CAIR-PA fundraises for Hamas-linked charity in wake of tragic earthquake

The Pennsylvania chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) recently seized on the powerful October 26th earthquake in Pakistan which has killed several hundred in order to solicit donations to an allied charity with ties to financing Hamas.

This should come as little surprise, given CAIR’s own status as an organization of the Palestine Committee of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood, formed for the purpose of supporting Hamas abroad.

The organization CAIR-PA has been soliciting for is Islamic Relief-USA (IRUSA). Both IRUSA and CAIR share mutual ties in the Muslim Brotherhood.

IRUSA is the U.S. affiliate of the Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), a charity designated by the Israeli government for supporting Hamas. Nor is it just Israel that views IRW as a terrorist entity. The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) has also designated IRW. Despite efforts to create the appearance of a firewall between the two (legally) separate groups, tens of millions of dollars have been provided by IRUSA to IRW over the years, and IRUSA and IRW has had key leaders in overlapping positions. In Pakistan in particular, IRUSA claims credits for funding projects directly administered by IRW’s Pakistan branch.

Media outlets have already noted how jihadist organizations in Pakistan have flocked to the affected region raising security concerns.

CAIR has a history of exploiting tragedy in order to fundraise for groups tied to terror finance. In 2001, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, CAIR’s website featured a donation link to “Donate to the NY/DC Emergency Relief Fund”. The hyperlink led would-be donors directly to the Holy Land Foundation, the now convicted Hamas fundraising organization, and CAIR’s fellow Palestine Committee organization. When this exploitation raised hackles, CAIR changed the webpage, to make donations to HLF, and another group the Global Relief Foundation (GRF). GRF was designated by the Treasury department the following year, for its financing of Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda.

Interestingly, the CAIR’s solicitation came at the same time that Senator Ted Cruz and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart filed matching legislation regarding designating the Global Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist entity for its role in supporting,  indoctrinating, and funding terrorism worldwide.