March 6, 2009

Ipt News, March 6, 2009

Busloads of new civic activists are due to hit the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee this Tuesday, ostensibly to engage in the state political process for the first time. But some lawmakers are suspicious because of the man leading the effort.

Ahmed Bedier used to run the Tampa chapter for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), where he was among its most visible spokesmen. That all ended mysteriously last spring, with CAIR saying it wanted to “go into a new direction” – indicating Bedier had been fired – and with Bedier saying he chose to leave to launch “a new peace-making initiative.”

One of them must be wrong. Regardless, Bedier did launch a new venture, called United Voices for America. Its call to increase “the participation of ethnic and religious minorities in the political process” is laudable. But at least one lawmaker, State Rep. Adam Hasner (R-Delray Beach) reportedly alerted a group of Jewish lobbyists seeking “an information campaign in opposition.”

In correspondence with a Miami Herald reporter, Hasner cited CAIR’s ties to Hamas as part of his concern. Bedier dismissed that as “ridiculous” and “nonsense,” unrelated to his effort.

Questions about CAIR’s Hamas connections, and Bedier’s knowledge of them, are far from nonsense. CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in the Hamas-support case against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF). Evidence in the case showed CAIR’s founders were part of a U.S.-based effort to support Hamas and that CAIR’s foundation was an outgrowth of that effort.

The evidence was so compelling, the FBI decided to cut off outreach meetings with CAIR last summer.

Bedier maintains a relationship with CAIR even if he doesn’t work directly for them. Since leaving his job last April, he has traveled the country to host CAIR-sponsored screenings of the documentary “USA v. Al-Arian,” which is sympathetic to the former University of South Florida professor who served in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s leadership. In November, Bedier served as master of ceremonies at the CAIR national banquet outside Washington.

So questions about his knowledge of CAIR’s agenda, and where he departs from it, are legitimate. (Continue Reading Article)