Sen. Brown Responds to CAIR Criticism

On June 8th I read about a 06/05 banquet hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Ohio chapter’s Columbus office. Noticing that Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) gave some kind of statement – and knowing CAIR’s sketchy history – I emailed CAIR-Ohio and Brown’s office for details. Specifically, I wanted to know whether my senator had attended the event and if I could see a copy of his remarks.

A phone call, several more emails, and three weeks later, a staffer informed me Senator Brown did not attend the event... but made no mention of the statement he provided. Again I replied to request a copy of his remarks. No response. Last Tuesday I sent yet another email, this time linking to the story on CAIR-Ohio’s site and highlighting the portion in question -

CAIR’s contributions to the community were recognized in proclamations from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the Ohio House of Representatives and from representatives of the mayor and City Council of Columbus.

No dice. My assumption? Senator Brown’s remarks supported CAIR’s perpetual misdirection campaign, wherein widespread Muslim support for jihad and sharia law are ignored because “Islamophobia” is a more palatable topic.

Thursday I badgered Sherrod for supporting an event keynoted by a leader from a mosque neck-deep in jihadist associations:

Suddenly, my questions warranted a response... but not via The Twitters. Friday evening I was emailed the following from the general Senator_Brown@brown.senate.gov mailbox; see for yourself whether my concerns about Sherrod’s catering to CAIR-Ohio are misplaced!

Dear Mr. Hart:

Thank you for getting in touch with me about the United States Department of Justice’s handling of certain individuals and groups.

Our nation is at war with terrorism. Any group or individual who exploits our nation’s freedoms to propagate extremism or support internationally recognized terrorist organizations must be brought to justice.

In 2004, the Justice Department considered and rejected criminal charges against the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Senior Justice Department officials reportedly decided not to include CAIR and other groups in a case in which Dallas-based prosecutors were preparing to indict the Holy Land Foundation for providing material support to Hamas.

Last year, the Justice Department’s Criminal Division declined prosecution of Omar Ahmad, co-founder of CAIR. Since that time, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King has requested information from Attorney General Eric Holder about why the Justice Department is not seeking an indictment of CAIR, the North American Islamic Trust, and the Islamic Society of North America.

While I do not sit on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary or the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, I will continue to monitor Representative King’s investigation. Should this issue come before the full Senate, I will keep your thoughts in mind.

Thank you again for getting in touch with me.

Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
United States Senator

Cross-posted at that hero.