Omar Holding Secret Fundraisers With Islamic Groups Tied to Terror

Closed-door events spark further questions about anti-Semitic rhetoric

Democratic freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) has been holding a series of secret fundraisers with groups that have been tied to the support of terrorism, appearances that have been closed to the press and hidden from public view. The content of these speeches, given to predominately Muslim audiences, remains unknown, prompting some of Omar's critics to express concern about the type of rhetoric she is using before these paying audiences, particularly in light of the lawmaker's repeated use of anti-Semitic tropes in public. Omar recently spoke in Florida at a private event hosted by Islamic Relief, a charity organization long said to have deep ties to groups that advocate terrorism against Israel. Over the weekend, she will appear at another private event in California that is hosted by CAIR-CA PAC, a political action committee affiliated with the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR a group that was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a massive terror-funding incident.

Omar's appearance at these closed-door forums is raising eyebrows in the pro-Israel world due to her repeated and unapologetic public use of anti-Semitic stereotypes accusing Jewish people of controlling foreign policy and politics. With Omar's popularity skyrocketing on the anti-Israel left, it appears her rhetoric is translating into fundraising prowess. It remains unclear what Omar has told these audiences in her private talks. Washington Free Beacon attempts to obtain video of past events were unsuccessful, and multiple local news and television outlets in the Tampa, Fla., area, where Omar spoke to Islamic Relief last month, confirmed they were unable to gain access to the closed door event.

Islamic Relief has come under congressional investigation for what lawmakers have described as its efforts to provide assistance to terrorist group such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. The charity has been banned by some countries as a result of these ties. In 2017, Congress sought to ban taxpayer funds from reaching the charity due to these terror links.

A representative from Islamic Relief declined to provide the Free Beacon with any material related to Omar's appearance. "The event was closed to the media. No materials are available," the official said. On Sunday, Omar will hold another meet and greet in Irvine, Calif., for CAIR-CA PAC. Those wishing to hear Omar speak are being asked to donate anywhere from $50 to $250 dollars, according to a flyer for the event. The CAIR event also appears closed to the press. Free Beacon attempts to contact the organizer and obtain access were unsuccessful. Requests for comment on the nature of the speeches sent to Omar's congressional office also were not returned.

https://freebeacon.com/issues/omar-holding-secret-fundraisers-with-islamic-groups-tied-to-terror/

Islamic Charity Linked to Terror Funding ‘Helping’ Wildfire Victims

https://clarionproject.org/islamic-charity-linked-to-terror-funding-wildfire-victims/

Islamic Relief Banned from Rohingya Relief Effort

https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/54008/bangladesh-bans-two-international-islamist

>>5859864

Sauce:

Yemen Emergency Dinner Tampa, FL

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tampa-for-yemen-an-emergency-benefit-dinner-for-yemen-with-ilhan-omar-tickets-54644752927#

Key Lawmakers Press Trump Admin to Revoke Iranian Student Visas

Push comes amid impasse on American hostages, outrage over sanction waivers

Key members of Congress are engaged in a new push to punish Iran for American hostage-taking by revoking visas for relatives of regime officials either attending college in the United States or working and living in the country. "[There] are a lot of regime officials who have students here who are enjoying the benefits of our education system who are here on visas, and we need to take a hard look at upping the costs," Rep. Michael Waltz (R., Fla.) said. "My concern, from a policy perspective, is right now there is very little downside to taking the hostages, and they barely keep them alive."

The new push comes as tempers on Capitol Hill flared again this week over the Trump administration's Tuesday decision to grant Iraq a major reprieve on Iran sanctions, allowing Baghdad to renew a 90-day waiver to continue buying electricity from Tehran. Some advocates for the hostages' release also have called for tying any and all Iran sanctions waivers to the release of all Americans imprisoned in Iran. The Trump administration on Friday imposed new sanctions on 14 people and 16 entities connected to Iran's nuclear program, accusing Tehran of plotting to once again weaponize it. The move was another public slap at Iran over its nuclear program, but it didn't quell the waiver concerns.

Critics have privately railed against the Iraq sanctions waiver, expressing outrage about what they say is a campaign within the State Department to grant a number of new such waivers. Iran hardliners believe there are some career State Department officials who are working to preserve the Obama-era nuclear deal despite Trump administration pledges to exert "maximum pressure" on Iran. While the main focus is on penalizing Iran and trying to win the release of at least six American hostages held there, Waltz said the State Department should consider a similar visa-revoking policy for all relatives of regime officials around the world who take Americans hostage. "I want to examine ways that when they look at making this decision, there's a lot more downside to them to taking American hostages—that they have a lot more to lose, and I think that's military pressure and certainly diplomatic pressure," he added. Lawmakers in recent weeks have demanded that the administration do more to punish Iran for failing to live up its repeated promises to assist in finding and freeing former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who was last seen on Iran's Kish Island in 2007 and is the longest-held hostage in American history.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/key-lawmakers-press-trump-admin-to-revoke-iranian-student-visas/