[ Middle East Forum ] CAIR Expelled from Maryland’s Hate Crimes Commission; MEF’s Role Revealed

Certainly! Here’s a summary of the situation regarding CAIR and the Maryland Commission on Hate Crimes:

• Background:
  • On May 20, 2024, Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) signed a bill to remove the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) from a state board responsible for monitoring hate crimes.
  • This decision followed unanimous approval by the Maryland General Assembly and was the result of months of meetings, drafting, and advocacy by the Middle East Forum’s campaign arm (MEF Action).
• Reasons for Removal:
  • CAIR’s Maryland director, Zainab Chaudry, posted antisemitic comments on social media after the Oct. 7 atrocity, during which Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel, including 32 Americans, and abducted relatives of Maryland residents.
  • Chaudry compared Israel to Nazi Germany and repeated Hamas media claims that Israeli Jews were harvesting organs from dead Palestinians.
  • Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) temporarily suspended Chaudry from the state’s Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention due to concerns that her statements could disrupt the commission’s work.
• Legal Constraints:
  • Brown later reinstated Chaudry, explaining that he lacked the legal authority to suspend her permanently.
  • This decision prompted Maryland lawmakers to introduce House Bill 763, aiming to address the situation.
• MEF Action’s Involvement:
  • MEF Action engaged with Delegate Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City), the bill’s author, and provided information about CAIR-Maryland to key legislators.
  • They argued that Chaudry’s views reflected those of CAIR as a whole, making her replacement with another CAIR employee equally problematic.
• Testimonies and Outcome:
  • During hearings, MEF Action provided witness testimony in support of HB 763.
  • Zainab Al-Suwaij, co-founder of the American Islamic Congress, recounted attending a CAIR event where speakers expressed radical views and falsely implicated Jews in 9/11.
  • Following Governor Moore’s signature, CAIR will lose its seat on the Commission on Hate Crimes starting June 1.
  • MEF plans to collaborate with the attorney general and Maryland Muslims to find a suitable replacement that aligns with community values and needs.
• MEF’s Stance:
  • MEF aims to dismantle government partnerships with dangerous Islamist groups, holding them accountable for their actions.

The Middle East Forum, a non-profit organization, advocates for American interests in the Middle East and works to protect Western civilization from Islamism through original ideas, activism, and strategic alliances.

Source: Conversation with Copilot
https://www.meforum.org/65900/cair-expelled-from-maryland-hate-crimes