In Human Events today I discuss the strange circumstances surrounding the departure of Ahmed Bedier from CAIR, and what it all may and may not mean. Joe Kaufman has a better piece on the same issue today at FrontPage, but meanwhile here is mine (links in the original):
Some mysterious dealings at the Tampa chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) highlight some of the peculiarities of that unsavory group. As terror expert Steve Emerson’s Investigative Project has noted, Ahmed Bedier, up until recently a rising star in the organization, has left his position as the executive director of CAIR-Tampa, and no one is saying why. Since Bedier has espoused numerous questionable positions in the past, could this parting of the ways could herald a new attempt by CAIR to leave behind some of its more radical positions?CAIR has for years presented two faces to the American people. It says that its mission is “to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.” And it is a high-profile, active, successful organization. Law-enforcement officials all over the country have received sensitivity training from CAIR. The mainstream media routinely seeks it out for a moderate Muslim perspective.
But there is another side to this organization as well. CAIR is “unusual in its extreme rhetoric and its associations with groups that are suspect,” according to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has said of CAIR that “we know it has ties to terrorism,” and “intimate links with Hamas.” CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation jihad terror funding case. Several of its former employees and board members are now doing hard time on various terrorism-related charges.And CAIR’s co-founder and former Board Chairman, Omar Ahmad, told a Muslim audience in 1998 that “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 2003, when these words started to get publicity, Ahmad denied saying this. He denies he said it, and he denies that he believes this. However, the original reporter stands by her story.
Bedier has been a superb embodiment of the double face of CAIR. On the Glenn Beck Show in 2005, he declared: “We condemn any nation, country or group that uses Islam or misuses and misinterprets Islam in violent ways.” Announcing his depature from CAIR, he explained his future plans in terms to warm any multiculturalist’s heart: “I’m going to expand on and build upon my work as a civil rights and human rights leader into broader areas of peace building, interfaith dialogue and reconciliation.”
Yet Bedier has also said that before 1995, when the State Department declared Palestinian Islamic Jihad a terrorist group, there was “nothing immoral” about associating with the group. The anti-terror advocacy group Americans Against Hate notes that “Bedier’s answer is startling, given the fact that, prior to 1995, Palestinian Islamic Jihad took credit for five terrorist attacks, which resulted in the murders of eight innocent people. This includes a suicide bombing in the town of Netzarim Junction, in November of 1994.”
And when two Muslim college students, Youseff Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed, were found with pipe bombs (and one of whom has admitted to making a video about how to use remote-controlled bombs against American soldiers), Bedier claimed that the pipe bomb material was just fireworks and said, “Both of them are really naïve kids.” On a Florida TV show several months ago, Bedier sidestepped numerous opportunities to condemn the barbaric practice of stoning.
So what does Bedier’s departure from CAIR mean at a point when he seemed to have a bright future with the national organization? Does it mean that the organization is finally going to make an attempt to live up to its self-definition, and become a truly moderate group that will work against the jihad ideology and Islamic supremacism in the American Muslim community?
That’s unlikely: the Investigative Project is correct that Bedier was “one of CAIR’s most high-profile local executive directors, publicly commenting frequently on a variety issues ranging from the staunch defense of convicted Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist Sami Al-Arian to the wearing of Islamic garments such as the hijab in public schools.” Despite the mysterious circumstances surrounding his departure for the organization, there is no indication that any of CAIR’s remaining personnel have changed course.
And that is why government, law enforcement, and the media would be well advised to treat CAIR with extreme caution, a caution they have not shown up to now.
One word why he was removed:
Liability.
Can a snake change its nature ?
Even hiring the most available of beltway whores (James Baker anyone ?) cannot mask the vicious evil deceptive underhandedness and hypocrisy of this organization.
How will they hide their shady funding ?
Try putting lipstick on a pig.
Good luck.
This is all wonderful supposition, but the bottom line is this:
Until Muslims, as a whole, unequivocally, leave behind their violent ways/jihadist tendencies/denounce violence as anathema to their culture, it doesn't matter if one front organization becomes moderate because another will take its place, OR at a future point the organization will just morph back into its original state.
This is historical fact. This is the past, present, and future reality for Islam.
Political terrorism, ie. Quranic Warfare, has no place, ever, in civilization if Muslims are ever to become part of the greater body politic in a non-adversarial manner. The sad reality is that will never happen. What is left is perpetual individual, group, and state jihad. We're in a New Cold War thanks to Islamic states acquiring nuclear weapons, and we're simply left with an Islamic bloc versus the Free World.
Will we crumble or will we prevail? Only time will tell...
In Human Events today I discuss the strange circumstances surrounding the departure of Ahmed Bedier from CAIR, and what it all may and may not mean.
Maybe you should shock Omar Subhani with that question, 'What does it all mean Omar'?
C'mon, Subhani, tell us what it means! In the proper Islamic context, of course.
Is this the same "peaceful" Ahmed Bedier who sent an expletive filled email to this site, condemning both this site and the people who post here?
Is this the same "peaceful" Ahmed Bedier who sent an expletive filled email to this site, condemning both this site and the people who post here?
Posted by: Roxane
I hope he mentioned my name prominently, but probably not...LOL
Political terrorism, ie. Quranic Warfare, has no place, ever, in civilization if Muslims are ever to become part of the greater body politic in a non-adversarial manner. The sad reality is that will never happen. What is left is perpetual individual, group, and state jihad. We're in a New Cold War thanks to Islamic states acquiring nuclear weapons, and we're simply left with an Islamic bloc versus the Free World.
Will we crumble or will we prevail? Only time will tell...
Posted by: antishock8 at May 27, 2008 9:26 AM
Worst of all, we have allowed the islamic enemy to invade our countries (the West)and become full-fledged citizens. These traitorous "citizens", or moles, are infiltrating every institution in our country, from the military to local town halls and there is nothing we can do about it until the American people understand the threat posed by muslims and islam. They will never understand the threat if they don't understand islam and its history.
The average citizen is bombarded daily at work, school, on television and radio, and in the printed media with the steady drumbeat of diversity, multiculturalism, and hackneyned diatribes by politicians, pundits, and activists about minority victimhood and discrimination. Political correctness has stifled all debate on certain sensitive issues and the mere mention of the word "racist" is enough to destroy lives and careers.
When people hear respected news anchors, columnists, and politicians repeat ad infinitum that islam has been hijacked by a few extremists and is really a peaceful religion, most will accept this lie as fact, especially when combined with a daily propaganda fest on the absolute necessity and splendor of diversity and multiculturalism and the intrinsic, immutable racism of Americans.
So although many people realize that something doesn't quite jive with the peaceful islam rhetoric and the behavior of so many muslims, they want to be nice, politically correct, tolerant people and everybody knows that religious freedom is sacrosanct in America. Educating Americans about islam is a daunting but imperative challenge if we intend to stop the muslim agenda before there are enough of them to make a major impact at the polls. In some places there are already enough and they have dispatched their agents to Congress to promote islam's agenda.
Muslims will not become a non-adversarial part of the body politic anywhere they migrate. They will gather in large numbers in certain strategically chosen areas and buy large blocks of property and as more muslims arrive and join the community, it will expand and they will buy more property. Non-muslims will get as far away from them as possible and before you know it, they'll own half a state, or half of two states. They do seem to prefer certain states although there are some muslims and mosques in every state, including Alaska.
Right after 9/11, I read a comment on a bulletin board made by a muslim. He said: "We're going to take America, one state at a time, and nobody can stop us because nobody will realize what's happening until it's too late." This was an islamic site, although many non-muslims began posting on it after 9/11. This comment was up for only a few hours before the moderator removed it and I'm sure it wasn't removed because it enraged the non-muslim posters. It was removed because it revealed their agenda.
"Youseff Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed."
Preemptory damage control for CAIR for when the indictments get handed out. "Ahmed Bedier is not a member of CAIR. And we protest these bigoted indictments, too."