Mystery at CAIR-Tampa
One of CAIR’s chief propagandists has apparently split with the radical Islamic front group: The Mystery at CAIR-Tampa.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations appears to have parted ways with one of its highest profile executives, but no one is saying why.
Ahmed Bedier, executive director of CAIR’s Tampa chapter, is no longer being identified as such in media reports. He has been quoted three times in the past week - two references call him a “civil rights activist” - while a third invokes his volunteer role as president of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Human Rights Council.
The council is an independent non-profit organization that works with the city of Tampa. According to a city web page, the council “brings together citizens of various backgrounds. They all have one thing in common: a desire to promote the human rights of all individuals, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948.”
As of this writing, Bedier’s myspace page hasn’t been updated since April 24 and still lists his CAIR position. But a report in InFocus, a California Muslim newspaper closely related to CAIR, on an April 17 screening of a documentary supporting convicted Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative Sami Al-Arian referred only to Bedier’s position with the Tampa human rights council.
Ross Silvers, disability rights coordinator for the city of Tampa and its liaison to the Human Rights Council, said he received a curious answer when he called the CAIR chapter office Tuesday inquiring about Bedier’s status. “They said they think he’s still with CAIR in some capacity” but didn’t know what that was.
In addition to his high-profile media role, Bedier was becoming a fixture at CAIR fundraising events throughout the country. Whatever may have prompted Bedier to leave his post at CAIR, Tampa newspapers aren’t saying. That’s odd, since he’s been the go-to source for quotes on everything from Al-Arian to any episode of alleged anti-Muslim bias.