Newsweek reports California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer recalled an award she gave to an Islamic activist because of his ties to Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR):
Boxer’s office confirmed to NEWSWEEK that she has withdrawn a “certificate of accomplishment” to Sacramento activist Basim Elkarra after learning that he serves as an official with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). After directing her staff to look into CAIR, Boxer “expressed concern” about some past statements and actions by the group, as well as assertions by some law enforcement officials that it “gives aid to international terrorist groups,” according to Natalie Ravitz, the senator’s press spokeswoman.CAIR, which has 32 offices around the country and bills itself as the leading Muslim-American civil- rights group, has never been charged with any crimes, nor have any of its top leaders. But a handful of individuals who have had ties to CAIR in the past have been convicted or deported for financial dealings with Hamas—another reason cited by Boxer for her action. The senator directed her staff to withdraw the certificate—which she routinely gives to community leaders in California—and asked that a statement she had previously made endorsing CAIR be stricken from the group’s Web site, Ravitz said in an e-mail.
Too little too late. Last month, Boxer sent CAIR a letter endorsing the group as a “constant support system for the American Muslim community” and praising it for its work on civil liberties:
"As an advocate for justice and greater understanding, CAIR embodies what we should all strive to achieve," Boxer wrote in the Nov. 18 letter.
Boxer blames her staff, claiming she never saw the letter endorsing CAIR or the now withdrawn award to Elkarra:
I feel terrible about this," she says. "We just made a mistake. I was not in the loop. That was an automatic signature [on the letter].
According to Newsweek Boxer's epiphany concerning CAIR was influenced by previous critical statements about CAIR made by her Democratic colleagues Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Charles Schumer of New York.
Anyone who even casually follows CAIR won't be surprised at the organization's reaction. Outraged CAIR officials demanded that Boxer withdraw the withdrawal, saying it smacks of “Islamophobia,” and denied that CAIR has any links to terror groups. But my favorite CAIR protestation came from Nihad Awad, the group's national executive director:
Anyone who doubts where we stand on the issue of terrorism does not understand Islam, the Muslim community or CAIR.
CAIR's lack of clarity in disassociating the organization from terror organizations, such as Hamas, will continue to lead reasonable people to conclude that where there is smoke there is fire. It is a little encouraging that even an extreme left-wing liberal such as Boxer finally sees wisps of smoke rising from CAIR:
"To praise an organization because they haven't been indicted is like somebody saying, 'I'm not a crook,'” Boxer says. “I'm going to take a lot of hits for this. But I'm just doing what I think is right."
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