The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which likes to give the impression that it speaks for American Muslims, is shrinking rapidly:

Membership in the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has declined more than 90 percent since the 2001 terrorist attacks, according to tax documents obtained by The Washington Times.

The number of reported members spiraled down from more than 29,000 in 2000 to fewer than 1,700 in 2006.

Income from membership dues have dropped from three quarters of a million dollars to just over $50,000 from 2000 to 2006. (Nonetheless, CAIR touts its progress in growing from eight chapters (cells?) in 2001 to 33 today.) To know that this is not a grass roots organization, one must only look at CAIR’s donation records. In 2002, only 26 people contributed $2.6 million to the organization; in 2005, 19 contributors gave $1.3 million. Who are these wealthy benefactors and what are their motives for financing this group?

The fact is that millions of Americans view the motives of this organization as, to say the least, suspect. This might be one of the reasons:

Critics of the organization say they are not surprised that membership is sagging, and that a recent decision by the Justice Department to name CAIR as “unindicted co-conspirators” in a federal case against another foundation charged with providing funds to a terrorist group could discourage new members.

(CAIR called the DOJ’s action “McCarthyite.”)

One critic adds that CAIR’s decline has been hastened because “they have marginalized themselves by their tired exploitation of media attention for victimization issues at the expense of representing the priorities of the American Muslim population.”

And I’m sure CAIR hasn’t gained a lot of fans in its championing of the “six imams,” the suspicious acting Muslims who have now sued a number of fellowpassengers who reported their alarming behavior.

So far has CAIR sunk that even the liberal Democrats have had to take notice:

Sen. Barbara Boxer, California Democrat, rescinded a “certificate of accomplishment” to Sacramento activist Basim Elkarra after learning that he was a CAIR official, according to Newsweek magazine.

Mrs. Boxer “expressed concern” about past statements and actions by the group, as well as assertions by some law-enforcement officials that it “gives aid to international terrorist groups,” the magazine quoted her spokeswoman as saying.

Sometimes, even the blind can be made to see.