06-07-2003, 02:03 PM
05 June 2003
ACTION ALERT
Contact: Mahdi Bray
(202) 421-3623
Statement Issued at Press Conference at National Press Club June 5, 2003
MAS FREEDOM SUPPORTS LAWSUIT AGAINST CBS 60 MINUTES' "TERRORIST HUNTER"
MAS Freedom Foundation supports the Muslim charitable institutions and
individual plaintiffs who are filing an $80 million defamation lawsuit
against CBS correspondent Bob Simon and the SITE Institute, a so-called
counter-terrorist group.
The suit is resultant of a May 4th, 2001 CBS 60 Minutes aired segment titled
"Terrorist Hunter". In the May 4th segment, a disguised "terrorist hunter"
called Sarah (later identified in documents as SITE Institute Director Rita
Katz) claimed that an office building in Herndon, Virginia, which houses
several Muslim organizations was the heart of a terrorist funding ring and
allegedly tied to Osama Bin Laden. The Muslim office building identified in
the CBS program was later raided in March, 2002 in a special U.S. Treasury
anti-terrorist funding program called Operation Green Quest. Many have
alleged that the raid (which to date has produced no criminal charges and
sent shockwaves through the Muslim community and its many highly respected
Muslim institutions) was motivated by misinformation provided by Ms. Katz
and the 60 Minutes program. The plaintiffs are suing for compensatory and
punitive damage.
According to Mahdi Bray, executive director of MAS Freedom, "I hope this
serves as another serious message to those who, since 9/11 have turned
Muslim-bashing, reckless reporting, and defamation into an opportunistic
cottage industry. The message is simple: harmful discrimination or
mischaracterization of our community will not be tolerated, be it by
self-proclaimed 'terrorism experts' the media academia, financial or
government institutions, and those who insist upon participating in such
activities will pay-legally and financially. It's the American way."
MAS Freedom Foundation is America's largest Muslim grassroots organization.
Its mission is to build an integrated empowerment process for the American
Muslim community through civic education, participation, community outreach,
and coalition building, and to forge positive relationships with other
institutions outside of the Muslim community, ensuring and facilitating the
protection of civil rights and liberties for American Muslims and all
Americans.
We need your support to continue this important work. Please send donations
to: MAS Freedom, 1050 17th St, NW Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036.
For more information about MAS Freedom, see www.masnet.org/freedom or call
202-496-1288.