#CAIR Asks Defense Contractors to Drop Funding for Islamophobe Frank Gaffney (WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/1/14) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on defense contractors Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and General Electric to stop funding an organization headed by notorious Islamophobe Frank Gaffney. In an expose published today by Salon, Eli Clifton wrote: “Frank Gaffney has emerged as one of the DC-beltway’s most outspoken critics of American Muslims, purveying conspiracy theories about the infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood into the highest levels of the U.S. government and birther accusations about Barack Obama’s eligibility to serve as president. But even while drawing criticism from civil rights organizations, Gaffney. . .has continued to find sources of funding for his organization, the Center for Security Policy, managing a budget of over $3.5 million in 2013.” A copy of the Center for Security Policy’s donor roll obtained by Salon lists six of America’s largest aerospace and defense contractors as supporters of Gaffney’s organization. According to Salon: “The document, which details contributions to the Center for Security Policy during the 2013 tax year, includes donations from: Boeing ($25,000); General Dynamics ($15,000); Lockheed Martin ($15,000); Northrop Grumman ($5,000); Raytheon ($20,000); and General Electric ($5,000).” SEE: Look Who’s Backing Islamophobe Frank Gaffney (Salon) salon/2014/10/01/far_right_birthers_secret_funders_look_whos_backing_islamophobe_frank_gaffney/ “It is troubling that our nation’s top defense contractors would endorse an anti-Muslim hate group by offering it financial support,” said CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor. Saylor notes that Gaffney is a key promoter of the bizarre conspiracy theory that Muslims in public service are infiltrating the government on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood. Gaffney has questioned “whether Mr. Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States,” claimed the Missile Defense Agency logo is part of a “worrying pattern of official U.S. submission to Islam,” claimed an aide to Hillary Clinton was a secret Muslim Brotherhood operative, and was a key witness for the plaintiffs in a controversial lawsuit seeking to block construction of a Tennessee mosque. He has also promoted the false belief that President Obama is a Muslim. SEE: Southern Poverty Law Centers Profile on Frank Gaffney splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/frank-gaffney-jr His staff attorney, David Yerushalmi, has advocated outlawing the practice of Islam in America and is the key promoter of anti-Islam bills in state legislatures nationwide. CAIR details Gaffney’s and the Center for Security Policy’s role in America’s Islamophobia network in its report, “Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States.” SEE: Legislating Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the United States https://cair/islamophobia/legislating-fear-2013-report.html In letters to the named corporations, CAIR outlined Gaffney’s long history of Islamophobia and wrote in part: “We believe this letter provides more than ample evidence that the Center for Security policy is a problematic choice for any corporation that seeks to avoid involvement in anti-Islam bias.” CAIR is Americas largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. - END – CONTACT: CAIR Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, Email: csaylor@cair; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, Email: ihooper@cair; CAIR Communications Manager Amina Rubin, 202-341-4171, Email: arubin@cair
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 18:54:59 +0000
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