructure, helping to fundraise for Hamas, frequent defense of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist suspects, and opposition to virtually all anti-terror efforts by the U.S. government.