Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Anti-Hate Group Calls On Temple Terrace Mayor To Give Back Terror-Related Awards
Anti-Hate Group Calls On Temple Terrace Mayor To Give Back Terror-Related Awards
November 25, 2009
http://www.americansagainsthate.org/press_releases/PR-Mayor_Joe_Affronti_CAIR.php
November 25, 2009
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Kaufman ([email protected])
ANTI-HATE GROUP CALLS ON TEMPLE TERRACE MAYOR TO GIVE BACK TERROR-RELATED AWARDS
MAYOR JOE AFFRONTI HAD PREVIOUSLY ACCEPTED AWARDS FROM CAIR AND GROUP HEADED BY AL-ARIAN SPOKESMAN
(Temple Terrace, FL) Joe Kaufman, the Chairman of Americans Against Hate (AAH), an anti-bigotry, counter-terrorism watchdog, sent a letter yesterday to Temple Terrace, Florida Mayor Joe Affronti, Sr. calling on him to return awards he has received from two organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and United Voices for America (UVA). While the two groups have innocuous names, both have significant ties to terrorism.
As stated in the letter to Mayor Affronti, CAIR was created by Hamas operatives and was recently named by the U.S. Justice Department as a co-conspirator for a federal Hamas financing trial which took place in Dallas, Texas. UVA is headed by Ahmed Bedier, a former leader of CAIR and former unofficial spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist Sami al-Arian. As well, Bedier hosts a radio show which has been used to promote the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah. Other CAIR officials are also involved with UVA.
AAH Chairman Joe Kaufman is quoted in the letter as saying, "Mr. Mayor, it is imperative that you give back the awards that you accepted from these extremist groups, CAIR and UVA, immediately. It is unbecoming of the office that you hold to accept such gifts from these groups."
Affronti had received an award from Bedier and UVA as recently as this month. And in November 2008, the city of Temple Terrace reprinted a CAIR press release, with the city of Temple Terrace logo on it, lauding how Mayor Affronti was honored by CAIR with its "Bridge Builder Award."
In the AAH letter to Affronti, Kaufman brought up Tampa, Florida Mayor Pam Iorio, whose city is neighbor to Affronti's Temple Terrace. After receiving information from AAH, Iorio stopped issuing government proclamations to CAIR.
Joe Kaufman is available for interview. E-mail: [email protected].
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