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| David Frum: The Question of CAIR |
| 2004-11-24 |
| Two weeks ago, the National Post and I were served with a notice of libel by the Canadian branch of the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR. The Post and I are not alone. Over the past year, CAIR's Canadian and U.S. branches have served similar libel notices on half a dozen other individuals and organizations in the United States and Canada. Each case has its own particular facts, yet they are linked by a common theme: That we defendants have accused CAIR (in the words of the notice served on me) of being "an unscrupulous, Islamist, extremist sympathetic group in Canada supporting terrorism." Lawyers for individuals and newspapers served with libel notices will normally urge their clients to avoid any comment on the matter--to avoid even any acknowledgement that they have been served. This is usually good advice. A notice of libel is not a lawsuit, but a warning of a lawsuit to come. If the potential defendant keeps quiet, the potential plaintiff will often drop the suit altogether. But wise legal advice often comes at a cost, a cost in public information. So I was heartened that the National Post's lawyers have encouraged the paper and me to continue with this important story. CAIR is understandably protective of its reputation. Until recently, it has had considerable success winning acceptance in the United States and Canada as something close to an official spokesman for local Muslim communities. CAIR has been influential in advocating for a sharia court to arbitrate divorces and other family-law matters in the province of Ontario. CAIR's strong criticisms of Canada's anti-terror legislation have won respectful hearing in Ottawa. Any reporting or commentary that cast doubt on CAIR's carefully cultivated image would deeply threaten the group's mission. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #8 Is Mike S coming to the defense of CAIR? in addition to the UN and Kofi Annan? |
| Posted by: Kalle (kafir forever) 2004-11-25 11:47:47 AM |
| #7 I know that theer is no such thing as guilt by association, as a Catholic I would not want to be associated with the molesters posing as clergy. However, I am reluctant to give any Islamic organization a pass after 9/11. They were too slow to denounce the hijackers and too quick to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon. If they wanted to help out this (an other western countries) they would be on Al Jiz telling the truth. but they won't beause it doesn't fit into their islamic agenda. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2004-11-24 2:28:27 PM |
| #6 D'oh! MS - Esquire fails another test |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-11-24 10:08:45 AM |
| #5 If there's a lawsuit, it is not indicated in the article; to the contrary: Lawyers for individuals and newspapers served with libel notices will normally urge their clients to avoid any comment on the matter--to avoid even any acknowledgement that they have been served. This is usually good advice. A notice of libel is not a lawsuit, but a warning of a lawsuit to come. Provide links! |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-24 9:55:11 AM |
| #4 There is no lawsuit. Did you bother reading what Frum wrote? Yes, I read it. There is a lawsuit. . |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-11-24 9:49:43 AM |
| #3 It would have been helpful if Frum would have specified what statements of his were cited in CAIR's lawsuit. There is no lawsuit. Did you bother reading what Frum wrote? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-11-24 9:28:04 AM |
| #2 Mike, Smart people save their legal arguments for the court room and make their political arguments in the paper. People without an argument try to change the subject. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-24 9:21:36 AM |
| #1 With all due respect to David Frum, he will have to directly address the question of whether CAIR as an organization, as a body, is "an unscrupulous, Islamist, extremist sympathetic group in Canada supporting terrorism." Here he's just cherry-picking bad acts of various individuals who are only associated, albeit prominently, with CAIR. It would have been helpful if Frum would have specified what statements of his were cited in CAIR's lawsuit. If, for example, he wrote something like "CAIR supports terrorism", then much of what he writes here well might be excluded by a judge as irrelevant. . |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-11-24 9:13:26 AM |