The Muslim Brotherhood's U.S. Enablers
By Joe Kaufman
April 8, 2011
Last month, Ahmed Bedier, an extremist Muslim from Tampa, Florida, who had attended Cairo rallies against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, took lessons that he learnt while agitating in Egypt and attempted to apply them toward the Florida State Legislature. Unfortunately, those in power gave him a ‘red carpet’ to do so.
On February 18, 2011, more than one million Egyptians amassed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, led them in Friday prayer, calling for an Islamic conquest of Jerusalem. It was the first time Qaradawi had been back in Egypt since being banned from the nation three decades ago.
Qaradawi, a controversial figure who has supported attacks against American troops and suicide bombings, is presently banned from entering the United States and the United Kingdom.
One of the prayer goers situated in the crowd listening to the sermon was Egyptian-American Ahmed Bedier, who had traveled to his birthplace to participate in the anti-Mubarak demonstrations.
Speaking via phone on the weekly radio program that he co-hosts from the States, Bedier attempted to downplay the fact that he was present at the Qaradawi event earlier in the day.
With a noticeably uneasy and defensive tone to his voice, he stated, “The sermon took place in the Square, so people who were there in the Square – whether you like Yusuf Qaradawi or not – whether you’re a Muslim or Christian, you were in the Square, you were listening to the sermon.”
While Bedier can run away from his personal feelings regarding Qaradawi, what he cannot flee from is his own connection to the Brotherhood and radical Islam.
Up until a few years ago, Bedier held the position of Executive Director for the Tampa office of CAIR. CAIR or the Council on American-Islamic Relations has been associated with leaders of Hamas and Hamas financing. Hamas or the Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the chief divisions of the Muslim Brotherhood.
During his time with the group, Bedier became the “unofficial spokesman” for convicted terrorist and co-founder of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Sami al-Arian. Al-Arian also co-founded CAIR’s parent organization, the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP).
Today, Bedier is the President of United Voices for America (UVA). While the name sounds patriotic, in reality the group is nothing more than a political arm of CAIR-Florida.
Last month, on March 29th, Bedier took his UVA to Tallahassee, Florida to lobby members of the Florida Legislature and promote his Islamist agenda. Some legislators embraced the group, including the Governor of Florida, himself, Rick Scott.
Ignored was Bedier’s background as well as physical attacks perpetrated by UVA delegate Bassem Alhalabi on two individuals – including this author – in Tallahassee, only one year ago.
In March 2009, Bedier’s true goal with regard to these lobby efforts was made public, when he declared to a Tallahassee UVA crowd, “We want the government to fear us.” The statement may have sounded like one once vocalized by the likes of Thomas Jefferson. However, all one has to do is look at the source.
Bedier’s “fear” is not one made in America. It is an Egyptian-type fear – a political philosophy related more to terror and intimidation than to any kind of Jeffersonian freedom.
Ahmed Bedier is a proponent of what is known in Muslim Brotherhood circles as a Caliphate or Islamic Kingdom. About this, he has stated, “Yeah, well, we’re looking for it still. Right now... Since the fall of the Ottoman Empire – that was the last major Muslim organized religion – we don’t really have a hierarchy that’s organized how the Catholics are organized. We’re looking for that, and once we have that one voice, unified voice, we’ll be able to speak up.”
According to the New York Times, the Egyptian Revolution is now being organized and manned by the Muslim Brotherhood, which would attest to Qaradawi’s appearance in Cairo.
For Islamists like Bedier, who are awaiting the Brotherhood’s Caliphate, an Egyptian-style American Revolution can’t come soon enough.
Sadly, though, there are those who are ignorant of his sinister agenda and who are willing to stand with him and allow it to happen.
Beila Rabinowitz, Director of Militant Islam Monitor, contributed to this report.
Source: Hudson Institute
