CAIR: JASTA serves Islamophobic organizations

Washington – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) warned that JASTA bill, if approved by the Congress, will have severe consequences and will be used by lobbying organizations that promotes Islamophobia.

Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) is a measure that would allow 9/11 attack survivors and relatives of terror victims to pursue cases in federal court against foreign governments and demand compensation if such governments are proven to bear some responsibility for attacks on U.S. soil.

Thus, JASTA would allow the victims and their families to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. federal court for its alleged role in indirectly financing the attacks.

Nihad Awad, executive director and founder of CAIR, told Asharq Al-Awsat that JASTA will allow the continuation of harassments against the Islamic community. He added that after this bill, terrorism will continue to be joint with Islam.

“They have reached a point where they accuse Saudi Arabia, which is considered the heart of the Islamic world, of terrorism. And by doing so, they are accusing Muslims all over the world,” he said.

According to Awad, those who voted for this law are anti-Islam and it is supported by the same campaign that supports the presidential candidate Donald Trump. He thus declared that CAIR rejects and denounces JASTA promoted by Islamophobes who reject Muslims’ existence.

The director went on to say that the JASTA campaign is led by a group of political and legal activists in the Congress, as part of “an ugly political process that aims to blackmail for financial benefit”.

Awad accused the Republican party for dragging the U.S. into this and supporting the JASTA bill, adding that this will harm the U.S. foreign relations.

Awad said that CAIR had been accused of supporting and funding terrorism in an attempt to silence the voice of Islam and American Muslims.

The director explained that the U.S. administration is aware of the seriousness and disastrous effects of this bill. He added that it is possible for countries to stand by Saudi Arabia in this and withdraw all its money deposits in American banks or investments.

Yet, he ruled out the possibility of applying this law and said that in case it was approved, American Muslims in U.S. have the right to challenge it in the court of law.

CAIR: JASTA serves Islamophobic organizations