White House condemns CAIR leader for saying 'happy' about Hamas terror attack

Could it be that Democrats are coming around to the idea that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) not only peddles anti-Semitism, but has a troubling past with ties to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas?

Nihad Awad, the founder and executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), received a strong rebuke from the Biden White House for “shocking and anti-Semitic” comments during a speech last month at the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) convention in Chicago.

Awad said he was “happy to see that people broke the siege and threw off the shackles of their own land, and freely entered their land, where they were not allowed to enter.”

CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad at the WFP Convention: I was happy to see the people of Gaza break the siege on October 7; They were victorious; the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense; Israel does not #Hamas #Gaza #Palestinians @CAIRNational @NihadAwad pic.twitter.com/WDbSRjFJo0

— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) December 7, 2023

The comment refers to the barbaric October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, an assault widely regarded as the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust with at least 1,200 people massacred and more than 200 more taken hostage.

“And yes, the people of Gaza have a right to self-defense, they have a right to defend themselves, and yes, Israel, as an occupying power, does not have that right to self-defense,” the CAIR founder added.

Awad also accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) of controlling the US government.

“AIPAC and its affiliates have been controlling the United States government and the United States Congress,” he said. “And if somebody says, 'Oh, Nihad Awad said that about the Congress,' I say to you, 'Yes, I'm saying it today and I'll say it tomorrow, unless we free the Congress, we can't free Palestine. .'”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates condemned the remarks in a statement.

“The horrific and brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7 were, as President Biden said, 'disgusting' and represent 'unadulterated evil.' October 7 was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Bates said. “The atrocities of that day shock the conscience, which is why we can never forget the pain that Hamas has caused so many innocent people. There are families in agony mourning their loved ones, and there are also families in agony, already who do everything in their power to free their loved ones as hostages.”

“All leaders have a responsibility to call out anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head,” he added.

The White House also removed CAIR from its anti-Semitism and Islamophobia fact sheet issued earlier this year, according to The New York Times — the liberal paper went the extra mile to cover the Biden administration while reporting on the development , noting that the relationship was not “extensive”.

“The White House has not had an extensive relationship with the council, which is called CAIR, but did include an official from the group in a 'listening session on Islamophobia' in May with Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris ,” the Times reported. “That same month, the White House listed the council among several independent organizations in a document discussing commitments to fight anti-Semitism. The White House removed CAIR's name from that online document on Thursday after the statements of Mr. Awad to make it clear that he was distancing himself from the organization.”

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