The White House is frantically trying to distance itself from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after its executive director Nihad Awad claimed he was “happy” to watch the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack unfold. Speaking at the 16th Annual Convention for Palestine in the U.S. on Nov. 24, he said that the people of Gaza were merely “breaking the siege”:
The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp, on October 7th, and yes. I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land and walk free into their lands that they were not allowed to walk in. [Applause.]
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Now if that's not openly endorsing the savage terror attacks, the rape and torture of women, the beheading of babies, and the wanton killing of civilians, then I don't know what is.
The Biden administration launched an anti-Islamophobia initiative several weeks after the Hamas assaults -- even though antisemitism is a far worse problem in the country right now -- and listed CAIR as "one of several independent organizations" involved in the effort.
The White House is now "removing their commitment" from the initiative after Awad's comments went viral.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital, "We condemn these shocking, Antisemitic statements in the strongest terms."
"The horrific, brutal terrorist attacks committed by Hamas on October 7th were, as President Biden said, ‘abhorrent’ and represent ‘unadulterated evil,’" Bates said.
Predictably, Awad tried to walk back the remarks Thursday, saying there were "misleading reports" about his words and they were taken "out of context." Nine times out of ten when people folks use phrases like "misinterpreted," "taken out of context," and "misleading," it means, "I said it, we all know I said it, but I'm not brave enough to take the heat for it, so I'm going to blame it on you."
But don't take my word for it—and certainly don't take his. Read what he said for yourself, and you decide if this man was mourning the savage murders of over 1,200 unsuspecting Israelis, the captivity and brutal treatment of over 100 hostages. You decide if when he said he was "happy to see people breaking the siege" he wasn't celebrating the attacks (bolding mine):
The people of Gaza only decided to break the siege, the walls of the concentration camp, on October 7th, and yes, I was happy to see people breaking the siege and throwing down the shackles of their own land, and walk free into their lands that they were not allowed to walk in. [Applause]
And yes, the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, have the right to defend themselves, and yes, Israel as an occupying power does not have that right to self-defense.
Gaza became the liberation source. The inspiration for people. Gaza transformed many minds around the world, including people who are not Muslim, what kind of faith these people have. They are thankful. They're not afraid. And Israel did not scare them.
Because they knew that their heaven is in Gaza and... if they would like to die, they would go to another heaven. That is the faith of the people of Gaza. And that's why Gaza and the people of Gaza were able to transform everyone who's watching. They have learned from these people. And those who felt bad for Gaza, they don't understand the equation. Those who thought that the Gazans are less than, those who can help them, they are mistaken. They are mistaken.
The Gazans were the victorious.
For him to turn around now and say he condemns violence is laughable, when he clearly just endorsed it. It's like if you said you were happy to see a spree shooter be able to express himself, and when somebody said you're promoting violence, you said, "Oh, I didn't mean I supported the shooting stuff. I meant, you know, the other stuff."
It's ridiculous, and what he said is on tape, and it's hateful, plain and simple. Good for the White House for doing the rare right thing and ditching this outfit.