John Conyers Shills for C.A.I.R.

Now, for the eye-popper of the week: U.S. Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) has submitted a House resolution to protect religion, most specifically Islam, from "disrespect." The resolution, H. Res. 288, states:

"Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning bigotry and religious intolerance, and recognizing that holy books of every religion should be treated with dignity and respect.

Whereas believers of all religions, including the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, should be treated with respect and dignity;

Whereas the word Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning "peace"and "submission";

Whereas there are an estimated 7,000,000 Muslims in America, from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, forming an integral part of the social fabric of America;

Whereas the Quran is the holy book for Muslims who recite passages from it in prayer and learn valuable lessons about peace, humanity and spirituality;

Whereas it should never be official policy of the United States Government to disparage the Quran, Islam, or any religion in any way, shape, or form;

Whereas mistreatment of prisoners and disrespect toward the holy book of any religion is unacceptable and against civilized humanity;

Whereas the infringement of an individual's right to freedom of religion violates the Constitution and laws of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives;

(1) condemns bigotry, acts of violence, and intolerance against any religious group, including our friends, neighbors, and citizens of the Islamic faith;

(2) declares that the civil rights and civil liberties of all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith, should be protected;

(3) recognizes that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as any other holy book of any religion, should be treated with dignity and respect; and

(4) calls upon local, State, and Federal authorities to work to prevent bias-motivated crimes and acts against all individuals, including those of the Islamic faith."

It seems strange that Conyers, whose party goes absolutely ballistic when Republicans intimate that Judeo-Christian beliefs under-pin the U.S., suggest that Freedom of Speech be toyed with in order to accommodate religion. Perhaps not so strange, once one realizes that Conyers has been a close ally of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) since 9/11.

How much of this relationship is due to Conyer's representing Michigan, a state with a large Muslim-Arab population, and how much of it has to do with CAIR's contributions to Conyer's political efforts, is anyone's guess.

A quick refresher on CAIR: Ghassan Elashi, founder of CAIR's Texas Chapter, was indicted for financial dealings with Musa abu Marzook, a Hamas leader. In 1995, US attorney Mary Jo White named CAIR advisory board member Siraj Wahhaj as a possible co-conspirator in plans to destroy the World Trade Center and other NY City landmarks. In May of 2005 another CAIR leader, Ismail Randall Royer, was found guilty of funding terrorism and was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for training in Virginia for holy war against the United States. CAIR's associations with Islamic terror groups and individual terrorists go on and on and on.

U.S. Representative Conyers was a prime sponsor of a Ramadan celebration on Capitol Hill last year in which CAIR figured prominently. He also works closely with Dennis Kucinich, who organized a major CAIR fundraiser in November 2003, which addressed issues concerning American Muslims.

Conyers signed on to appear at a "Muslim Solidarity Day for Justice and Peace" rally in D.C. in May, 2003 but sent an aide in his place instead. The rally, which was essentially an hours-long rant against the Patriot Act, featured radical leftist and Muslim groups.

Last month, Conyers, at CAIR's urging, sponsored a resolution condemning Narendra Modi, which resulted in Modi being denied a visa to visit the U.S. Modi, minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, was accused by CAIR of not taking proper action to quell anti-Muslim riots that broke out in Gujarat after Muslims attacked a train carrying Indian activists. An important point concerning the riots, and one apparently missed by Rep. Conyers, is that while Modi may have failed to stop the violence, Muslims started it.

In lofty language, Conyer's resolution H. 288 implies the need for a deep sense of respect for Islam in the U.S. and legal protection of it from its critics. Does Representative Conyers realize that there is an indiscernible line between criticism and disrespect and therefore this line, if it in fact exists at all, should be given wide berth, lest Freedom of Speech be threatened?

A natural question arises in response to Conyer's resolution: Does America's Muslim leadership actively foster a sense of respect towards religions other than Islam?

The words of CAIR chairman Omar Ahmad provide a possible answer. Said Ahmad, in a 1998 Muslim rally in California:

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Quran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth."

U.S. Representative Conyers, are you listening?