October 12, 2006
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Kaufman (
info@americansagainsthate.org)
AAH TO PROTEST CAIR, ELLISON AND DAVIS
SAYS CANDIDATES TAKING MONEY FROM THOSE CONNECTED
TO TERRORISTS IS A "BETRAYAL OF THE VOTERS"
(Coral Springs, FL) On Saturday, October 14, 2006, Americans Against Hate (AAH)
will be leading a protest against the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), Minnesota Candidate for U.S. Congress
Keith Ellison, and Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Jim
Davis. The protest will be taking place at the Southwest
Focal Point Senior Center, in Pembroke Pines, Florida,
which is playing host to a CAIR sponsored event featuring
Ellison as Keynote Speaker.
The reason for the protest is to call attention to
the fact that both Ellison and Davis have accepted
campaign donations from CAIR officials. According
to records, Keith Ellison received contributions from
CAIR's National Executive Director Nihad Awad and
CAIR's Government Affairs Director Corey Sawyer. As
well, according to records, Jim Davis has received
a contribution from the Communications Director of
CAIR-Florida Ahmed Bedier.
AAH calls this a conflict of interest and a betrayal
of the voters, as CAIR has been linked to convicted
terrorists, terrorist acts and terrorist groups overseas.
CAIR was incorporated in June of 1994 by three leaders
of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), a
Hamas front co-founded by the number two leader in
Hamas today, Mousa Abu Marzook. Two of CAIR's former
representatives are currently serving jail time for
conducting terrorist activities with groups connected
to Hamas and Al-Qaeda. And CAIR is currently the defendant
in a lawsuit for the murder of an FBI Agent who was
killed during the 9/11 attacks.
Both Awad and Bedier, two of the campaign contributors,
have made disturbing statements with regard to terrorist
organizations. Awad stated, in March of 1994, "
I
am in support of the Hamas movement more than the
PLO." And Bedier, in December of 2005, when asked
if he believed Sami Al-Arian's association with Palestinian
Islamic Jihad was immoral, said, "To a certain
degree. Now, before 1995, there was nothing immoral
about it." In addition, in July of 2006, Bedier
co-hosted a radio show entirely devoted to praise
for Hezbollah.
AAH Chairman and founder of CAIR
Watch, Joe Kaufman, who will be speaking at the
protest, stated, "It is beyond bad taste and
completely unacceptable for candidates seeking high
positions within the U.S. government to accept money
from those individuals that support terrorist organizations
and who are connected to a group whose former officials
include convicted terrorists. This is nothing more
than a betrayal of the voters of Minnesota and Florida."
When: Saturday, October 14, 2006, 12:30 pm
- 1:45 pm
Where: Southwest Focal Point Senior Center,
in Pembroke Pines, Florida, 301 NW 103rd Ave
Directions: From I-95 head west on Hollywood
Blvd, which turns into Pines Blvd. From Pines Blvd,
make a right onto NW 106th Ave (which is not easy
to make out). Go straight and continue around the
bend, which soon ends at the Senior Center.
There will be refreshments.
Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail:
info@americansagainsthate.org.