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August 08, 2006
CAIR Rally Against Israeli War on Lebanon and Palestine
Frontpage
An attendee of the “Stop the Terror Rally” sponsored by the Council for America-Islamic Relations – Ohio held at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Columbus, Ohio, on Friday July 28 says she was twice assaulted by CAIR’s National Vice-Chairman, Dr. Ahmad Al-Akhras, when she asked too many questions about the organization’s apparent support for Hezbollah terrorists. Fortunately, she caught it all on tape and has put the video online so the public can see the reaction of one of CAIR’s top officials. The alleged assault victim, who chooses to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, but who posts under her nom de guerre “ciaospirit” at Little Green Footballs, describes herself as an independent filmmaker and “new media” journalist At one point in the video, Dr. Al-Akhras is asked by one of his associates who she is, and he mentions aloud the name of ciaospirit’s employer – a fact she says she had never disclosed to him or anyone else.
Fortunately, she caught it all on tape and has put the video online so the public can see the reaction of one of CAIR’s top officials.
In a phone interview shortly after the incident, “ciaospirit” described the events that precipitated the unprovoked attacks by Dr. Al-Akhras.
I went to the event because CAIR had advertised that it was open to the public, and regardless, it was held on a public sidewalk in front of a Federal building. I had every right to be there. It was clear that they had a message they wanted to express, and I hoped to get them to speak beyond their scripted press release comments…to get some straight answers about how they really feel about the violence and terrorism committed by Hezbollah that provoked the Israeli response.
I wasn’t there more than a couple of minutes when I began to interview a gentleman wearing a kafiyyeh that concealed everything but his eyes. I was asking him about his support for Hezbollah when Dr. Al-Akhras approached us and began telling everyone in the vicinity not to speak to me. I then asked him what his message and I kept rolling as he explained how they were there opposing terror. He was clearly agitated. It was when several of them were telling me about Israel bombing innocent civilians, and I responded by asking them about Hezbollah missiles being fired into Israel killing innocent civilians that Al-Akhras lunged at me and grabbed ahold of my camera as I was filming.
She described CAIR’s tactics as intimidating and its message on terror as contradictory:
His people – all male and much larger than me – swarmed me and wouldn’t let me tape, and I was concerned about what they intended to do. All I could do was to remind them that this was a public event held on a public sidewalk in front of a public building and that I had as much right to be there as they did. And I really believe that someone there had to ask the hard questions. All day the speakers were screaming about Israel killing innocent Lebanese civilians, but no mention was ever made about the targeting of Israeli citizens by Hezbollah or the kidnapping of Israeli military personnel in violation of international law. I was told by one CAIR spokesman at the rally that Hezbollah isn’t a terrorist organization because they run hospitals and schools (which I caught on tape). Not one mention of innocent children in Israel that have been killed in indiscriminate Hezbollah rocket attacks. No one there wanted to confront the glaring contradiction of their position. They apparently think that if they don’t answer the question that the question doesn’t exist. There’s clearly an agenda they want to hide. They were condemning Israel all day long, but not one word about Hezbollah violence. Their statements condemning terrorism clearly run only one way – towards Israel.
She says that throughout the rest of the rally, Dr. Al-Akhras followed her closely, instructing people not to talk to her as she tried to interview them. At one point in her video, one woman can be seen taping her.
This is here blog and she has more videos there of what happened. It is called Hour Glass 1941
Posted by Wild Thing at August 8, 2006 04:57 PM
Comments
Thanks WT, good footage of the real CAIR, she should press assault charges against them. I hope everyone sees this to understand that their freedom of speech is protected but not ours and that this is a very brave lady to do the interviews.
Posted by: Jack at August 8, 2006 06:37 PM
Not really surprised, are we? I didn't think so.
Posted by: raz0r at August 8, 2006 08:18 PM
Jack I agree she is very brave. I wish the media would show these things but of course they won't.
Posted by: Wild Thing at August 8, 2006 10:32 PM
razOr nope no surprises here.
Posted by: Wild Thing at August 8, 2006 10:33 PM
