Toronto (December 24, 2018) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) condemns the violent antisemitism allegedly promoted by American Imam Karim AbuZaid, who is speaking at an Islamic conference in Toronto this week. The organization encourages Canadian authorities and police to investigate allegations of hate speech and appeals to Canadian border authorities to disallow individuals who may sow hate and discord in our communities from entering the country.

In a video published in December 2017 - which FSWC was alerted to in an exclusive report by the American Center for Democracy and Economic Warfare Institute - AbuZaid is seen discussing Jerusalem and stating that the land “will come back to the Muslims.”

He goes on to say the following, referring to Jewish Israelis as the “enemy”: “We believe that the rock, the rock will call upon the believer, but look how it will call him: Ya Abdallah, oh slave of Allah, come! Behind me is an enemy of Allah. The rock will help you to do this.”

His quote is based on a section of the hadith that reportedly calls on Muslims to fight and conquer the Jews, stating the Jew will hide behind a rock or tree and the rock or tree will say “Muslim…here is a Jew behind me; come and kill him.”

“Individuals who spew extremist views should not be welcomed in Toronto,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “Organizers of this and other conferences should be diligent and research what speakers have said in the past before allowing them to speak in such a public setting.”

AbuZaid is not the first conference speaker whose antisemitism was exposed. Reportedly, Tawfeeq As-Sayegh of Bahrain also made antisemitic statements and was removed from the conference.

Media Contact:

Avital Borisovsky
Communications Associate
416-864-9735 ext. 29
aborisovsky@fswc.ca