Earl Gregg Swem Library and Council on American–Islamic Relations: Difference between pages

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[[Image:EG_Swem_Library.jpg|thumb|right|Earl Gregg Swem Library at [[William_and_Mary|The College of William and Mary in Virginia]]]]

Earl Gregg Swem Library is located on Landrum Drive (formerly Old Campus Drive) at the [[College of William and Mary]] in [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]], [[Virginia]]. The library is named for [[Earl Gregg Swem]], College Librarian from 1920-1944.<ref>Minutes of the Board of Visitors, May 11, 1963, p. 162-164.</ref>

<!--[[Image:Cair.gif|right]]-->The '''Council on American-Islamic Relations''' ('''CAIR''') is a controversial [[Islam|Islamic]] [[advocacy group]] in [[North America]], funded by American Muslims and also in significant part by sources with connections to Arab [[Middle Eastern]] governments.<ref name="NYTCAIR1">{{cite news | publisher=[[The New York Times]] | url=http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F30714F93A550C778DDDAA0894DF404482 | title=" Scrutiny Increases for a Group Advocating for Muslims in U.S." | author=Neil MacFarquhar | date=03-14-2007}}</ref> Critics have accused the group of being associated with Islamic extremism<ref name="NYTCAIR1"/>, and in 2007 U.S. federal prosecutors named CAIR an "unindicted co-conspirator" in a plot to fund the designated terrorist organization Hamas <ref name="WND1">{{cite news | publisher=[[World Net Daily]] | url=http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56009 | title=" Feds name CAIR in plot to fund Hamas" | date=06-04-2007}}</ref>. Based on their 2006 annual report, it is estimated that it has 4,761 dues paying members, or between 1 in every 1,680 or 1,260 American Muslims, using the 8 million and 6 million population estimates respectively. Between 2004 and 2006, their membership numbers are believed to have dropped by approximately 45%.[http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=28394]

== Construction and Renovations ==

Detailed discussions of plans for the library were held in 1963<ref>Minutes of the Board of Visitors, January 5, 1963, p. 84-92; March 23, 1963, p. 135-138.</ref> and the groundbreaking ceremonies were held later that year on October 11, 1963, at Phi Beta Kappa Hall. The actual groundbreaking occurred a few weeks after the ceremonies.<ref>''The Flat Hat'', 11 January 1963, 1.</ref> The cornerstone of the library was laid on October 22, 1964, and the building was scheduled for completion around December 1965.<ref>''The Flat Hat'', 17 September 1965, 4.</ref> The building officially opened on January 4, 1966, although it was not fully complete.<ref>''The Flat Hat'', 14 January 1966, 1.</ref> The official dedication ceremony for the library was held on Charter Day, February 12, 1966. The Tucker-Coleman Room of the library was dedicated on November 11, 1966.<ref>Minutes of the Board of Visitors, January 14, 1967, 320; ''The Flat Hat'', 11 November 1966, 1.</ref>

==Overview==

At the time of its completion, the ground floor of Swem Library contained the Botetourt Gallery, an auditorium, the [[Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture]] offices, a rare book room, an honors room, a museum, an audio/visual department, a film preview room, and a faculty lounge. The first floor contained a reserve room, an after-hours reading room, a reference department, and typing and meeting rooms. The second floor contained administration rooms, conference rooms, and stacks. There was a fire in the Botetourt Theater in 1972 that destroyed a projection booth.<ref>''The Flat Hat'', 12 May 1972, 1.</ref> A Micro Computer Lab opened in the library on February 13, 1984.<ref>''William and Mary News'', 24 January 1984, 5.</ref>

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 32 regional offices and chapters in the U.S. and [[Canada]], CAIR was founded in 1994 by [[Nihad Awad]], [[Omar Ahmad]], and [[Rafeeq Jaber]]<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20030622094859/http://www.iap.org/contactus.htm IAP Board Of Directors / Shura Council</ref><ref>http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/1099/9910067.html Rafeeq Jaber: An Energetic Muslim Visionary and Fearless Palestinian-American Political Activist</ref> of the [[Islamic Association of Palestine]] with funding from the Hamas group [[Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development]].<ref name="Emerson2005">United States Senate Committee of Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs[http://www.senate.gov/~banking/_files/emerson.pdf "Money Laundering and Terror Financing Issues in the Middle East." July 13, 2005] Accessed October 16, 2006.</ref> The Holy Land Foundation was later closed as a money-laundering scheme for terrorist support. Hamas is still denominated as a "Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization" by the United States Department of State. [http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/37191.htm]

CAIR’s literature claims its vision as a Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group is to build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.<ref>[http://www.cair.com/default.asp?Page=About CAIR:About CAIR]</ref> Its mission is based on 3 core goals – enhancing understanding of Islam, promoting Islamic justice [http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31479][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Council_on_American-Islamic_Relations]and empowering American Muslims.

Construction officially began on an addition to the front of the library on March 3, 1986, to provide extra stack space, reading areas, administrative offices, and a 24-hour study room and snack area. O.K. James Construction Co. led construction.<ref>''The Flat Hat'',14 March 1986, 3.</ref> The addition was dedicated on February 5, 1988. A seven-year renovation was officially completed in 2005 with rededication ceremonies officially marking the completion on February 5, 2005, during the College's Charter Day weekend.

CAIR works in close cooperation with other civic and civil liberties groups such as the [[American Civil Liberties Union]], [[Amnesty International]], [[NAACP]], [[Hispanic Unity]], [[Organization of Chinese Americans]], [[Japanese American Citizens League]], [[Sikh Mediawatch]] and [[Resource Task Force]], among many others. In 2003, the [[Ohio]] chapter of the [[American Civil Liberties Union|ACLU]] gave its annual [[Liberty Flame Award]] to the Ohio chapter of CAIR "for contributions to the advancement and protection of civil liberties." [http://cair-net.org/asp/article.asp?id=32696&page=NB].

== Special Collections Research Center ==

CAIR has successfully formed partnership with the [[National Council of Churches]] and held dialogue with representatives of the [[National Association of Evangelicals]].

The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) of the Earl Gregg Swem Library of the [[College of William and Mary]] defines and enhances the history of the University and promotes and preserves the scholarly pursuits of its faculty, students, alumni, visiting scholars, and friends. The SCRC contributes to the excellence of scholarly reputation by providing the College with the rare books and unique manuscript and archival materials that make primary research possible. The SCRC is located in the in the Warren E. Burger Special Collections Wing of Swem Library. Additional information is available at the [http://www.swem.wm.edu/departments/special-collections/ SCRC's website].

CAIR has been critical of a number of U.S. criminal [[prosecution]]s, arguing, for example in one of many cases, that [[Sheikh]] [[Omar Abdel-Rahman]], deemed the ringleader of the [[World Trade Center bombing]] in 1993, and convicted of [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiring]] to blow up the [[Lincoln Tunnel]] and other [[New York City]] landmarks, did not receive a fair trial.

=== Manuscripts ===

The mission of the Manuscripts area of Special Collections is to provide primary source material for the [[College of William and Mary]] faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and visiting scholars and researchers.

CAIR commonly works to defend supposed "Islamic Charities" accused of sending money to terrorist groups in the Middle East. CAIR has issued a statement condemning the most recent indictments against members of the [[Islamic American Relief Agency]], the American branch of which was closed in 2004 after being declared a global terrorist organization. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0703090290mar09,1,7491527.story?ctrack=1&cset=true]

The Manuscripts Collections are primarily focused on [[Virginia]] history from the 17th to the 21st centuries. They include the papers of many famous alumni and individuals who have shaped the course of Virginia and the nation. Among them are:

* Virginia Family Papers including the Blows, the Galts, the Taliaferros, the Tylers, the Blairs, the Robbs, the Carters, and the Armisteads

* The Tucker - Coleman Collection

* Local History and Genealogy Collections including the Williamsburg Historic Records Association and the Tyree Collection

* Distinguished Alumni Papers that include those of [[Thomas Jefferson]].

=== Rare Books =Funding==

The Rare Books Collection is a vital, growing collection that provides research opportunities in many areas of western thought and experience from history to religion and science to art. Like the Manuscript Collections the Rare Books Collection focuses primarily on Virginia history but includes collections that cover many other areas and interests that span the 15th through the 21st centuries.

In 1999, the [[Islamic Development Bank]] gave a 250,000 US dollar grant to CAIR to purchase land for a national headquarters.<ref>Royal Embassy for Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC press released, quoted at http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/36</ref>

The Rare Books Collection is actually made up of many distinct collections which each focus on a particular subject area or a particular period in the history of the book. These libraries include:

* The general rare books collection which focuses mainly on Virginiana but contains books on historic gardening, military history, early American culture, travel accounts, science and medicine. There are seven beautiful incunabula (books printed before 1501) in the collection.

* There are five family libraries in amongst the Rare Books. These are the Skipwith library, the Tucker - Coleman library, the Jerdone Library, the [[John Minson Galt]] library, and the [[John Millington]] Library. They all date from the 18th and 19th centuries.

* The [[Francis Nicholson]] Library is in the process of being acquired by Special Collections. It is our goal to recreate the original library of the College of William and Mary given by the colonial governor before the 1705 fire destroyed all but the single volume we have left. We now have more than 80 of the original 150 titles in the library.

* The Ralph Green collection on printing and the Joseph Hennage collection on printing and the Carol Beinbrink collection on papermaking total more than 1,400 volumes on the history of the book as an object and includes our oldest title the Quadragesimale by Johannes Gritsch printed in 1479.

* The Ralph H. Wark Collection of fore-edge paintings. Fore-edge paintings are painted on the edges of the leaves of a book so that they can only be seen when the edges are fanned. Exquisitely rendered paintings like this date almost entirely from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth centuries in England.

* The Chapin-Horowitz collection of [[cynogetica]. This is the second largest collection of books about dogs in this country and continues to grow through its own endowment. It contains scholarly work that dates back to the sixteenth century as well as children's literature, breed guides, and the records of the [[American Kennel Club]].

In 2002, the [[World Association for Muslim Youth]] (WAMY), a Saudi government-funded organization, financed a 2002 weekly advertising campaign in American publications estimated to be worth $1.04 million dollars<ref>[[Saudi Gazette]], November 2002 quoted in http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=19241 Michael Graham, Killed in Action</ref>

=== University Archives ===

The University Archives is the memory of the [[College of William and Mary]], documenting its history from before the founding in [[1693]] to the present. The wide variety of materials relating to the College and its people through the years includes official records created in the College's daily operations, photographs, publications, video and audio tape recordings, personal papers and books or articles written by or about past or current William and Mary people, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and artifacts.

In 2003, Saudi Prince [[Alwaleed bin Talal]] donated $500,000 to place books in US libraries.

== Warren E. Burger Collection ==

The [[Warren E. Burger]] Collection consists of the lifetime professional and personal papers and memorabilia of the late Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, as well as of related acquisitions, collected by the College. The Warren E. Burger papers were given to the College of William and Mary by his son, Wade A. Burger in 1996. Warren Burger served as the 20th chancellor of the College of William and Mary from 1986-1993.

In 2006, [[Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum]], Deputy Ruler of [[Dubai]] and [[UAE]] Minister of Finance and Industry, financed the building of a property in the US to serve as an endowment for the organization.<ref>http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default.asp?ID=178 UAE Official Web site</ref> This gift is thought to generate income of approximately 3 million US dollars a year.

==Footnotes ==

<!--<nowiki>

==Projects==

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below.

CAIR claims that it works to promote a positive image of Islam and Muslims in America through media relations, lobbying, education, and public advocacy. CAIR tries to get a Muslim voice represented in the media, and to present American Muslims' side of issues in current events. Its members often appear on news programs when a story involves Muslims in America. Over the years, CAIR has become an often-cited source for journalists who are seeking input or a quote from Muslim leaders or the Muslim community.[http://www.cair.com/factsaboutcair.asp]

</nowiki>-->

{{FootnotesSmall|resize={{{1|100%}}}}}

CAIR issues [http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=archive&theType=AA "Action Alerts"] to its online subscribers to call attention to hate crimes or harsh statements against Islam and Muslims in the media. Often, it will encourage a letter-writing campaign to ask politicians or editors to condemn hate speech. It also publishes positive reports of interfaith cooperation and examples of businesses that reach out to Muslims, and often asks the subscribers to write letters of gratitude to those leaders and companies.[http://www.cair.com/default.asp?Page=civilRightsPositiveIncidentReport]

== External Links ==

* [http://www.swem.wm.edu/ Earl Gregg Swem Library]

CAIR also focuses on the [[civil rights]] of Muslims in America. It advocates on behalf of Muslims and others who have experienced religious discrimination, [[defamation]], or [[hate crime]]s. It often mediates with employers to ensure that companies respect the religious rights of their Muslim workers, such as the right to wear a [[hijab]] at work or get time off for Islamic holidays.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

* [http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=swem+library&m=tags/ Photographs of the Earl Gregg Swem Library]

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/7349747@N02/ Photographs of or related to the Swem Library Special Collections Research Center]

CAIR also conducts research on the American Muslim community, releasing annual reports on [http://www.cair.com/asp/crr-exec-sum.asp civil rights] and statistics on the Muslim community. It also sponsors voter registration drives in communities and outreach and interfaith relations with other religious groups in America.

[[Category:Academic libraries]]

[[Category:Higher education]]

After 9/11 Americans en masse took an increasing interest in Islam. CAIR created a "library project" which sold packages of educational books and tapes about Islam (over $300 worth per library) for donation to public libraries in the United States. In 2002 [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] Prince [[Al-Waleed bin Talal]] donated $500,000 to CAIR to support the program. [http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/021119/2002111910.html] The Washington Times noted in 2003 that although CAIR claimed to have sent 37 packets, the city had received only one.[http://washingtontimes.com/national/20031020-122538-4008r.htm] The libraryproject.org page was last updated in 2005 and the ___domain became defunct.

[[Category:Universities and colleges| ]]

CAIR coordinated the [http://cair.com/FatwaJuly2005.pdf release] of a [[fatwa]] (religious pronouncement) that stated in part, “Islam strictly condemns religious extremism and the use of violence against innocent lives. There is no justification in Islam for extremism or terrorism. Targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is ''haram'' or forbidden - and those who commit these barbaric acts are criminals, not martyrs.”

In 2005, following [[Qur'an desecration controversy of 2005|retracted media reports of the desecration of the Quran]] at [[Camp Delta]] in the [[Guantanamo Bay detainment camp]], as well as negative stereotypes against Islam in the media, CAIR started an "[http://www.cair-net.org/explorethequran/ Explore the Quran]" campaign, intended to promote understanding of the [[Quran]] by distributing complimentary copies to any interested member of the American public.

In 2006, during the worldwide Muslim outrage over the publication of cartoons visually depicting [[Muhammad]], CAIR responded by launching an educational program "[http://www.cair-net.org/Muhammad/ Explore the Life of Muhammad]" aimed at providing free copies of a DVD or book about the life of the [[Muhammad]] to any person who requests it. Over 16,000 requests were received as of September 2006.

In June 2006, CAIR announced a $50 million project to influence the American media ($10 million per year for five years). According to the article, the project will be spearheaded by [[Paul Findley]]a former US Congressman. Saudi Prince [[Alwaleed bin Talal]] was going to be contacted to help fund the project. [http://www.arabnews.com/?article=84122]

==Disputes and dialogue==

CAIR has criticized several recent films and television shows featuring Muslim terrorists. For instance, it lobbied against the film ''[[The Sum of All Fears (film)|The Sum of All Fears]]'' in a campaign lasting two years, during which time CAIR was in contact with [[Paramount Pictures]] and [[Mace Neufeld]].[http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=71&theType=AA] The campaign was ultimately successful and the Islamist terrorists which had featured in the [[The Sum of All Fears|original book]] were replaced with neo-Nazis in the film version.

CAIR also issued a complaint on September 29, 2005, following an ad for the [[Bell Helicopter Textron|Bell]]/[[Boeing]] [[CV-22]] aircraft which portrayed soldiers storming a mosque.[http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54352] The following day, Boeing sent a formal apology to CAIR, and Bell and the [[National Journal]] contacted CAIR to express their regret.[http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050930/dcf064.html?.v=2]

On January 26, 2006, CAIR issued a complaint following a segment on Los Angeles radio program ''The [[Bill Handel]] Show'' which allegedly mocked the deaths of Muslims in a recent [[Hajj]] stampede.[http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=360&theType=AA] CAIR had been monitoring the program for "anti-Muslim material" and had previously filed complaints over another inflammatory incident in 2004, which resulted in a formal apology issued on-air by the station ([[KFI]]).[http://cair.com/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1049&theType=NR]

==Criticism==

{{main|Criticism of the Council on American-Islamic Relations}}

CAIR has received criticism from a number of both governmental and non-governmental sources, for actions it has taken and people and organizations it has been involved with.

Critics have accused CAIR of having ties to terrorist organizations, and of "pursuing an extreme Islamist political agenda".<ref name="NYTCAIR1"/><ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=13175 The CAIR-Terror Connection]</ref><ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43805 CAIR leader convicted on terror charges]</ref><ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=22144 CAIR Backs Down from Anti-CAIR]</ref><ref>[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18027017&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=6 Sestak takes heat over appearance at CAIR banquet]</ref><ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=10061 CAIR's Al Qeada Link Exposed]</ref><ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjY4M2VjNmE2NmIxNzM3YjYyNTJjMjI4Y2JkOTE1YWI= Singing CAIR’s Tune, On Your Dime]</ref> It has been asserted that four former CAIR officials have been charged with terrorism-related offenses. However, this assertion is disputed by CAIR, which notes that only one of the individuals mentioned was ever employed by CAIR, and his arrest was on a weapons charge, not a terrorism charge, and took place after the period of his employment by CAIR.[http://www.cair.com/urbanlegends.pdf] Critics claim CAIR is a spin-off of the [[Islamic Association for Palestine]], which is alleged to be a “front group” for [[Hamas]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=25448 | author=Robert Spencer | title=CAIR's Congress | date=November 13, 2006}}</ref>

Critics have also taken aim at CAIR's fundraising and sources of funds. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, CAIR's website solicited donations for what it called the "NY/DC Emergency Relief Fund."<ref name=CAIRnet2001>[http://web.archive.org/web/20010917013636/http://cair-net.org/ Archive.org: CAIR web site as of 2006-11-17]</ref> However, clicking on the donation link led to the web site for [[Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development]] (HLF).<ref name=CAIRnet2001 /><ref>{{cite web

| last =Emerson

| first =Steven

| authorlink =Steven Emerson

| title =One Muslim advocacy group's not-so-secret terrorist ties

| work =The New Republic Online

| publisher =The New Republic

| date =2007-03-28

| url =https://ssl.tnr.com/p/docsub.mhtml?i=w070326&s=emerson032807

| accessdate =2007-04-08 }}</ref> Later that year, HLF was later designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and U.S. because of alleged connections to [[Hamas]], and shut down by [[executive order]].

CAIR has also been accused of doctoring photographs and reporting fraudulent statistics about the Muslim population of the United States in support of its own private agenda. Finally, another source of criticism is that CAIR attempts to suppress criticism of Islamic terrorism and intolerance through accusations of racism and anti-Muslim bias.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}

[[Investor's Business Daily]] publicly condemned CAIR as being "the PR machine of militant Islam" after CAIR "dispatched its henchmen" to try to shut down the first [[Secular Islam Summit]]. [http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?secid=1501&status=article&id=258076311558394]

Among the numerous books donated to libraries in CAIR's "library project" was former congressman [[Paul Findley]]'s 'Silent No More', which includes positive statements about convicted terrorist [[Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi]].<ref>[http://www.washtimes.com/national/20031020-122538-4008r.htm 'Libraries revisit Islam'] By Julia Duin, The Washington Times</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

=== Official ===

*[http://www.cair.com/ CAIR National]

=== News articles ===

*[http://www.sullivan-county.com/x/acair.htm CAIR's legal troubles], 2003

*[http://www.arabnews.com/?article=84122 $50M Saudi-funded CAIR media initiative]

=== Criticism ===

*[http://www.danielpipes.org/ Daniel Pipes]

*[http://www.anti-cair-net.org/ Anti-CAIR]

*[http://www.americansagainsthate.org/cw/ CAIRwatch]

*[http://www.cairbaby.com/ CAIR-The Nation's Loudest Baby]

*[http://www.adl.org/Israel/cair.asp Anti-Defamation League's CAIR Profile]

*[http://kyl.senate.gov/legis_center/subdocs/091003_epstein.pdf Saudi Support for Islamic Extremism in the United States (PDF)]: 2003, "Testimony of Matthew Epstein Before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security"

*[http://www.secularislam.org/blog/post/SI_Blog/21/The-St-Petersburg-Declaration Secular Islam Summit]

[[Category:1994 establishments]]

[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]]

[[Category:Charities accused of ties to terrorism]]

[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Canada]]

[[Category:Civic and political organizations]]

[[Category:Political organizations]]

[[Category:American Islamic organizations]]

[[Category:Advocacy groups]]

[[Category:Islamic activist organizations]]

[[de:Council on American-Islamic Relations]]