CAIR Instructs Muslims to Obstruct FBI

Paranoia is now seeping into the American Muslim population in San Francisco. These are Nixonian times. Every glance, every motion, indeed their very presence is looked on with suspicion. There hasn’t been a terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11, but that hasn’t stopped the witch hunt FBI mentality.

The CAIR poster instructs American Muslims to take an obstructionist stance with the FBI: to remain silent and tell them nothing. The poster itself is adapted from one created in the 70s. The use of the poster seems blatantly provocative even though it was used in solidarity with groups targeted by the FBI.

It was meant to prevent an event called “FBI Raids and Grand Jury Subpoenas: Know Your Rights and Defend Our Communities,” in which the keynote speaker will be Hatem Abudayyeh, whose house was raided by FBI agents. Abudayyeh is a CAIR activist and Palestinian community organizer.

This event is a response to recent raids in Chicago and Minneapolis, where activists are said to have been supporting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). FARC is a Marxist-Leninist guerrilla army which engages in kidnappings, robberies and extortion. They’re known for extorting corporations and agribusinesses. PFLP is a Marxist Palestinian group that has been declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other countries, and is said to have provided material support to groups like Hamas.

CAIR believes that they are being persecuted because of their anti-war position. Both groups are recognized for their anti-Western imperialism sentiment and their willingness to back it up with weapons and force.

It seems rather absurd that CAIR’s Executive Director Ahmed Rehab would characterize the raids as unlawful since the activists are merely peaceful anti-war activists. Any individual has the right to associate with whatever individuals or groups they like. But, if one decides to associate with FARC and PFLP, expect the FBI to zero in on your activity. A federal judge authorized the search warrants, so there might in fact be something there.

There is nothing wrong with CAIR instructing Muslims to refuse to talk with the FBI, but peaceful activism on behalf of Palestine and western meddling in Latin America can be done without associating oneself with terrorist organizations. And so it seems clear that CAIR’s methods are counter-intuitive. Further, it seems that the FBI will probably win this battle in court, though it remains to be seen whether CAIR is telling the truth.

CAIR has since removed the poster from their website after criticism, though they have noted it was misinterpreted.