From Jihad Watch:

Former Hamas-linked CAIR official running for president in Egypt, pledges to "complete the implementation of Islamic law in Egypt"

What he says is not so surprising. Who he is is what is noteworthy here. "Egyptian Presidential Candidate Bassem Khafaji Pledges to 'Complete the Implementation of Islamic Law in Egypt,'" from MEMRI TV, March 7 (thanks to Benedict):

Following are excerpts from Egyptian presidential candidate Bassem Khafaji, which aired on Al-Nas TV on March 7, 2012:

Bassem Khafaji: Let me tell you, in all honesty, that as a Muslim Egyptian, I am convinced of [the need to] complete the implementation of Islamic law in Egypt. I do not hide this truth in any way, because it is in keeping with the inclination of the Egyptian people.

We Egyptians – both Muslims and non-Muslims – refer to the shari'a in many things. I often ask people: How did you get married? Wasn't it according to the shari'a, regardless of whether you are Muslim or not? Weren't you married in accordance with your religion? When somebody in our family dies, how we inherit him? Not in accordance with the shari'a?

No [candidate] should say that he is coming to implement the shari'a, because part of it has already been implemented. What the Egyptian people want is to complete this implementation. As president, I will personally assist in the completion of the correct implementation of the shari'a, by consulting the experts [in Islamic law].

Jihad Watch reader Benedict, who kindly alerted me to the above item, also points out that Bassem Khafaji, or Khafagi, used to work in the U.S. for Hamas-linked CAIR:

The former community affairs director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Bassem Khafagi was arrested in January 2003 on suspicion of aiding terrorists. Khafagi is also the founder of the Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA), a radical, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based organization. He pled guilty in a Detroit federal court to two counts of bank fraud and one count of visa fraud.

Hamas-linked CAIR constantly insists that Muslims in the U.S. don't want to implement Sharia here. So did Khafagi change his mind about Sharia when he went back to Egypt? Or does he think Sharia should be implemented in Egypt but not here? Or maybe he and others in Hamas-linked CAIR really do want to bring Sharia here? I confidently await the imminent explanation from Honest Ibe Hooper, clearing all this up!

Posted by Robert on March 12, 2012 11:59 AM