VIDEO: Race, Religion and Media Coverage this Election Year

Ahmed Bedier comments on the status of Race, Religion and Media during this election year

CAIR's Bedier steps down to start new group

By Kevin Graham, St. Petersburg Times Staff

TAMPA - Ahmed Bedier, founder of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has stepped down as executive director to establish a new peace-building initiative.

Bedier, 34, has spent the last five years serving as the face of the local Muslim community. In his role as executive director of CAIR's Tampa chapter, Bedier led the organization's charge in seeking justice for local Muslims who faced discrimination.

"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," Bedier said Monday.

He did not give details about his new initiative or what the organization will be called, except to say he will remain in the Tampa Bay area while doing work on a local and national level.

"The details of it will soon be announced," said Bedier, who also serves as president of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Human Rights Council.

CAIR's local profile and visibility in the community grew noticeably under Bedier's leadership. Last year, the organization rallied against the Pinellas County school system and law enforcement after a sixth-grade girl claimed a classmate ripped off her head scarf and threatened to shoot her. Police dropped the investigation, saying there wasn't enough information to substantiate the girl's claims.

Bedier also cautioned the public not to rush to judgment when two University of South Florida students were arrested last summer in South Carolina on federal explosives charges. And when a Muslim mechanic died in a gas station explosion earlier this year, his family asked Bedier to follow the investigation.

The new venture is something Bedier said he's contemplated for the past year. He said he's looking forward to being more proactive in civil rights areas and bringing people together.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article515009.ece

Ahmed Bedier's Message and Prayer at Martin Luther King Interfaith Service

CAIR Tampa director Ahmed Bedier's speech and prayer at the Tampa Dr. Martin Luther King, JR Interfaith Memorial Service.

St. Petersburg Police Report Confirms Muslim Sixth Grader Was Threatned

Today the St. Petersburg Police Department released the findings of their "investigation" into the allegations that a sixth grade Muslim students was threatened by her classmate.

Two out of the four student witnesses interviewed said on 11/8/07 during second period, they heard some shooting threat by a classmate directed at Hannah. This is exactly when Hannah said she was threatened by a classmate. According to the report there was conflicting statement on the identity of the classmate who made the threat.

Nevertheless, this is clear supporting evidence that a threat was made just as Hannah claimed.

To see the excerpts from the St. Petersburg Times Police report confirming the threat, click here.

For local articles about the recent police announcement, visit:

Tampa Tribune: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/20/muslim-students-complaint-wont-lead-charges/?news-breaking

Bill Keller's Anti-Muslim Hate and Bigotry the Comments that got him fired

The Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Tampa) announced today that a local television station has dropped a program that promoted hatred of Islam and Muslims.

CAIR-Tampa said WTOG-TV (CW 44) dropped “Live Prayer with Bill Keller” after the station and its parent company CBS received a letter from and had discussions with the Islamic civil rights and advocacy group.

Keller told the St. Petersburg Times: "Ultimately, it was pressure by CAIR that intimidated these people into taking me off the air. It was not mutually agreeable. They told me they were taking me off the air, period."

SEE: Televangelist: I Lost My Show Over Muslim Remarks (St. Petersburg Times)

In its letter to CBS President Tom Kane and WTOG-TV’s general manager, CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Ahmed Bedier wrote:

“In the hate-filled program, ‘Live Prayer with Bill Keller,’ Islam and Muslims are referred to in the most vicious and bigoted of terms. For example on May 2, 2007, host Bill Keller said: ‘Islam is a 1400-year-old lie from the pits of hell. It’s leading a billion peoples [sic] to hell. . .those who follow this false religion will die and be lost for all eternity.’ On the same program, he also said, ‘The false religion of Islam is about hate, lies and death.’

EXTERNAL (NON-BLOGSPOT VIDEO LINK): To view examples of Bill Keller’s Anti-Muslim Bigotry, go to: http://www.cairfl.org/video/0705-bill-keller-attacks-islam.wmv

“It is our belief that anti-Islamic rhetoric like that used in ‘Live Prayer with Bill Keller’ is exactly the type of language that is likely to incite hate crimes against the American Muslim community.”

“While we strongly support freedom of speech and religion, the public airwaves should not be used to promote hatred and bigotry,” Bedier said today. “We commend WTOG-TV and CBS for rejecting any association with those who would demonize a minority group.”

Bedier noted that a Muslim family’s home in Sarasota, Fla., was recently torched by arsonists who spray-painted Islamophobic slurs on the walls.

SEE: CAIR-Tampa Announces $10K Reward in Arson Case

Video: Muslims Say No To Violence, Terrorism & Bin Laden

CAIR Representative Ahmed Bedier and Arab-American author Samar Jarrah appear live on FOX 13 to discuss the results of a recent Pew Global Attitudes report that found support for violence in Muslim countries has declined. Bedier repeated condemnations of violent extremist actions as not Islamic.

Note: Bedier and Jarrah are co-hosts of "True Talk" a weekly Tampa-based radio show on WMNF 88.5 FM.

PART 1 OF 2:


PART 2 OF 2:

CAIR Featured in 'The Muslim Americans' Program on PBS

CAIR is featured in a Newshour special "The Muslim Americans," part of the 2007 PBS Series 'America At a Crossroads' discussing life for American Muslims after 9/11.

While there overall series has received criticism for being right-wing leaning. The 4/18/07 Newshour special was refreshing. CAIR is prominently featured in the program. The documentary opens with a video sound bite of President Bush at the Washington Islamic Center six days after the tragic attacks of 9/11/01 urging "respect for Islam." Joining President Bush is CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

Ahmed Bedier Exposes the "Illegitimate" Secular Islam Summit and its Funders the Intelligence Summit

Ahmed Bedier Exposes the "Illegitimate" Secular Islam Summit on the Glenn Beck television show. The Secular Islam Summit was organized exclusively by non-Muslims, atheists and known Muslim bashers. The funder and the host of the this false reformation hate-fest is the Intelligence Summit, an anti-Muslim group.

Islamophobic Propaganda Distributed Door-to-Door in Seminole Florida Designed to Scare People into Attending Church

A local reporter called me (Ahmed Bedier) the other day for reaction on a story about the distribution of hateful anti-Muslim flyers in a Seminole, Florida neighborhood. The reporter sent me a copy of a payer flyer cut in the shape of a door-knob handle similar to those used for marketing pizza coupons.

The flyer's - a copy is available here - heading asks in bold caps "ARE YOU READY?", followed by a list of lies. Here are some of them:

-Muslim Extremists have been stockpiling anthrax in this country for years

-Several suit-case sized nuclear bombs are thought to have been smuggled across the Mexican border into our country.

-Within 3 days over 100 million Americans could die of Anthrax Poison

Then it asks the QUESTION "Are you ready for eternity? Do you know for sure that you're going to heaven?

Wait a minute, I thought this was about securing the country from the anthrax and nukes. The flyer goes on to say:

Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world. He suffered a horrible death for us and took our punishment so we wouldn't have to go to hell. There is only one unpardonable sin, rejecting Jesus as our Savior. Terrorism is a real tragedy, but eternity without Christ is the greatest tragedy.

The newspaper learned about this bigoted trash from a couple who got a copy of this flyer on their door. The informed the paper that the entire neighborhood was flooded with this junk.

It's unfortunate that we live in a time where individuals and groups (including religious) are exploiting existing fears to promote their own cause.

PRESIDENT'S PORTRAYAL OF 'THE ENEMY' OFTEN FLAWED

Last night I joined other folks from the Tampa Bay area at the Television Studios of WFLA NBC 8 to watch and react to the President's State of the Union Speech. It was like dejavu since I spent the previous year doing the same thing at the same place.


I remember saying last year that I was concerned about the president's use of loaded labels to describe the enemy. Lat year it was radical Islam. I felt the same way this year about the president's use of "Sunni Extremists" and "Shia Extremists."

Watch other comments by watching the below YouTube clip:




For more on the President's portrayal of "The Enemy" check out the below Wash Post article.

Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, 1/24/07

In his State of the Union address last night, President Bush presented an
arguably misleading and often flawed description of "the enemy" that the United
States faces overseas, lumping together disparate groups with opposing
ideologies to suggest that they have a single-minded focus in attacking the
United States.

Under Bush's rubric, a country such as Iran -- which enjoys diplomatic
representation and billions of dollars in trade with major European countries --
is lumped together with al-Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the Sept.
11, 2001, attacks.

"The Shia and Sunni extremists are different faces of the same totalitarian
threat," Bush said, referring to the different branches of the Muslim
religion. Similarly, Bush asserted that Shia Hezbollah, which has won
seats in the Lebanese government, is a terrorist group "second only to al-Qaeda
in the American lives it has taken."

Bush is referring to attacks nearly a quarter-century ago on a U.S. embassy
and a Marine barracks when the United States intervened in Lebanon's civil war
by shelling Hezbollah strongholds. Hezbollah has evolved into primarily an
anti-Israeli militant organization -- it fought a war with Israel last summer --
but the European Union does not list it as a terrorist organization.

At one point, Bush catalogued what he described as advances in the quest
for freedom in the Middle East during 2005 -- such as the departure of Syrian
troops from Lebanon and elections in Iraq. Then, Bush asserted, "a thinking
enemy watched all of these scenes, adjusted their tactics and in 2006 they
struck back."

But his description of the actions of "the enemy" tried to tie together a
series of diplomatic and military setbacks that had virtually no connection to
one another, from an attack on a Sunni mosque in Iraq to the assassination of
Maronite Lebanese political figure.

AUDIO: AHMED BEDIER DELIVERS INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH AT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING INTERFAITH MEMORIAL SERVICE

On Monday, Jan. 15, the executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) spoke in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at an interfaith memorial service. Representatives from other faiths, civic leaders and elected officials also spoke at the event.

CLICK TO LISTEN: http://www.ahmedbedier.com/audio/20071215-bedier-mlk-prayer.wma

Hate Mail and Threats

Archive of Random Hate eMail/Mail and threats:

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From: RONALD HEWITT rhewittidaho@msn.com
Date: Nov 6, 2006 9:34 PM
Subject: To: bedier@gmail.com

Dear Ahmed

Add me to your list as one more person who understands what a vile, disgusting religion you practice. Spence and a lot of other right-thinking people are beginning to understand what a bunch of back biting, lying, conniving whining putrid excuse of human beings you are. Shut the fuck up or go back to fucking camels in your tent in the desert.

Ronald J Hewitt
Pocatello, Idaho

------------------------

From: Craig Brown cccbrown@yahoo.com
Date: Nov 7, 2006 4:30 AM
Subject: Your time is gonna cum, GOD
To: bedier@gmail.com

The Christine Religion is 2000 years old. Yourabomination of Christianiy is 1400 years old. Yourspokesperson, mohammed of medina, is a known pedophilerapist.sodmiste of little girls (72 virgins in heavenfor killing kaffirs!!!!!).

The foundation of your religion is CORRUPTION OF HUMMANITY...killing allthose who do not believe as you do. Enslaving theconquoers most innocent, the little girls, to beslaves to your pedophillic, child rapist desires.

You, and your cancerous abomination of a "religion"are an abomination on Humankind. You andislam/muhammah/allah are a SIN on Mankind. You areDoomed. Every once of Humanity blood will be shed toeradicate you from the Earth.

GOD

Florida Pro-Israel Extremist Joe Kaufman Incites Death Threats Against Muslim Radio Hosts

On January 5, 2007, South Florida right-wing pro-Israel radical Joe Kaufman has taken his racist hate message to dangerous levels inciting death threats against Muslim-American radio hosts. In an online article posted to the David Horowitz right-wing blog Frontpagemag.com titled "Hamas and Holocaust Talk" Kaufman falsely and maliciously accused radio show hosts Ahmed Bedier and Samar Jarrah as "two supporters of and apologists for radical Islam."

Bedier and Jarrah are hosts of the weekly public affairs radio show "True Talk" on the progressive community station and NPR affiliate WMNF 88.5fm. The True Talk program and WMNF are known in the Tampa Bay area as catalysts for bridge building, inclusion and peace. Immediately after extremist Joe Kaufman posted his hate piece on Frontpagemag, Bedier and Jarrah received death and hate threats via the internet and email. Below is an example of the death threat to Bedier and Jarrah posted by a supporter to Joe Kaufman's article.
Kaufman's supporter and Frontpagemag.com member "Fidelis" wrote:

"Maybe someone has the b@lls to pull an "Alan Berg" on them some afternoon when they leave the studio. They're not too far from the mud flap country up there." Click here to see copy of death threat.

The death threat directed at Ahmed Bedier and Samar Jarrah (them) refers to pulling an "Alan Berg" a Jewish radio show host who was shot and killed outside his home by white nationalists. For details on Alan Berg click here.

Wrong Time to Execute The Dictator Saddam Hussein

CAIR Tampa Executive Director Ahmed Bedier offers a Muslim perspective on the execution of Saddam Hussein on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. While Bedier believes that Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator and that his crimes against humanity have caught up to him, Bedier thinks it is NOT wise to carry out an execution of a Muslim on the holiest day of the Islamic calendar. Just must be blind and should not be impacted by politics or revenge.

Ahmed Bedier Condemns anti-Holocaust Iran Conference

I condemn the recent shameful conference held in Iran that sought to deny the Holocaust, one of the lowest moments in human history.

No legitimate cause can ever be advanced by denying the enormous human suffering caused by the massacre of millions of Jews and other minority groups by the Nazis. Attempts to use Holocaust denial as a political tool in the Middle East conflict will only serve to deepen the level of mistrust and hostility already present in the region.

Muslims are commanded in the Quran to "enjoin in the good and forbid the evil," and clearly the genocide of European Jews was nothing but evil. It is a shame that the current government of Iran, which claims to be an Islamic State, would ignore Islamic ethical values and belittle evil. Responsible governments must encourage the study of the Holocaust and other human atrocities to ensure that they are not repeated.

Americans in general and the Jewish and Muslim communities in particular should know that those who spew anti-Semitic bigotry do not speak for Islam; Muslims denounce their views and their hatred. Islam acknowledges Judaism (and Christianity) as a true revealed religion from God; furthermore Muslims view Jews (and Christians) as fellow "People of the Book" who believe in the same Abrahamic Monotheism.

While the cynical conference was held in Iran, it included many non-Muslim participants like former KKK leader David Duke and French "scholar" George Tail, who called the Holocaust a myth. The diverse participation is a reminder that bigotry is not exclusive to any one group.

As "People of the Book" we must stand united and challenge those who would fan the flames of all forms of hate, including anti-Semitism.

Note: The above opinion is based on CAIR's official release, see CAIR CONDEMNS IRANIAN HOLOCAUST DENIAL CONFERENCE

Bill Nelson should be commended for speaking to Syria, others should follow

Mideast expert Ahmed Bedier quoted in today's Tampa Tribune on U.S. Senator Bill Nelson's plans to visit Syria. Bedier commends Senator Nelson for the bold move but it maybe "too little, too late."

Senator's Trip To Syria Lands Him In Hot Zone
Tampa Tribune, 12/13/06
TALLAHASSEE - U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is scheduled to meet with Syrian
President Bashar Assad today despite President Bush's objections.
"We discourage the travel of members of Congress to Syria because we believe it
undermines the Siniora government" of Lebanon, White House spokesman Blair Jones said.

"He should be commended for reaching out and trying for dialogue," said
Ahmed Bedier of Tampa, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. Syria, branded by the Bush administration as a supporter of
terrorism, could perhaps help bring stability to Iraq, he said.

"You don't have to agree on everything - but there are some common
interests for all countries in the region," Bedier said. "If you continue to
neglect and not speak to them, that will make your job a lot harder."

Although Bedier welcomed the trip, he added a note of caution.
"A lot of things that are happening now are too little, too late. These things should have been happening years ago," Bedier said.

Ahmed Bedier Receives 2006 Human Rights Award

(TAMPA, FL - 12/8/06) - CAIR Tampa Executive Director Ahmed Bedier today received the prestigious Human Rights Award at the 33rd Annual Awards Breakfast of the Tampa/Hillsborough Human Rights Council.

"I am grateful for this recognition and accept the award on behalf ofthe board, staff, volunteers, and members of CAIR who made it possible," said Bedier. Bedier added that the "true winner" of the award is the Muslim Community in the Tampa Bay area.

Other Human Rights Award winners included: Sheriff David Gee, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office; Dr. Sam Horton of the NAACP-Hillsborough; Rev. Beverly Lane.

FBI Tampa chief thanks Ahmed Bedier for helping protect civil rights and working to keep nation safe

Federal Bureau of Investigation - FBI Tampa Field office Special Agent in Charge Carl Whitehead praises and thanks Ahmed Bedier while speaking at the 2006 CAIR Tampa Annual Banquet.

"I wanted to say that we really appreciate the effort of Ahmed Bedier [Executive
Director, CAIR-Tampa] here in Florida and all the good work that he does on
behalf of CAIR in the community in the area of civil rights…Mr. Bedier has done
a great job in reaching out to law enforcement, establishing open forums for us
to exchange information in order to keep the nation safe.”
-Carl Whitehead, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Tampa Field Office, speaking at the CAIR 2006 Tampa Banquet

FL Congress woman Brown-Waite defends Muslim Bashers and says All Terrorists are Muslim

Florida Congress woman Ginny Brown-Waite at her best, calling all Terrorists Muslim

Watch her embarrassing performance on WTVT Fox News:



Text Version courtesy of WTVT:



Last Edited: Thursday, 09 Nov 2006, 10:18 PM EST
Created: Thursday, 09 Nov 2006, 10:18 PM EST

Ginny Brown-Waite is defending a supporter's comments. We've got you covered

BROOKSVILLE - When Governor-elect Charlie Crist heard one of his
supporters call Islam a "hateful and frightening" religion, he kicked
her off his election team.

Governor Bush also condemned Hernando Commissioner Tom Hogan's and
his wife for the remark.

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite didn't respond until after the
election, then she rushed to the couple's defense.

"Ms. Hogan is entitled to her views, and her husband stood by her
side as a good husband should," stated Brown-Waite.

The congresswoman also attacked the Governor and the Governor-elect
for condemning the comment.

"Not every Muslim is a terrorist, but every terrorist is a Muslim
except for Tim McVeigh," offered Brown-Waite.

"What about Eric Rudolph?" FOX 13 asked.

"Well except him too," said Brown-Waite.

"What about the Klan?" we asked.

"They're not doing terrorist activities right now. We're talking
about a group that wants to do away with our way of life. With all
due respect, I don't think there's any comparison," said Brown-Waite.

We can find many non-Muslim terrorists, but Islamic groups say that's
not the point.

"She's actually standing up on the wrong side of the aisle, defending
bigotry and hatred," stated Ahmed Bedier with the Council on American
Islamic Relations.

The Congresswoman says she defends anti-Muslim remarks on grounds of
free speech.

She wrote a scorching three-page defense claiming those who call
Islam 'hateful and frightening' just reflect her community.

"If this does reflect the views of your community, what will you do
to educate the community?" FOX 13 asked.

"I think it's up to the moderate Muslims," Brown-Waite responded

FAQ: How does blog have anonymous comments, when it is not allowed

On 11/8/06, American Crusader asks the following:

Why does a site that does not allow anonymous comments have so many?Out of
have five comments...four of them are anonymous.

ANSWER: Very simple, when I started this blog, the setting to accept Anonymous comments was enabled. After a flood of spam, I disabled it. Visitors in the past were able to post anonymous comments, visitors now can't.

I hope that clarifies things for you.