- Messages
- 256
- Reactions
- 72
A front for the movement that aims to turn the U.S. into an Islamic state is touting its role in the groundbreaking appointment of an "observant Muslim" to the University of California system's board of regents.
As student regent, Sadia Saifuddin will represent more than 234,000 students across the state's system.
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations noted Saifuddin, a senior majoring in social welfare at Cal Berkeley, participated in CAIR's Muslim Youth Leadership Program in 2008. She also served as an adviser for this year's participants.
CAIR, according to FBI wiretap evidence from a 1993 meeting of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and activists in Philadelphia, was formed to burnish the image of Muslims in the U.S. in support of the Brotherhood's stated aim of "destroying Western civilization from within" and replacing it with Islamic rule.
As a student senator, Saifuddin co-sponsored a non-binding resolution that called on the University of California system to divest $14 million from companies that do business in Israel, reported the independent local news site Berkeleyside.
Saifuddin explained she did not want "one cent of my money to go toward fueling the occupation of my brothers and sisters." The resolution passed by an 11-9 vote.
Critics have called the resolution shortsighted and anti-Semitic and have called into question her ability to represent all students, Berkeleyside reported.
Saifuddin will be an observer on the board during the upcoming school year before becoming a voting member the following year.
In an interview with Berkeleyside, she insisted she is not anti-Semitic.
"I did my job in representing my community in that situation," she said. "Divestment is not something I will be pursuing as student regent. My politics on that particular matter don't inform my new position. There are more pressing issues, like financial aid reform and campus climate."
In the interview, she was asked a pointed question about whether her faith is compatible with the regent position.
Berkeleyside: Qur'an 5:51 orders Muslims to "not befriend the Christians and the Jews." How do you balance the demands of your religion with the demands of your position to represent students of all backgrounds?
Saifuddin: My best friend is Catholic; I visit her church and she comes to my mosque. Religion is not a contender in our relationship. I think people cherry-pick a lot of things in the Muslim faith, and this emphasizes Islamophobia. If I looked in the Bible or Torah, I could find quotes that say the same thing. We need to look hard at people who are saying Muslims are intolerant, because it's the people who are saying these things who are intolerant. My faith is one that preaches love and peace, forgiveness and mercy – these are the ideals that I've chosen to embody.
While CAIR touts itself as a Muslim civil rights group, federal prosecutors in 2007 named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in a plot to fund Hamas, and more than a dozen CAIR leaders have been charged or convicted of terrorism-related crimes.
CAIR's California branch said its annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program is held in Sacramento to equip high school students with an understanding of the legislative process and train them in civic engagement and media advocacy.
Since 2004, MYLP has trained more than 350 young American Muslims.
In this year's program, the executive director of CAIR's Minnesota chapter, Lori Soraya, of CAIR-Minnesota, talked about how to be an effective organizer to impact the American Muslim community and the broader society.
An interactive workshop was held on community organizing, and the students took part in a mock legislature session at the California state Capitol.
Look who trained new Univ. of California regent
As student regent, Sadia Saifuddin will represent more than 234,000 students across the state's system.
The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations noted Saifuddin, a senior majoring in social welfare at Cal Berkeley, participated in CAIR's Muslim Youth Leadership Program in 2008. She also served as an adviser for this year's participants.
CAIR, according to FBI wiretap evidence from a 1993 meeting of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and activists in Philadelphia, was formed to burnish the image of Muslims in the U.S. in support of the Brotherhood's stated aim of "destroying Western civilization from within" and replacing it with Islamic rule.
As a student senator, Saifuddin co-sponsored a non-binding resolution that called on the University of California system to divest $14 million from companies that do business in Israel, reported the independent local news site Berkeleyside.
Saifuddin explained she did not want "one cent of my money to go toward fueling the occupation of my brothers and sisters." The resolution passed by an 11-9 vote.
Critics have called the resolution shortsighted and anti-Semitic and have called into question her ability to represent all students, Berkeleyside reported.
Saifuddin will be an observer on the board during the upcoming school year before becoming a voting member the following year.
In an interview with Berkeleyside, she insisted she is not anti-Semitic.
"I did my job in representing my community in that situation," she said. "Divestment is not something I will be pursuing as student regent. My politics on that particular matter don't inform my new position. There are more pressing issues, like financial aid reform and campus climate."
In the interview, she was asked a pointed question about whether her faith is compatible with the regent position.
Berkeleyside: Qur'an 5:51 orders Muslims to "not befriend the Christians and the Jews." How do you balance the demands of your religion with the demands of your position to represent students of all backgrounds?
Saifuddin: My best friend is Catholic; I visit her church and she comes to my mosque. Religion is not a contender in our relationship. I think people cherry-pick a lot of things in the Muslim faith, and this emphasizes Islamophobia. If I looked in the Bible or Torah, I could find quotes that say the same thing. We need to look hard at people who are saying Muslims are intolerant, because it's the people who are saying these things who are intolerant. My faith is one that preaches love and peace, forgiveness and mercy – these are the ideals that I've chosen to embody.
While CAIR touts itself as a Muslim civil rights group, federal prosecutors in 2007 named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in a plot to fund Hamas, and more than a dozen CAIR leaders have been charged or convicted of terrorism-related crimes.
CAIR's California branch said its annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program is held in Sacramento to equip high school students with an understanding of the legislative process and train them in civic engagement and media advocacy.
Since 2004, MYLP has trained more than 350 young American Muslims.
In this year's program, the executive director of CAIR's Minnesota chapter, Lori Soraya, of CAIR-Minnesota, talked about how to be an effective organizer to impact the American Muslim community and the broader society.
An interactive workshop was held on community organizing, and the students took part in a mock legislature session at the California state Capitol.
Look who trained new Univ. of California regent
