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CAIR Director Claims United States ‘Partially Responsible’ For San Bernardino Shooting, Sparks Controversy [Video]

By Meaghan Ellis
Published on: 02:47 PST, Dec 5, 2015

Hussam Ayloush, the Los Angeles Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), made a riveting statement on Friday, December 4, arguing the United States is partially responsible for the horrific shooting that took place in San Bernardino, California, on December 2. According to Breitbart, Ayloush appeared on CNN’s News Day for an interview with Chris Cuomo.

During the interview, Cuomo and Ayloush discussed the series of events that led to the massacre and the Muslim newlyweds responsible for the shooting, Syed Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 27. However, the main topic of discussion was the investigative findings inside the couple’s home.

Although the Federal Bureau of Investigations is still unable to come up with a solid motive, there were a number of items inside the home that suggest they were radicalized Muslims. In fact, several news outlets also reported that Malik pledged allegiance to ISIS via Facebook during the attack. Still, there is not a substantial link between the couple and ISIS, but the FBI has not ruled out terrorism in the investigation.

Due to the possibility of terrorism on United States soil, many Muslim-Americans are facing an increased level of discrimination in the United States. Cuomo asked Ayloush what should Muslims do to defy the odds of a possible radical revolution, which he described as “a battle of the soul for your [Ayloush’s Islamic] faith about what will define what is Islam,” according to Free Beacon.

As expected, Ayloush defended Muslims by insisting Americans aren’t the only ones subjected to harm at the hands of ISIS, as they are also killing Muslims. In fact, most of the victims that have been slaughtered by members of ISIS have been Muslims. He also cited that the Syrians were left to combat both “the barbarism of the jihadist group and of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.”

However, that’s not all he said. Ayloush’s next statement has sparked heightened controversy. He insisted the United States is partially responsible for the San Bernardino shooting. He also argued that terrorism is a global problem not connected to Islam.

“Let’s not forget that some of our own foreign policy, as Americans, as the west, have fueled that extremism.

“Then they become extremists. Then they become terrorists,” said Ayloush. “We are partly responsible. Terrorism is a global problem, not a Muslim problem. And the solution has to be global. Everyone has a role in it.”

Needless to say, Ayloush’s statement has angered many Americans, who have had no reservations about expressing their disapproval of his statements via social media. Shortly after the broadcast aired, Twitter exploded with numerous comments and responses to Ayloush’s allegations against the United States.

The San Bernardino shooting has led to heightened levels of discrimination against Muslims and foreigners, collectively. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Valarie Kaur, a Sikh mother and lawyer, made headlines yesterday due to her recent Facebook post regarding allegations about the discrimination she experienced on a Delta Airlines flight.

Kaur was forced to remove items from her carry-on bag, including her breast pump for her 1-year-old child, in order to prove she wasn’t a terrorist. Needless to say, the experience was quite embarrassing for Kaur. Although Delta Airlines apologized for the confusion and the situation has been resolved, it’s probably safe to say this won’t be the last instance of discrimination involving a Muslim accused of being a terrorist.

Do you agree or disagree with Hussam Ayloush? Share your thoughts.

[Image via YouTube Screen Capture]

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