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Iorio: No More CAIR days

Posted Jun 11, 2009 by William March

Updated Jun 11, 2009 at 02:17 PM

Mayor Pam Iorio has agreed to halt proclamations of an annual day in Tampa for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an organization that says it seeks to represent the interests of mainstream Muslims in the U.S., but has been accused of terrorist links.

Iorio has proclaimed a “CAIR Day” in Tampa each fall since 2005.

The organization has an active chapter in Tampa. Among other activities, it has defended Youssef Megahed, a University of South Florida student arrested in 2007 on explosives charges along with another student who was accused of aiding terrorists. Megahed was acquitted but is now subject to deportation proceedings.

Joe Kaufman, head of a Florida-based organization called Americans Against Hate, has engaged in public relations battle against CAIR, contending the organization has links to the radical Middle Eastern organization Hamas.

Kaufman, of Coral Ridge, who says he is an anti-terrorism resercher and writer, said he began calling Iorio’s office after her most recent proclamation in November, 2008, and sent information about CAIR to Santiago Corrado, Iorio’s neighborhood liaison.

He said he was told this week by Corrado that Iorio won’t rescind any past proclamations, but won’t issue any more. Iorio’s press spokeswoman just confirmed that.

“Concerns were raised about the city’s proclamation regarding CAIR Day,” said a statement issued by Iorio spokeswoman Liana Lopez. “The mayor followed up on those concerns by seeking additional information.  She determined that the city would no longer issue a CAIR Day proclamation.”

Lopez said Iorio won’t comment further on the matter.
_____________

Update: CAIR responds
Calling Kaufman “an anti-Muslim extremist,” a spokesman for the Tampa CAIR organization said today that Iorio made her decision in the matter without consulting them, and that the group will seek a meeting with her to discuss it.

“It’s unfortunate that our honorable Mayor Pam Iorio has succumbed to the pressure of an anti-Muslim extremist such as Joe Kaufman,” who “has a long history of seeking to marginalize and disenfranchise the American Muslim community and its institutions,” said Ramzy Kilic of the Tampa CAIR chapter.

He said the decision was “somewhat of a surprise—we’ve had a good relationship with the mayor in the past. It’s quite concerning she would make this decision just based on information from Joe Kaufman.”

He said since 2005, the organization has requested the declaration from Iorio annually, to be read at its annual fundraising dinner. Iorio and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor attended that event in 2005.