[New York Times] Neil MacFarquhar - With violence across the Middle East fixing Islam smack at the center of the American political debate, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an organization partly financed by donors closely identified with wealthy Persian Gulf governments, has emerged as the most vocal advocate for American Muslims - and an object of wide suspicion. Critics accuse CAIR of pursuing an extreme Islamist political agenda and say at least five figures with ties to the group or its leadership have either been convicted or deported for links to terrorist groups. CAIR has raised some suspicion by accepting large donations from individuals or foundations closely identified with Arab governments. Some Muslims, particularly the secular, find CAIR overly influenced by Saudi religious interpretations, criticizing it for stating in news releases, for example, that all Muslim women are required to veil their hair.
2007-03-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive