Best Buy, CAIR and Boycotts

With Father's Day  just over a week away, it is important to publicize the ongoing situation with Best Buy and CAIR.  Best Buy was founded by Richard Schulze in 1966 and the first store opened in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Listed in 2008 as a Fortune 500 Company, Best Buy declares this to investors and employees.

Our formula is simple:  we're a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers-and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles.  Thanks for stopping.

Although it seems a bit truncated as a mission statement, clearly the focus is on problem solving.

Thus, it is confusing why Best Buy has doubled down and insists on continuing its support of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).  In April of 2012, Islamist Watch publicized that Best Buy was a "Platinum Sponsor" for a fundraising banquet for the CAIR chapter.  This alarming news led nearly 5,000 people to sign a pledge to boycott Best Buy until it rescinded its support for CAIR.  As of the 3^rd of June 2012, the petition at the site PetitionBuzz.com had 11,547 signatures. Nonetheless, Best Buy maintains that its

...customers and employees around the world represent a variety of faiths and denominations. We respect that diversity, and choose to engage with our customers, employees and communities in ways that reflect their traditions and maintain good relationships for Best Buy.

Let's clarify.  CAIR is a front for terror groups. As highlighted at Discover the Networks

CAIR promotes a radical Islamic vision, as evidenced by the fact that its co-founder Omar Ahmad told a Fremont, California audience in July 1998: 'Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran ... should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.' In a similar spirit, co-founder Ibrahim Hooper told a reporter in 1993: 'I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future.' In 2003 Hooper stated that if Muslims ever become a majority in the United States, they will likely seek to replace the U.S. Constitution with Islamic law, which they deem superior to man-made law. In the late 1980s, Ihsan Bagby, who would later become a CAIR Board member, stated that Muslims 'can never be full citizens of this country,' referring to the United States, because there is no way we can be fully committed to the institutions and ideologies of this country.'

Is this the diversity that Best Buy is promoting?

The United States government has identified CAIR "as an agent of the Muslim Brotherhood, sharing the common goal of dismantling American institutions and turning the U.S. into a Sharia-compliant Islamic state through incremental, stealth jihad."

So incensed was he at this news that a former Marine who served in Beirut in 1982-1983 and Iraq in 2003 posted this You Tube video stating that he and his family "will no longer conduct business at Best Buy" because of the company's endorsement of CAIR.

To those who would respond that this response is rooted in bigotry, one would be hard pressed to argue with a 2007 federal filing stating that "[f]rom its founding by Muslim Brotherhood leaders, CAIR conspired with other affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood to support terrorists[.]"

In this interview at Fox News, Dr. Jasser, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy maintains that CAIR will not even condemn Hamas, long known for its terrorism.  Jasser goes on to explain that CAIR actually obstructed the Somali Muslim community from assisting the federal government in weeding out terrorism.  Jasser maintains that Best Buy is not promoting diversity at all but rather is "honoring the lowest hanging fruit" that does not promote freedom loving Muslim groups such as his. 

In fact, according to Mona Charen, "[a] dishonest character assassination campaign has been launched against Jasser" by CAIR which has urged Muslims to protest Jasser's serving on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.  CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper told The Blaze that Jasser "has long been viewed by American Muslims and the colleagues in the civil liberties community as a mere sock puppet for Islam haters and an enabler of Islamophobia."

As a result of the Islamist Watch story, a number of other media have publicized the ongoing controversy. The Jewish Tribune of Canada features an interview with Islamist Watch Director Marc Fink. Powerline on April 19, 2012 by Scott Johnson highlighted the story as did Rachel Hirshfeld of Arutz Sheva-Israel National News

So even though the struggling retail giant is using profits from American consumers to fund the annual banquet of a group closely linked to Hamas, Best Buy has refused to rule out future support for CAIR.  Moreover, Canadian readers of American Thinker should know that the Canadian retailer "Future Shop" is wholly-owned by Best Buy.

Sign the petition. Write the Best Buy Public Relations Department. If "you don't like the idea of your consumer electronics, software and appliance dollars going to fund groups pledged to turn America into a Sharia-compliant, Islamic state, and who align themselves with Hamas, write and/or call Best Buy and let them know. Best Buy Public Relations Department: 612-292-NEWS (6397) or NewsCenter@bestbuy.com. Mike Mikan, Interim CEO: Mike.Mikan@bestbuy.com; Susan Busch, Director of Public Relations: susan.busch@bestbuy.com; Lisa Hawks, Deputy Director of Public Relations: lisa.hawks@bestbuy.com. 

Or better yet, forgo purchasing the next flat screen television from Best Buy.  Dad will approve.