The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in late December 2023 released a "Palestine Beyond Borders" toolkit, which seeks to "encourage libraries and bookstores to feature book displays on Palestine" and foster "a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted aspects of Palestinian history." The toolkit includes a dozen children's books.
One of the books calls for children to "unlock all the truths about Palestine and educate everyone about its true history."
The book, ‘Baba, What Does My Name Mean?,’ takes a child refugee on a “journey to Palestine," which, according to the map at the beginning of the book, includes all land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
The map portrays Israeli cities like Tel Aviv, Haifa, and others as part of "Palestine," the capital of which, according to the children's book, is Al-Quds. The book ends by stating that "through persistence and perseverance," Palestinians will "one day … be free."
The author of the children's book, Rifk Ebeid, praised CAIR leader Nihad Awad, who glorified Hamas’s brutal Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel. Awad said he was "happy to see" the Hamas attack, drawing concern from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
In an Oct. 16 Instagram post, Ebeid praised the "Palestinian struggle for freedom and liberation from the shackles of Zionist colonialism and violence," adding that it would "be studied in history books and serve as a reminder to humanity of what human resilience looks like."
Several days later, Ebeid incorrectly accused the Jewish state of bombing a Gazan hospital in an "Israeli massacre" that she said killed "1000+ Palestinians."
According to reports, CAIR is the nation's "largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization."
It has deep ties to the Biden White House and the Democratic Party, with the Biden administration using the group as a partner in its "National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism."
In 2019, various congressional Democrats issued letters of support for CAIR ahead of the group's DC gala. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote that CAIR has his "utmost thanks and appreciation" in a November 2022 letter.
On Tuesday, CAIR and other organizers announced that they will hold a "March on Washington for Gaza" next week to draw attention to the Israel-Hamas war and call for a cease-fire three months after Hamas launched a surprise attack against the Jewish state. The rally will begin at the National Mall on January 13 at 1:00 PM, gathering near the Washington Monument.
Organizers of the march, which includes support from more than 100 groups, are looking for an end to American aid to Israel's military, which they say is carrying out a "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
According to a media advisory, the groups expect the march to be the largest pro-Palestine event in DC since the latest conflict broke out. Awad told reporters that the rally is meant to "show elected officials that they are defying the clear call of the people to end our nation's complicity in war crimes. Americans can and should stop this genocide by holding the Biden administration accountable."
Related Story: Prominent Muslim Group Director Was ‘Happy to See’ Oct. 7 Hamas Attacks Against Israel
