It Seems Like We'll Never Learn

Pittsburgh: Hamas-linked CAIR to present hijab event to dispel “misconceptions” for World Hijab Day

FEB 2, 2020 8:00 AM BY ROBERT SPENCER20 COMMENTS

Witless Western feminists now have an annual event, World Hijab Day, in which they don hijabs in order to show solidarity with Muslim women in the West who supposedly experience abuse for wearing the hijab, although a great many of these incidents have been found to have been faked by the alleged victims. The real victims of abuse over wearing the hijab are much more often girls and women who don’t wear it, such as Youness Moussaid’s stepdaughter. Aqsa Parvez’s Muslim father choked her to death with her hijab after she refused to wear it. Amina Muse Ali was a Christian woman in Somalia whom Muslims murdered because she wasn’t wearing a hijab. 40 women were murdered in Iraq in 2007 for not wearing the hijab. Alya Al-Safar’s Muslim cousin threatened to kill her and harm her family because she stopped wearing the hijab in Britain. Amira Osman Hamid faced whipping in Sudan for refusing to wear the hijab. An Egyptian girl, also named Amira, committed suicide after being brutalized by her family for refusing to wear the hijab. Muslim and non-Muslim teachers at the Islamic College of South Australia were told they had to wear the hijab or be fired. Women in Chechnya were police shot with paintballs because they weren’t wearing hijab. Other women in Chechnya were threatened by men with automatic rifles for not wearing hijab. Elementary school teachers in Tunisia were threatened with death for not wearing hijab. Syrian schoolgirls were forbidden to go to school unless they wore hijab. Women in Gaza were forced by Hamas to wear hijab. Women in Iran protested against the regime by daring to take off their hijabs. Women in London were threatened with murder by Muslim thugs if they didn’t wear hijab. An anonymous young Muslim woman doffed her hijab outside her home and started living a double life in fear of her parents. Fifteen girls in Saudi Arabia were killed when the religious police wouldn’t let them leave their burning school building because they had taken off their hijabs in their all-female environment. A girl in Italy had her head shaved by her mother for not wearing hijab. Other women and girls have been killed or threatened, or live in fear for daring not to wear the hijab. But where are the feminists standing in solidarity with them?

Note also that Margaret Smykla of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gets Ibrahim “Honest Ibe” Hooper to tell her readers about Hamas-linked CAIR, but doesn’t bother to inform them that CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case — so named by the Justice Department. CAIR officials have repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas and Hizballah as terrorist groups. Several former CAIR officials have been convicted of various crimes related to jihad terror. CAIR’s cofounder and longtime Board chairman (Omar Ahmad), as well as its chief spokesman (Ibrahim Hooper), have made Islamic supremacist statements about how Islamic law should be imposed in the U.S. (Ahmad denies this, but the original reporter stands by her story.) CAIR chapters frequently distribute pamphlets telling Muslims not to cooperate with law enforcement. CAIR has opposed virtually every anti-terror measure that has been proposed or implemented and has been declared a terror organization by the United Arab Emirates. CAIR’s Hussam Ayloush in 2017 called for the overthrow of the U.S. government. CAIR’s national outreach manager is an open supporter of Hamas.

Would Margaret Smykla be similarly favorable toward an organization that opposed jihad violence and Sharia oppression of women? Of course not.

“Hijab confusion to be unwrapped at CAIR event,” by Margaret Smykla, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 30, 2020 (thanks to David):

Christine Mohamed, new executive director of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that one of the biggest misconceptions about her faith involves the hijab, or the head scarf worn by Muslim women.

“It is viewed as oppressive to women. But it is a feminist statement because we are telling society you will not dictate to me what beauty is — I have a mind and a heart,’’ Mrs. Mohamed explained of the practice used by some Muslim women.

“It is a way to put a barrier and say you will not see my beauty as both men and women are called to modesty.’’

The West Mifflin woman, who was raised as a Catholic in Hazelwood, said the first production in her new role will be a Hijab event at 12:45 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, 4100 Bigelow Blvd., Oakland. It is designed to coincide with World Hijab Day.

Everyone is welcome. Women of all religions and backgrounds may wear and experience the hijab, usually pronounced ‘’hee-jaab.” A panel will explain its history and purpose and point out that wearing it is not mandatory for a Muslim woman. Rather some choose to wear it because of tradition and others as a way to show self-control, power and agency.

Mrs. Mohamed is the first woman to hold the post at CAIR-Pittsburgh, located at 801 N. Negley Ave., East Liberty.

CAIR is the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. The nonprofit organization has 31 offices nationwide, and a national headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

“CAIR was founded [1994] because of the need for an American Muslim voice in the public sphere,” said Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR’s national communications director. “CAIR is supported by the Muslim community and the larger society because we offer a mainstream perspective on issues impacting Muslims and defend the civil and constitutional rights of Americans of all faiths and backgrounds.”…

Then, in 2007, she began the yearlong conversion to Islam.

“I was studying theology and reading books on comparative religions. I loved my Catholic faith, but I had authenticity issues, like how the New Testaments were collected to be in the Bible.

“I believe there is good in the Bible, but it has gone through hundreds of translations and political agendas. Islam is very simplistic. There is no middle man between me and my creator. It encompasses your whole life, and gave me a sense of purpose and peace. I am a firm believer that everyone has their own right to choose their faith system, even if that is none at all.’’…

Over the next decade, her devotion to serving the Muslim and interfaith communities led to speaking at “Strong Women, Strong Girls Pittsburgh,’’ serving as a panelist at “Jewish Voice for Peace” and managing a “Help for the Convert” support group at her mosque.

For two years she taught an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute class at Carnegie Mellon University entitled “Lions, Tigers and Muslims … Oh My,” designed to dispel misconceptions about Islam.

Today, the mother of three children is committed to CAIR’s mission to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

To that end, CAIR-Pittsburgh last July called for the resignation of a local Republican committee chairman over hate-filled social media posts about Muslims. He subsequently stepped down.

“We try to build bridges, so if we see Islamophobia we stand up against it,” Mrs. Mohamed said….

As for terror attacks by those professing allegiance to Allah, she said the Koran is “very clear” that it is not permitted, except in self-defense, to take an innocent life.

“If an extremist tries to use God for the loss of life, it is not about Islam but about a political agenda and money. Scholars of Islam come out and condemn terror attacks,” she said….

She would also like to present her “Lions, Tigers and Muslims … Oh My” instruction at CAIR-Pittsburgh, as she said she feels it is her responsibility in her role to educate about the faith “so people are not so scared.”…