Sharia in U.S.? Florida's Proposed Ban Draws Attacks from Muslims

by JIM KOURI, CPP March 3, 2012

Florida state lawmakers are enduring attacks from an organization many call a "terrorist front group" who oppose legislation aimed at banning the use of Sharia law -- the religious doctrine that's applied by Islamists in their own countries -- from courtrooms throughout Florida, claims a non-profit, public-interest group that investigates and exposes government corruption and crime. www.judicialwatch.org

Although the bill targets Sharia law, the legislation seeks to prohibit the application of any foreign law, code or system in legal cases, especially in family court. It was introduced after a state appeals court allowed a county judge in central Florida to consider “ecclesiastical Islamic law” to decide a civil case involving a mosque. 

As a Florida state House committee considers the bill this week, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a national organization that serves as the U.S. front for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, is blasting it as an attempt to demonize Islam, states the Judicial Watch blog.  

If the measure passes it will also restrict religious freedom, according to CAIR.

A few years ago CAIR pressured a south Florida county’s transit agency to drop bus advertisements considered by the group to be “misleading and bigoted” against Muslims. CAIR asserted that the ads created a campaign of hatred and intolerance because they gave the false impression that Muslims are “trapped” in their religion with no means of “escape,” thus facing certain death.

CAIR bills itself as a Muslim civil rights organization but top FBI counterterrorism chiefs, such as the late John O'Neill, describe it as an entity that promotes and finances terrorism.

According to a report from the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland  Security: "The Council on American-Islamic Relations and its employees have combined, conspired, and agreed with third parties, including, but not limited to, the Islamic Association for Palestine, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, the Global Relief Foundation, and foreign nationals hostile to the interests of the United States, to provide material support to known terrorist organizations, to advance the Hamas agenda, and to propagate radical Islam." 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, and certain officers, directors, and employees, have acted in support of, and in furtherance of, this conspiracy, said the Senate report.

M. Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim who challenges groups such as CAIR, in an NYPD-used training video The Third Jihad details how CAIR was created shortly after a secret 1993 meeting in Philadelphia involving members of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine Committee. Their goal was to lead opposition to the 1993 Oslo accords and generate support for Hamas, the terrorist organization that now runs the government in Gaza.

Dr. Daniel Pipes, a foremost expert on radical Islam and terrorism cites several criminal cases involving CAIR officials: A senior staff member, Randall Royer a/k/a “Ismail” Royer, pled guilty and was sentenced to twenty years in prison for participating in a network of militant jihadists centered in Northern Virginia.  He admitted to aiding and abetting three persons who sought training in a terrorist camp in Pakistan for the purpose of waging jihad against American troops in Afghanistan.  Royer’s illegal actions occurred while he was employed by CAIR.

CAIR's Director of Public Affairs, Bassem Kafagi was arrested by the US due to his ties with a terror-financing front group.  Khafagi pled guilty to charges of visa and bank fraud, and agreed to be deported to Egypt. Khafagi’s illegal actions occurred while he was employed by CAIR.

Ghassan Elashi, a founder of CAIR's Texas chapter and founder of the Holy Land Foundation was arrested by the United States and charged with, making false statements on export declarations, dealing in the property of a designated terrorist organization, conspiracy and money laundering.  Ghassan Elashi committed his crimes while working at CAIR, and was found guilty.

CAIR Board Member Imam Siraj Wahaj, an un-indicted coconspirator in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, has called for replacing the American government with an Islamic caliphate, and warned that America will crumble unless it accepts Islam.

Last year, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) was pressured to cease using a training film CAIR members found offensive. CAIR contacted NCIS after receiving a report about a three-day NCIS surveillance detection course at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Jim Kouri, CPP is currently vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org) as well as a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he is syndicated by AXcessNews.Com.