CAIR Fundraiser Grosses $130K

By Adil James, MMNS

Dearborn–March 22–CAIR Michigan had a successful meeting, pulling in $130,000 of an aimed-for $150,000 Sunday afternoon at the Islamic Center of America this past weekend.

Speakers at the event included Suehaila Amen, Emcee Gerald Smith of Comcast, CAIR President Dr. Jukaku Tayeb, CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, Fundraiser Sheikh Kifah Mustapha, Keynote speaker jameel Jaffer, Esq. (ACLU National Litigator and Director of National Security Programs), and CAIR awardee Michigan Rep Rashida Tlaib (D-12) also made a brief speech.

CAIR presented its accomplishments for the year, in part in the form of speeches by Jukaku Tayeb and Dawud Walid, and in part by a video prepared by CAIR’s national leadership. 

Dawud Walid spoke principally on the attacks against Islam by non-Muslims, citing the Obsession movie, and attacks by former presidential candidate Tancredo, and US Rep. Pete Hoekstra.  The thesis of his argument was that CAIR is the first line of defense against such attacks on the entire Muslim community.

He also cited numerous classes conducted by CAIR to sensitize non-Muslims to the beliefs and customs of Muslims.

Jameel Jaffer of the ACLU gave a brilliant speech on the theme that rebuilding after the Bush administration’s abuses is similar to the way a nation rebuilds after the trauma of war.

He cited numerous examples of people tortured and abandoned or tortured and falsely imprisoned or both. Jaffer argued that the loss of civil liberties in fact harmed American national security.  His message was very positive, in that he gave examples of ordinary, non-Muslim Americans who volunteered to work for victims of the Bush administration, without pay and at substantial loss to their own time and careers.

“Someone has to clean up” after a war, Jaffer explained, “and that someone is you.”

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