Critics of CAIR have accused it of having ties to the Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organization Hamas. Federal judge Jorge A. Solis said that there was evidence to show that CAIR has an association with the Holy Land Foundation, Islamic Association for Palestine, and Hamas. However, Judge Solis acknowledged that this evidence predates the official designation of these groups as terrorist organizations. On appeal, Judge Solis was rebuked for making these comments and for not paying enough attention to CAIR's rights under the Fifth Amendment. CAIR acknowledges that cofounder Nihad Awad declared support for Hamas in 1994, before it was designated a Specially Designated Terrorist by the United States in January 1995, a legal category established at that time. Since then CAIR has denounced violence by Hamas, and in 2006, Nihad Awad said, "I don't support Hamas today ... we condemn suicide bombings."