Saying one thing in English then another in Arabic, par for the Islamist course.

(CAN)– The Translating Jihad blog has published a translation of an Arabic article from 2004 where a top Muslim leader describes Hamas as a “liberation movement” and refuses to call it a terrorist organization, despite its attacks on Israeli civilians.

The official, Nihad Awad, is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which denies being connected to Hamas as some terrorism experts allege.

“I truly do not condemn these organizations,” Awad says, referring to radical Islamic groups in Palestine and Lebanon, presumably Hamas and Hezbollah.

“We do not and will not condemn any liberation movement inside Palestine or Lebanon. If they want us to condemn a liberation movement inside Palestine or Lebanon, then they should condemn Israel ten times over on all levels at all times,” Awad said when specifically asked about the U.S. designation of Hamas as a terrorist group.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is a top activist group that says its desire is to protect the civil rights of American-Muslims. The U.S. government labeled it an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the Holy Land Foundation trial, in which the charity was found guilty of financing Hamas.

Documents submitted by the government showed that the founders of CAIR belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent organization of Hamas, and previously worked for the Islamic Association of Palestine, another group shut down for being a Hamas front.

CAIR denies the allegations and says it condemns extremism and terrorism.

“We unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by al-Qa’ida, the Real IRA, FARC, Hamas, ETA, or any other group designated by the U.S. Department of State as a ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the group’s website says.