NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AIFD denounces Congressman Keith Ellison’s support of CAIR

Phoenix, Ariz. (September 14, 2009) – The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is denouncing Congressman Keith Ellison’s (D-MN) appearance as the keynote speaker at the annual fundraising dinner for the Arizona chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) dinner on September 18, 2009.

This past January the FBI broke all formal relations with CAIR because it is listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror financing trial. The Holy Land Foundation and five of its board members were found guilty November 24, 2008 of illegally funneling more than $12 million to terrorist organizations. The trial raised significant concerns for the FBI with CAIR’s connections to Hamas, which is a designated terrorist organization by the United States Department of State. Congressman Ellison’s appearance dangerously lends support to an Islamist organization.

“As an American-Muslim I am deeply offended that the nation’s highest elected Muslim official openly supports Islamist groups,” said Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, President of AIFD. “Ellison’s support of Islamist groups like CAIR which believes in the Islamic state is in direct conflict with his oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.”

CAIR is an organization that is part of a larger American Islamist network which traces its roots to the Muslim Brotherhood of the Middle East. The Brotherhood is a transnational movement which is dedicated to the creation of Islamic states. Congressman Ellison is unapologetic in his acceptance of campaign contributions from CAIR’s top executives and openly supports CAIR’s efforts.

“CAIR hides behind the veil of Muslim victimization, while avoiding its American and Islamic responsibility to advocate for liberty and counter the ideas of political Islam which is the root cause of Islamist terrorism,” said Dr. Jasser. “A sitting Congressman should be more careful with the legitimacy that his position lends to the organizations he supports.”

AIFD is the most prominent American Muslim organization confronting the ideologies of political Islam and openly countering the belief that the Muslim faith is inextricably rooted to the concept of the Islamic State. AIFD believes that Muslims can better practice their faith when they are liberated by the separation of mosque and state.

About the American Islamic Foundation for Democracy

AIFD’s mission is to advocate for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution and demonstrate that the separation of mosque and state and the tenets of Liberty and Freedom are integral to the Muslim Faith. For more information on AIFD, please visit our website at http://www.aifdemocracy.org/