October 25, 2006
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Kaufman (info@americansagainsthate.org)

CAIR OFFICIAL DEFENDS HAMAS TERRORIST

REHAB CALLS SALAH "SYMBOL OF PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE"

(Coral Springs, FL) On Thursday of last week, Ahmed Rehab, the Executive Director of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), was quoted in Quatar's daily, The Peninsula, defending Hamas terrorist Muhammad Salah. Saleh is currently on trial for conspiracy to give organizational aid and to provide weapons and finances to Hamas. Salah had previously served five years in an Israeli prison for his activities with Hamas.

About Salah, Rehab stated, "For many, he is a symbol of a larger Palestinian struggle." According to The Peninsula, Rehab sees Salah "as the victim of a post-9/11 witch hunt."

Joe Kaufman, Chairman of Americans Against Hate and founder of CAIR Watch, stated, "Ahmed Rehab's defense of Hamas operative Muhammad Salah is just one more example of why CAIR should not exist within the United States. Hamas is on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist organizations, and any group that gives support to Hamas should be considered a part of the terrorist group."

One of the other defendants in the trial, Mousa Abu Marzook, is the founder of CAIR's now defunct parent organization, the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP). Marzook is currently located in Damascus, Syria and serves as the Deputy Chief of the Hamas Political Bureau.

Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: info@americansagainsthate.org.