US Terrorist Group CAIR Supports of Disruption of UC Irvine Speech (In Name of Free Speech)

Eleven Students were arrested during the University of California Irvine Speech of Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren Monday night.

“Michael Oren, propagating murder is not an expression of free speech,” the student in a gray hoodie yelled. It was the first of 10 interruptions throughout the speech, and by the end of the night, 11 UC Irvine and Riverside students were arrested and cited for disturbing a public event.

Today, CAIR, asked for dropping of the charges against the students saying that by ruining Ambassador Oren's freedom of speech they were exercising their freedom of speech. For those of you not familiar with CAIR, it was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal criminal case involving the Holy Land Foundation “charity,” a Hamas front; a number of its founders had connections to terrorist organizations; and at least three of its employees have been convicted for terrorism-related activity.

The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) and the Los Angeles office of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG-LA) on Friday sent a letter to University of California, Irvine (UCI) Chancellor Michael V. Drake urging him to drop charges against 11 students who peacefully protested at a UCI-sponsored event. A letter was also sent today to the Orange County District Attorney's office by CAIR-LA.

Earlier this week, the students spoke out during the speech of the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren at the event, which was also co-sponsored by the UCI School of Law and by the university's political science department. The students, since dubbed the "Irvine 11," left in a voluntary and peaceful manner and were then detained briefly and cited by UCI police officers.

In a letter sent to the university administration, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush and NLG-LA Executive Director James Lafferty stated in part:

"...the right to freely express one's opinions is a most sacred freedom protected by our Constitution, finding college campuses to be its most cultivating venue. Civil protest against government abuses is a time-honored tradition that has led to the end of apartheid and the birth of civil rights. ...

"The students voiced political views to shame the representative of a foreign government embroiled in controversy for its outrageous violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Delivering this message in a loud and shocking manner expressed the gravity of the charges leveled against Israeli policies, and falls within the purview of protected speech."

CAIR fighting for free speech is particularly hypocritical. The group has become expert at using threats and intimidation, as well as the legal process, to block freedom of speech.

In 2007 CAIR attempted to prevent Jihad Watch’s Robert Spencer from speaking at a YAF student conference by sending a lawyer’s letter threatening to sue organizers. Their claims were baseless; their purpose merely to bully YAF into silencing Spencer.

When the NYPD created a report on Muslim radicalization. CAIR organized opposition to the report, insisted that it not be shared with other law enforcement agencies before its “misconceptions and errors” were corrected.

CAIR was also behind the attempt of the “Flying Imams” to intimidate – by a law suit -- those who would report suspicious behavior, and its website invites complaints about alleged discrimination by airlines as well as law enforcement personnel.

Cair is also behind the case of Rifka Bary fighting to keep the girl who converted from Islam to Christianity with the parents who threatened to kill her, and most recently asking the courts to prevent her from receiving any Christmas cards.

Yes CAIR knows all about free speech, after all, they work so hard to take it away from us.




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