From Creeping Sharia:
CAPs “Islamophobia” report author linked to Muslim Brotherhood, defended Hamas funders
Posted on February 28, 2012 by creeping
A little sunlight to disinfect the Sharia Lobby. via | Washington Free Beacon
The co-author of a provocative report on “Islamophobia” has ties to a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization and is the host of a website known for trafficking in radical, anti-Israel propaganda.
Wajahat Ali is a self described “playwright, essayist, and attorney.” He is also the co-author of “Fear Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” a Center for American Progress-sponsored report that purports to expose the “small, tightly networked group of misinformation experts” on the right who aim to reach “millions of Americans through effective advocates, media partners, and grass-roots organizing.”
In the 132 page report, Ali and his cohorts at CAP attempt to take a scholarly approach to Islamophobia, building the case that a small faction of well-funded right-wing activists are solely responsible for perpetuating pernicious stereotypes about American Muslims. A number of critics have objected to the report as misleading.
Ali, however, has long aligned himself with a cadre of radical commentators who routinely condemn Zionism and attack the state of Israel as racist.
Last month, Ali waded into the “Israel firster” debate when he promoted a Twitter message from the left-wing agitator Max Blumenthal.
“Is it me or are the Israel Firsters stupidly overplaying their hand?” Blumenthal wrote, employing a borderline anti-Semitic slur.
The use and promotion of this type of language has damaged the reputation of several CAP employees, including Zaid Jilani, who resigned from the think tank soon after the scandal broke.
Faiz Shakir, CAP’s vice president and editor of its ThinkProgress blog, subsequently conceded in an internal e-mail that “‘Israel Firster’ is terrible, anti-Semitic language.” Shakir is a co-author of the Islamophobia report.
Ali’s own writings, which have been published on the Muslim Brotherhood’s English-language website, among other outlets, reveal a deep-seated hostility towards the Jewish state.
…
Given his views, observers on Capitol Hill and elsewhere said that they are troubled by Ali’s participation in CAP’s Islamophobia report.
“Short of a convicted terrorist, it’s hard to imagine a co-author who more undermines the report’s credibility on this subject—not to mention that this report will have zero impact on any policy on the Hill,” said a Capitol Hill source who requested anonymity. “If anything, Mr. Ali’s presence on this supposedly academic document may have the exact opposite reaction they’re looking for.”
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In addition to his writings, Ali has stated that he was elected as a board member to the Muslim Students Association, a group that unites Muslims oncollege campuses across the nation. The MSA is one of several organizations listed in a May 1991 document alleged to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Moreover, Ali is on record defending the Holy Land Foundation, an Islamic charity that was convicted by the FBI on charges that it provided material support to the terror group Hamas.
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