Hussam Ayloush deserves credit for cultivating his reputation as a “moderate Muslim.”
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He has proven effective at winning over audiences — including liberal Jews — all the while aiming many of his relentless anti-Israel attacks at them. His worst detractors would concede he qualifies as the educated and polished face of CAIR-LA (Council on American-Islamic Relations).
Ayloush showcased his rhetorical skill at the time he issued a “public statement” opposing UCLA’s new guidelines to (released by Chancellor Julio Frenk and a 15-person action group). Many Jewish parents of UCLA students’ were gobsmacked by the “perverse logic” of Ayloush’s statement posted last month: The main message behind the “CAIR statement” was to oppose the university’s new guidelines to protect Jewish students from harassment, physical assault, and overt hatred, on the basis of it having a “chilling effect” on the civil rights of pro-Palestinian and Muslim students.
The tragic events behind the “Free Palestine” protests are blatantly absent from CAIR’s statement.
Ayloush fails to mention the pattern of abuse and harassment perpetrated by the protestors — which included raining blows on Jewish students and erecting “Jew-Free Zone” blockades on campus. Jewish students were not allowed to pass through the blockades without first condemning the actions of so-called “genocide” committed by Israel or agreeing to wear a symbol condemning the Jewish state.
Some would argue the real “chilling effect” could be traced to the recorded statements made by UCLA students who were on the receiving end of the April 25-May 2, 2024 attacks:
UCLA freshman Eli Tsives, who was filmed while attempting to access a campus area, said: “I deserve to go here. I pay tuition. This is our school.” He was prevented from passing through a “Jew Free Zone.”
Another student, Elinor Hess, remembers being knocked to the ground by pro-Palestinian protestors while attempting to pick up a flag. “When I was down — I was kicked a few times… dragged across the ground, and then my head started bleeding.” She lost consciousness during the attack, according to the police report.
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Many Jewish parents, who feared for their children on campus, were further incensed at the statement’s shifting the culpability from the victimizers to the victims. In retrospect, CAIR offered its own version of events. “UCLA has a long history of targeting lawful student speech and activism on campus,” CAIR asserts. “It has failed time and again to take actionable steps to protect its Palestinian, Arab and Muslim student and faculty.”
Elinor Hess’ parents, undoubtedly, would take little comfort from the CAIR’s assertion that they care about the “civil rights of all students including Jewish students.” Advancing “justice for all” is part of CAIR’s theme, along with its carefully crafted acronym spelling out a sentiment many supporters of Israel would find perverse.
CAIR once enjoyed the status of the “reasonable voice” on Islamic-American relations: It became a media darling for nearly 10 years (late 1990s to early 2000s). The mainstream reporters routinely cited CAIR as the “go-to-voice” commenting on controversial issues, including Israel’s role in the Middle East.
Then the curtain was pulled back on CAIR’s criminal activities: The organization operates more than 35 chapters in the U.S., and several members were criminally charged with funneling money to terrorists. The organization was cited as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the U.S. vs. Holy Land Foundation case in 2007. Not everyone got off as an “unindicted co-conspirator.” CAIR official Ghassan Elashi was convicted in connection with the crime of assisting in financing $12 million to Hamas, and several other members of CAIR faced terrorism-related charges.
The Holy Land case gave new meaning to the popular chant, “From the River to the Sea”: It cast a dark shadow on the alleged “civil rights” group’s assertion that it protects the “oppressed around the world.”
Ayloush and his colleagues may not have been anywhere near the protestors’ blockades or handing out pepper spray to pro-Palestinian protestors. The leader’s words may have proven far more effective in stoking the anger of protesters and contributing to an atmosphere of oppression on the UCLA campus.
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Image: CAIR-LA