Hope in Lodi? Maybe.

There is perhaps some hope that the Muslim community in Lodi, California sees The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for what it really is, a clear and present danger to our Constitution and our way of life. The Muslim residents of Lodi are seeing that CAIR has no real concern with American-Islamic relations, but instead is in support of Islamist terrorists and terrorist-sponsoring organizations and groups in America.

On June 16th, 2005, the federal government indicted a father and son from Lodi, California on terrorism related charges. Immediately, CAIR came to the rescue, according to Anti-CAIR, charging:

“We have documented numerous reports of intimidating tactics used recently by some FBI agents. We’ve become disappointed and alarmed at reports of abuseby local FBI. There have been threats of deportation, telling someone they can't have an attorney, when the attorney was on the phone they wouldn't speak to the attorney."

What does LODI and its local Muslim Community think about CAIR's involvement in defending the alleged terrorists?

Lodi Muslim Mosque board member Nick Qayyum said he and many others plan to protest at the Sacramento office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations for its part in standing by two local spiritual leaders arrested on immigration violations -- Mohammad Adil Khan and Shabbir Ahmed. The two imams, as well as Khan's teenage son, were detained as federal officials investigated two other men suspected of having ties to terrorists. Hamid Hayat and his father, Umer Hayat, were arrested Sunday on charges of lying to investigators.

Qayyum said the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, shouldn't be defending the two imams, who he thinks have tried to take control of the local Islamic community. The imams have been controversial in part because they came to Lodi from Pakistan. More than 3,000 Muslims from Pakistan live in the Lodi area. The community has been divided in ... over whether the community should be led by outsiders or those who grew up in area. .... some local Muslims have called ... to protest CAIR's support of the imams."