The Council on Islamic Relations, whose founder Nihad Awad praised the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, is calling on George Washington University to negotiate with pro-Hamas students who built an illegal encampment on campus. Agitators also defaced a statue of America's first president, George Washington, with a Palestinian flag (the flag Hamas wears in the Gaza Strip) and a Islamic keffiyeh.
Early Wednesday morning, arrests were made as the encampment was dismantled and George Washington was restored.
BREAKING: Kufiya and Palestinian flags have been removed from statue of George Washington after encampment cleared by police pic.twitter.com/B73yvLVxUw
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) May 8, 2024
In response, CAIR pushed out an email touting the parents of students falsely claiming Israel is committing genocide, dictating terms and demanding negotiations. In their condemnation, they spelled the name of GW University President Ellen Granberg incorrectly. Students have been chanting for suicide bombings and beheadings of administrators.
"We, the parents of current students at The George Washington University, stand in full solidarity with our children and the other students who have risked their education, careers, and safety in order to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights, oppose the Israeli government's genocide in Gaza, and call on their university to divest from human rights abuses against the Palestinian people," the statement reads. "We are deeply disturbed that President Grandberg's actions: unsuccessfully trying to convince the DC Police Department to raid the encampment, repeatedly refusing to negotiate with student leaders, defaming students with false allegations, suspending students without justification, and turning a blind eye to Provost Bracey's apparent assault of a student."
BREAKING: The George Washington University Encampment projects flames onto the American flag with text that reads...
— Stu (@thestustustudio) May 8, 2024
"Gaza lights the spark that will set the empire ablaze" pic.twitter.com/j5dzcLgbyG
Earlier in the week Washington D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser was asked for law enforcement backup by GW President Granberg. That request was initially denied.
GW President Begs for Help Dealing With the Pro-Terrorist Camp She Allowed https://t.co/PGR5nCwpBB
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) May 6, 2024
Overnight the encampment was finally removed after threats from Congress.
It shouldn’t have taken the threat of a Congressional hearing for DC Mayor Bowser to finally allow DC Police to respond to George Washington University’s call for them to clear the anti-Semitic and unlawful encampments. It should’ve been done on Day 1. https://t.co/2J5LzR58wr
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) May 8, 2024
In 2007, CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation project, which funneled money through U.S. based businesses to Hamas military leaders in the Gaza Strip.
"From 1989-2001, one such network raised millions of dollars for Hamas through a Texas-based charity known as the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. In December 2001, U.S. authorities raided HLF and froze its assets. Ultimately, five individuals were convicted and sent to prison for providing material support to Hamas," research and testimony from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies states.
"In 2008, the FBI developed a policy on its interactions with CAIR based in part on evidence presented during the 2007 trial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.! The evidence at trial linked CAIR leaders to Hamas, a specially designated terrorist organization, and CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case," the Department of Justice Inspector General released.
Prior to October 7, President Joe Biden tapped CAIR as a partner on an anti-Semitism task force. CAIR was removed after Awad praised the attack.