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CAIR Claims Washington Times, National Review, Fox News Are Part Of ‘Islamophobia Network’

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In a report on alleged “Islamophobia” published Monday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations — CAIR — claimed that the Washington Times, National Review, Fox News Channel and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher are all part of the “Islamophobia Network.”

The report, titled “Confronting Fear: Islamophobia and its Impact in the U.S. 2013-2015,” divides what CAIR calls the “Islamophobia Network” into two groups: the “inner core” and “outer core” of the network.

One of the groups listed in the “inner core,” for example, is the group Former Muslims United.

Former Muslims United describes itself as “a group of leading American apostates from Islam” that seeks to “educate the American public and policymakers about the need for Muslims to repudiate the threat from authoritative Shariah to the religious freedom and safety of former Muslims.”

CAIR describes Former Muslims United as an “anti-Islam group” and notes that the group’s founder, Nonie Darwish, told The New Tork Times that “A mosque is not just a place for worship. It’s a place where war is started, where commandments to do jihad start, where incitements against non-Muslims occur. It’s a place where ammunition was stored.”

All of the media groups listed above are in the “outer core” of the “Islamophobia Network.”

CAIR listed HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher as an Islamophobic group because “Maher has made his show and other public appearances a forum for advancing anti-Islam tropes.”

CAIR lists an example of Maher’s anti-Islam tropes: “On his September 11, 2015 show, Maher expressed concern that Muslims migrating to Europe would result in societies that are ‘less moderate, less tolerant.'”

The Washington Times is designated a part of the “outer core” of the “Islamophobia Network” because it “publishes articles by inner core Islamophobes such as Frank Gaffney and Clare Lopez, giving their bias a legitimizing platform.” Both Gaffney and Lopez work for the Center for Security Policy, which is also listed as part of the Islamophobia Network. Lopez is a former career CIA officer.

CAIR similarly labels National Review part of the “Islamophobia Network” because the magazine “features anti-Islam commentary from Islamophobes such as Daniel Pipes and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy.”

According to McCarthy’s personal website, he is “best known for leading the prosecution against the Blind Sheik (Omar Abdel Rahman) and eleven other jihadists for waging a terrorist war against the United States – including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a plot to bomb New York City landmarks.”

Fox News Channel made the list because — according to CAIR — the network “provides a forum for prejudice targeting the Muslim community.”

Follow Peter Hasson on Twitter @PeterJHasson