As part of California’s Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, which honors a man who fought for racial equity, social justice and human rights, the Superior Court of California County of Santa Clara co-sponsored a January 30 online panel discussion.
Among those offered a seat to air their views on the “fight for racial justice” was none other than Zahra Billoo, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area branch of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group that was another of the event’s sponsors.
As documented by HonestReporting, Billoo is an antisemite.
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Billoo: ‘Pay Attention to Zionist Syangogues’
In December, footage emerged of Billoo’s speech at the 14th Annual Convention for Palestine in the US in which she blamed “Zionists” for Islamophobia and police violence in the United States and urged CAIR’s supporters to “pay attention to the Zionist synagogues.”
Such incendiary remarks, which came just weeks before a terrorist held four people hostage at a synagogue in Texas, somehow did not disqualify her from being asked to weigh in on the issue of racism.
Amid backlash following her comments, Billoo announced that she would be taking a “sabbatical” from her position at CAIR.
However, given her appearance at a CAIR-sponsored event this week, it would seem her leave of absence was a very short one.
Billoo’s December remarks were largely reported on by Israeli and Jewish news sites, which is ironic – even suspicious – considering CAIR is something of a go-to organization for journalists seeking commentary on all things pertaining to religious affairs.
Case in point, CAIR’s countless media mentions in stories about the January synagogue attack, which one might find paradoxical given Billoo’s overt positions on the Jewish people.
More generally, an HonestReporting big data analysis revealed that 18 major publications, including The Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Washington Post and The Guardian, together cited CAIR over 250 times in 2021.
Code of Silence: LA Times’ Coverage of CAIR
The Los Angeles Times’ lack of critical coverage is particularly noteworthy given that Billoo and the organization she represents have been on the news outlet’s radar for years.
Zahra Billoo was first cited by the Los Angeles Times in 2015 and, since then, she has frequently been quoted as an authoritative voice on matters relating to Islam. Yet, for some reason, the LA Times has neglected to devote a word of coverage to Billoo’s incitement against Jews.
The publication, for example, covered the 2019 Women’s March, which was held in Los Angeles, in great detail (see here and here). Yet, when Billoo was removed from her position on the board of march organizers after fellow members got wind of her raging antisemitism, The LA Times was quiet.
It would seem the newspaper would rather keep its favorite rent-a-quote on-side rather than upset the apple cart by exposing her anti-Jewish bigotry.
Related Reading: Why Do Media Uncritically Cite US-Based Muslim Lobbying Group CAIR?
In August 2020, HonestReporting published a piece titled, HR Supports ADL Against Far-Left Cancel Culture, which exposed CAIR’s approach on Israel and the Jewish people:
CAIR, ostensibly an Islamic civil liberties advocacy group, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2007 trial of the Holy Land Foundation in Texas. Officials from the Holy Land Foundation were later found guilty of diverting funds to Hamas. As a result, some American lawmakers have called to ban CAIR. In fact, CAIR was designated a terrorist group by the UAE in 2014.
CAIR employees have promoted ‘the modern variation of the long-debunked blood libel that claims Israel kills Palestinians to steal their organs,’ and shared an article from white nationalist website Information Clearing House that alleges Israel controls American politics.”
We have since published two additional in-depth pieces on CAIR (see here and here).
Missing: Context to CAIR’s Response During Texas Synagogue Hostage-Taking
On January 15, The Los Angeles Times republished a piece by The Associated Press wire service, titled, Hostages Safe After Standoff Inside Texas Synagogue; Captor Is Dead.
The report included CAIR’s reaction to the hostage-taking:
‘This latest antisemitic attack at a house of worship is an unacceptable act of evil, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said in a statement. ‘We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community, and we pray that law enforcement authorities are able to swiftly and safely free the hostages. No cause can justify or excuse this crime.’”
Imagine how superficial such messages of “solidarity” would prove to be if the LA Times had also informed its readers that CAIR has participated in a campaign to exonerate the jihadi who inspired the synagogue attack, Aafia Siddiqui.
Related Reading: Media Outlets Manipulate Facts in Reporting on Synagogue Hostage Incident
A quick search of CAIR’s website for Siddiqui’s name brings up multiple results, such as a press release titled, DC: Coalition to Hold News Conference to Call for the Release of Pakistani National Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from Texas Prison. It proceeds to claim that Siddiqui was wrongly convicted while labeling her a “victim of the war on terror.”
Another article on CAIR’s website highlights a Facebook live event about the campaign to free her that featured speakers such as antisemite Linda Sarsour and Siddiqui’s lawyer, Marwa Elbially.
CAIR: Spreading Slanders About Israel and Jews Under Guise of ‘Civil Rights’
The invitation for Billoo to speak on the panel at the recent event in California is deeply troubling. It not only lends credibility to CAIR as a trustworthy and authentic voice on the issue of racism, but also allows the organization to cloak its radical beliefs and extremist positions in the language of social justice.
Yet, the air of respectability that CAIR has achieved was only made possible by so many media outlets overlooking numerous incidents of antisemitism.
For its part, the LA Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the United States, with over 40 million unique monthly visitors to its website, and a combined print and online local weekly audience of 4.4 million.
With such influence comes great responsibility, one that in the case of Billoo, specifically, and CAIR, more broadly, the LA Times has shirked.
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Featured Image: Zahra Billoo: Screenshot / YouTube
