Israel365 calls to cancel annual event for Hamas-linked organization
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is having its annual banquet on Saturday at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virgina. The banquet was planned well in advance but the war between Israel and Hamas has changed the tone of the gathering.
“Traditionally, our annual banquet is a time of celebration,” the invitation now reads. “However this year, our annual community gathering is now centered in solidarity with Palestine. While we reflect on the progress we’ve made, we must take steps to address what clearly still needs to be done to promote justice for all people, including Palestinians in Gaza facing the threat of ethnic cleansing.
At the event, CAIR will boast of its recent work “mobilizing Americans of all faiths to send over 44,000 messages to members of Congress to demand a ceasefire and the pursuit of credible peace negotiations to end the occupation,” according to a press release from the group.
Cair has taken a strong anti-Israel stance, urging US lawmakers to address the “Israeli government’s apartheid policies”and other “root causes of Mideast violence”, essentially blaming Israel for the murder of over 1,300 Israelis by Hamas. They called on President Joe Biden to condemn Israel, but not the Hamas attackers. “You must condemn the occupier, not the occupied,” a statement by the organization read.
This sort of convoluted reasoning characterizes the relationship between CAIR and the Biden administration. In May, the White House had CAIR take part in its “National Strategy to Combat Anti-Semitism”.
It is especially troubling as CAIR was linked to Hamas in a federal terrorism case in 2007. Again, in 2010, CAIR was linked to Hamas funding and was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal investigation into U.S. funding streams to the terrorist organization.
The banquet will feature several speakers, most notably Linda Sarsour. While she is billed as a “National Activist” as she is the Brooklyn-born daughter of Arab-Israeli immigrants, Sarsour advocates for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement (BDS) and has been criticized for her antisemitic and anti-Israel comments by the Anti Defamation League (ADL). In 2017, she spoke at a gathering for Islamic Society of North American (ISNA) and called for “jihad” against the Trump administration.
Sarsour has accused Israel of “genocide” and was removed from her position with the Women’s March activist organization in 2019 amid accusations of systemic antisemitism, including denigrating Jewish participants.
While Sarsour has been accused of supporting Hamas, she has denied these claims, despite members of her extended family being jailed by Israel for supporting Hamas. This denial may be put to the test at the upcoming CAIR conference.
The other speakers are also anti-Israel. For example, there is Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, born Chris Wayne Jackson, is an American former professional basketball player who converted to Islam in 1991. In December 2001, Abdul-Rauf appeared on an episode of HBO’s “Real Sports” where he stated that the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. were an “inside job” and declared that he was sure Israel was involved in the attacks and had framed Al-Qaeda for them. They will also hear from Zaynab M. Mohamed, an American politician serving as a member of the Minnesota State Senate since 2023 who immigrated to the US from Somalia.
Another featured speaker is Mohamed Khairullah, the Syrian-born mayor of Prospect Park NJ. Khairullah was disinvited from an Eid al-Fitr event at the White House last month when the Secret Service denied his security clearance. He was on the federal terrorism watch list but had been subsequently removed from the list prior to the White House invitation.
Additionally, Dr. Altaf Hussain, a British Pakistani politician, will also address the gathering. Hussain is known as the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a secular political party in Pakistan. Since 2015, he has been a fugitive from the Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan on the charges of murder, targeted killing, treason, inciting violence and hate speech. He went on trial in the UK in January 2022 for promoting terrorism and unrest through hate speech in Pakistan. He was acquitted the next month. He fled the country in 1992 after a crackdown against his party was launched. In the wake of Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, he called on “all Muslim nations to march on Israel.”
Jewish groups have called on the Marriot organization to not host the CAIR event. Rabbi Elie Mischel, the Educational Director of Israel365 emphasized that calling to cancel the CAIR event was not an infringement on free speech.
“This is not an issue of free speech. The First Amendment does not apply to private businesses like the Marriott. These antisemites are free to spew their evil hatred. But we also have the right to express our views to the Marriott – and to make them pay the price.”
He also noted that this was a moral imperative.
“Yes, this is cancel culture,” Rabbi Mischel said. “We absolutely want to cancel these people. In general, we should not cancel those we disagree with. But when it comes to pure evil, to Nazis, ISIS and Hamas, we have an obligation to do so. Otherwise, their hatred will fester and spread.”
Liora Rez, the executive director of StopAntisemitism.org, told the Washington Free Beacon that her organization also condemned the CAIR event.
“StopAntisemitism is disappointed to see Marriott Arlington hosting an event featuring the passionately antisemitic Linda Sarsour.” “A fan of Louis Farrakhan, Sarsour has stood in solidarity with convicted terrorist Rasmea Odeh, posed for photos with Hamas operatives, and believes ‘nothing is creepier than Zionism.’ Does she fit with your core value of ’embracing differences,’ Marriott?”
Israel365 is calling on concerned citizens to contact Marriott about their decision to host the annual CAIR event. These concerns can be expressed by telephone to the main desk (703-920-3230) or to Marriott’s 24 Customer Service complaints department (800-535-4028) Alternatively, people can email Marriott International CEO: Anthony.capuano@marriott.com.
A suggested statement is as follows:
Dear Mr. Capuano,
I understand Marriott Hotels will be hosting a conference for Hamas supporters this Saturday October 21st at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Va. The organizer is The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Please note that I OBJECT to your choice to host this antisemitic event where the participants call for the annihilation of all Israeli Jews/Citizens from their homeland, as well as put fear in Jews around the world from their antisemitic rhetoric and threats.
I remind you that you’re breaking your own policy: “In compliance with the U.S. Patriot Act as well as international anti-terrorism rules, Marriott does not support organizations that engage in terrorist activities or are involved in any acts dangerous to human life that are in violation of the criminal laws of any country where we operate.”
Notoriously proud antisemites including Linda Sarsour, are among the featured hate-mongering speakers. This conference will foment even more antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world.
Council on American-Islamic Relations defended Hamas attacks that killed over 2,000 civilians and injured over 3,000 citizens of Israel regardless of their faith. CAIR’s event comes amid a rising tide of anti-Semitism from the political left in the wake of Israel’s decision to conduct a defensive operation to dismantle Hamas in the Gaza Strip. After Hamas terrorists killed over 2,000 Israeli civilians in a surprise raid last week and injured over 3,000 Israeli citizens regardless of their faith. CAIR blamed the “Israeli government’s apartheid policies” for the strike. In the week since the conflict grew into a full-fledged war, CAIR has been at the center of efforts in Washington, D.C., and across the country to mount opposition to the Israeli government. CAIR has been linked to Hamas funding and was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in a 2010 federal investigation into U.S. funding streams to the Iranian-backed terror group.
The organization’s members routinely espouse vitriolic rhetoric against the Jewish state, including justifying Hamas’s terror operations.
Zahra Billoo, an executive director in CAIR’s San Francisco branch, in 2021 comments described Jewish groups and synagogues as “enemies” that are “working to harm you.”
We truly hope you see through it for what it really is and do not allow this event to happen.
In a similar case, an event for the US Campaign for Palestine Rights group titled “Seize the Moment” that was scheduled to be held at the Galleria-area hotel in Houston was canceled by the Hilton Hotels. While the organization claims its goal is “freedom of the Palestinian people”, its website calls to “stop the Gaza genocide” by calling on congress to cut off support to Israel.
The lineup of speakers at the Houston conference indicated the intentions of the organizer. Speakers for the event included keynote speaker Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), political activist Linda Sarsour, Diala Shamas, a lawyer at the leftist Center for Constitutional Rights, and Marc Lamont Hill, the former CNN commentator fired after advocating for the elimination of Israel. All of the speakers have a history of anti-Israel statements and several of the honorees are associated with Hamas.
Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement who has declared the elimination of Israel as his goal, was also scheduled to address attendees via video.
A statement by the Hiltons organization cited “security concerns” as the reason for the cancellation.
“Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria serves as a place of public accommodation and does not endorse the positions of third-party groups or organizations. The safety and security of our team members and guests is our top priority,” a statement read. “Given escalating security concerns in the current environment, the hotel has determined that it cannot serve as the venue for this event because of the potential risks to our team members and guests.”
Gov. Greg Abbott supported the hotel’s decision.
“Hilton Hotels in Houston was correct to pull the plug on the US Campaign for Palestine Rights event hosted by Hamas supporters,” Abbott, a Republican, wrote on social media. “Texas has no room for hate & antisemitism like that supported by Hamas. No location in Texas should host or sponsor USCPR.”
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