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Non-profit

Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Austin and DFW (CAIR-TX)

Location:

Dallas, TX
Tax ID:

75-2805360
Budget (2020):

Revenue: $160,652
Expenses: $159,318
Assets: $49,216
Type:

Muslim-American Advocacy
Founded:

1988
Executive Director:

Faizan Syed

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Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Austin and DFW (CAIR-TX) is a chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR-TX works to support the Muslim community in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. CAIR-TX takes a number of left-of-center positions, including opposing funding Israel and supporting canceling all student loan debt and offering any new educational loans at zero percent interest.

CAIR-TX supports and raises money for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a convicted terrorist serving 86 years in prison. 1

History

The Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas is a local affiliate of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. 2 CAIR grew out of the Islamic Association for Palestine, a group founded by members of the terrorist group Hamas. 3 Critics have alleged that CAIR was created by Muslim Brotherhood members who support Hamas. The U.S. Department of Justice listed CAIR as an alleged unindicted co-conspirator in the trials related to the financing of terrorism by the Holy Land Foundation. 4

CAIR has been criticized for “Unleashing pollution of anti-Semitism into America’s mainstream” alongside the Sunrise Movement radical environmentalist group by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. 5 CAIR-TX was subject to a lawsuit in 2019 that alleged a job offer to be executive director was withdrawn from a candidate because the candidate was Christian and not pro-Palestinian enough. 6

Issues

CAIR-TX works primarily in the areas of civil rights, government relations, media engagement and publicity, outreach and education, and youth empowerment. 7 The civil rights division consults with American-Muslims on legal matters of discrimination. 8  The government relations section meets with elected officials and runs an ambassadors program focused on engaging the public in the democratic process. 9 The media division works with the press to provide input on stories or matters affecting the Muslim community. 10 The outreach and education department speaks at schools, universities, and other public forums and runs a speakers’ bureau for those seeking a speaker for an event. 11 Youth programs provides leadership training classes, debate contests, and classes on Islamic identity and history. 12

CAIR-TX has advocated for all student debt forgiveness and the government to provide interest-free student loans in the future. 13 CAIR and CAIR-TX have alleged that the Anti-Defamation League, a left-of-center Jewish advocacy organization, is not an ally and is Islamophobic. 14 CAIR-TX has said that Israel has committed crimes against the Palestinians and opposes U.S. funding to Israel. 15 The group also opposed the proposed travel ban by the Trump administration targeting certain Muslim-majority countries. 16

Defense of Aafia Siddiqui

CAIR Dallas calls for the U.S. government to free Aafia Siddiqui, a terrorist sometimes referred to as “Lady al Qaeda” serving an 86-year prison sentence for attempting to kill American military officers. 17 NBC News notes that Siddiqui has “long been a cause celebre in the terrorist world.” 18 Osama bin Laden’s longtime lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahri, called for the release of Siddiqui according to Human Rights Watch. 19 In 2008, she was arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of trying to kill the governor of a province. 20

When arrested, she was carrying documents detailing a mass casualty attack on New York City sites. 21 When later questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and military officials, she grabbed a firearm and began opening fire at American officials. 22 Siddiqui was subsequently tried and convicted. 23 CAIR-TX called Siddiqui’s conviction “one of the greatest examples of injustice in U.S. history.” 24 Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Houston’s board chairman is the attorney for Aafia Siddiqui. 25 CAIR-TX has raised money for her defense and publicity. 26

In January 2022, a gunman took hostages at a Jewish synagogue in Colleyville, Texas demanding the release of Siddiqui. 27 CAIR condemned the hostage-taking while still advocating for Siddiqui’s release. 28 Four days after the attack on the synagogue, CAIR Dallas executive director Faizan Syed wrote it was time to push back after the synagogue attack and expand the movement to free Siddiqui. 29

Finances

In 2019, Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Austin and DFW reported assets of $47,226. 30 According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2019 the group recorded $215,358 in revenue and $221,433 in expenses. 31 In 2018, CAIR-TX had $308,464 in revenue and $385,738 in expenses. 32

Leadership

Faizan Syed is the executive director at Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Austin and DFW  since his appointment in 2019. 33 Previously, he worked at A Continuous Charity, a Muslim nonprofit providing loans for higher education. 34 From 2011 through 2013, he was executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations St. Louis. 35

References

  1. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  2. “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  3. “Emerson, Steven. “Part 1: CAIR Exposed: As IAP Offshoot, CAIR Followed Pro-Hamas Agenda from the Start.” The Investigative Project on Terrorism. Accessed October 26, 2023. https://www.investigativeproject.org/621/cair-exposed.
  4.  Attachment A. Accessed October 26, 2023. https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/423.pdf.
  5. Global Ant-Semitism 2021 Top Ten.” Simon Wiesenthal Center. 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.wiesenthal.com/assets/pdf/global_anti-semitism_2021_top_ten.pdf.
  6. Malik v. Council on American-Islamic Relations, Dallas-Ft. Worth Chapter. Cause No. DC-19-03121. Dallas County, Texas (2019); CAIR Foundation Inc. v. Saroya. Civil Action 0:21-cv-01267. U.S. District Court Minnesota (2021); Emerson, Steven. “Sued by CAIR: Ex-Employee Releases Evidence of Discrimination and Hush Money Payouts. The Algemeiner. June 29, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/06/29/sued-by-cair-ex-employee-releases-evidence-of-discrimination-and-hush-money-payouts/.
  7. “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  8. [1] “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  9. [1] “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  10. “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  11. “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  12. “About Us.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/about-us/about.
  13. “Faizan Syed.” Facebook. February 9, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/FaizanSyedPage/posts/pfbid0UvwRw16dD42eLy7y3TjnwzDrmBNE7SCYhwfHHH1zm24Ekd5mWpWtoqYskkqJxJsrl.
  14. “CAIRNational.” Twitter September 7, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/CAIRNational/status/1435230595232247816?cxt=HHwWkMC5-ein–onAAAA.
  15. “CAIRNational.” Twitter. May 29, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/CAIRNational/status/1398713901932548105; “CAIR-DFW.” Twitter. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/cairdfw.
  16. “CAIR-DFW.” Twitter. June 26, 2019. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://twitter.com/cairdfw/status/1143981923531939841.
  17. “Legal.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/civil-rights; Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381
  18. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  19. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  20. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  21. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  22. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  23. Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  24.  Romero, Dennis and Ken Dilanian. “Who Is Aafia Siddiqui, the Federal Prisoner at the Center of the Texas Hostage Incident?” NBC News. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/aafia-siddiqui-federal-prisoner-center-texas-hostage-situation-rcna12381.
  25. “BREAKING: CAIR Condemns Hostage-Taking at Texas Synagogue, Working with Local Community Leaders to Learn More and Provide Assistance.” Council on American-Islamic Relations. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-condemns-hostage-taking-at-texas-synagogue-working-with-local-community-leaders-to-learn-more-and-provide-assistance/.
  26. “Faizan Syed.” Facebook. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/FaizanSyedPage.
  27. Mazzig, Hen. “Don’t Let CAIR Off the Hook for Its Role in the Colleyville Hostage Crisis.” Newsweek. January 18, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.newsweek.com/dont-let-cair-off-hook-its-role-colleyville-hostage-crisis-opinion-1670123.
  28. “BREAKING: CAIR Condemns Hostage-Taking at Texas Synagogue, Working with Local Community Leaders to Learn More and Provide Assistance.” Council on American-Islamic Relations. January 15, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-condemns-hostage-taking-at-texas-synagogue-working-with-local-community-leaders-to-learn-more-and-provide-assistance/; “Legal.” Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.cairdfw.org/index.php/civil-rights.
  29. “Faizan Syed.” Facebook. January 19, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/FaizanSyedPage/posts/448368146667807.
  30. Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2019.
  31. Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2019.
  32.  Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Dallas, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2018.
  33. “Faizan Syed.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/faizan-syed-99b60331/.
  34. “Faizan Syed.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/faizan-syed-99b60331/.
  35. “Faizan Syed.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/faizan-syed-99b60331/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: October 1, 2012

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $160,652 $159,318 $49,216 $0 N $160,652 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form 990 $215,358 $221,433 $47,226 $0 N $215,358 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $308,464 $385,738 $64,356 $0 N $308,464 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $443,356 $388,565 $141,630 $0 N $443,356 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $213,862 $202,580 $86,839 $0 N $213,862 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990EZ $118,604 $88,999 $75,557 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990EZ $87,127 $86,291 $45,952 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990EZ $58,950 $32,193 $45,116 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990EZ $13,005 $10,029 $6,079 $7,062 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2010 Dec Form 990EZ $16,228 $14,901 $2,831 $7,883 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2009 Dec Form 990EZ $48,842 $32,905 $263 $6,644 $0 $0 $0 $0

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Council on American-Islamic Relations Texas-Austin and DFW (CAIR-TX)

    13111 N. Central Expy
    Dallas, TX 75243