CAEF President addresses Hadassah Noar Chapter on AntiZionism, the New AntiSemitism
This thriving, dynamic 66 year old Toronto chapter of Hadassah was superbly well attended on June 17th when Irving Weisdorf addressed the members at a luncheon held at the home of Carole and Dr. Bernie Zucker. Weisdorf eloquently reflected on the earliest history of antisemitism towards Jews, starting with the failure of Christianity to eradicate Judaism, then the failure of Islam to do so. Both religions persecuted Jews, forced conversions, drove Jews out of their own land, prohibited their settling in new lands or set very restrictive covenants on their doing so. Jews thrived despite this. This raised even more antagonism.
When Jews were successful, it bred jealousy, when Jews were ostracized it led to more discrimination and the cycle continued for centuries. Weisdorf connected the dots leading to Israel—the Nazis found willing, even eager collaborators amongst the Arabs in Palestine. The British, despite many steps in laying the groundwork for a Jewish State in Palestine, actually fortified the Arabs in rejecting Jewish immigration, failed to live up to their international commitments in regards to creating a Jewish State, bolstered the power of Haj Amin Al Husseini who was chosen to be the representative of the Arabs and who ultimately allied with Hitler.
In his presentation, Weisdorf illustrated the links between today’s antisemitism and the treatment of Israel on the international stage, and the demeaning of Israel’s rights, her history and even current intentions by much of the Western Press, university Leftists, Islamist tyrants, and politically correct-Islam –cowed governments. He called on members of Noar Hadassah Chapter to act, to fight back, and not to ignore any antisemitic incidents in order to ensure a safe future for their children and grandchildren.
Al Quds Day Hate Rally in Toronto - June 1, 2019
Every year on June 1st a hate rally is held in the streets of Toronto and many other cities around the world that aims to demonize the Jewish people and the state of Israel. This rally is called “Al Quds Day”. Al Quds Day is a movement that started in Iran after the Islamic revolution of 1979, and has now spread into many other cities, particularly in the West. Al Quds Day is a movement that supports the eradication of Israel, that denies the Holocaust and that not only allows, but encourages the usage of racial slurs against the Jewish people.
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre commented on this year’s Al Quds Day rally and previous rallies as “an anti-Semitic hate fest that brings together Radical Islamic protestors who call for the eradication of Israel”. This year’s Al Quds Day rally was much smaller when compared to previous years, but although the number of participants is shrinking, the toxicity of the event has unfortunately stayed the same. The hatred and toxicity of Al Quds Day has now concerned those currently in the Canadian government. For example, on June 3rd a Liberal MP expressed great concern about the blatant antisemitism towards the Jewish people and the state of Israel that the rally encourages. Toronto City Councilor, James Pasternak, stated his absolute disgust about the fact that Al Quds Day still continues to be held in Toronto. He commented on the rally saying, “It is truly shocking that this group continues to hold this unpermitted hate rally in our city. An event that in previous years has had speakers supporting the destruction of Israel, denying the Holocaust and making racial slurs has no place anywhere, especially in such a diverse and welcoming city as Toronto”. But the blatant antisemitism was exceedingly worrying given the the posters and signs at the event which bore alarming hate messages.
One example of a despicable sign at this year’s rally was held by a little girl, and the placard was of a bloodied girl with these words: “Israel cages two children every day”. Another example was of a sign that depicted the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem and warned that the “Last Khayber is Ready,” which is a reference to the Muslim massacre of Jews in 628 CE. The posters at the rally were so despicable that they prompted a response from the Conservative leader Andrew Sheer who tweeted, “The use of threatening, antisemitic signs at the Toronto Al-Quds Day demonstration is despicable. Such incitement of hatred is unacceptable and has no place in Canada.”
The Al Quds Day rally is certainly a despicable movement, but it is also a movement that invokes hypocrisy as highlighted by Imam Mohamad Tawhidi, an Iranian-Australian Muslim scholar, educator, and internationally renowned speaker. Tawhidi has dedicated his life to fighting the hateful Islamist ideology. He is personally tackling the spread of Islamic Extremism. On his Facebook, Tawhidi wrote, “New Level Hypocrisy: Al-Quds Day organizer chants ‘Death to Israel’ but sells Israeli invented products for a living.” Tawhidi also wrote a great quote which illustrates his view that no religion should be forced upon the rest of humanity; Tawhidi wrote, “Your religion is not a constitution for the rest of humanity”.
CAEF receives a response from Toronto Mayor John Tory
In response to a letter from the President and the Executive Director of CAEF to Mayor and Council, in regards to the Al Quds Day, rally requesting the City abide by its own earlier decision to require a license for such rallies and to charge policing and sanitation costs to law breakers who ignored the license requirements, the Mayor’s office shared a letter to the Chief of Police, Mark Saunders and City Manager, Chris Murray. The full letter requesting a report on the rally and any related incidents and a full costing is included here.
Imam of Peace speaks out against AntiSemitism, the Al Quds Day Rally, Islamist Claims against Israel, and other Falsehoods perpetrated by Islamists
Last Monday June 17th, CAEF was proud to co-sponsor, along with Hasbara Fellowships, “an evening with Imam Mohamad Tawhidi”, where the famous Imam of Peace gave a thoroughly enlightening and entertaining talk to an audience of Jews, Christians, and Muslims at Aish Thornhill Community Shul.
Many of us are familiar with Israel’s history. Most Jews know the history from the Balfour Declaration to President Trump, and the legal argument for the Jewish people’s rights to the land of Israel. Our readers probably know all the good humanitarian work and technological development that emanates from Israel. However, most non-Muslims are probably unfamiliar with the Islamic theological argument for Jewish rights to Israel.
Enter Imam Tawhidi, a self-confessed former anti-Semite, to explain what the Quran states on Israel. In the Quran the land is promised to “beni Israel” not “ibn”. Israel “Ibn” means son of, whereas “beni” means nation. So, in Islam Israel is not a hereditary inheritance to just the sons of Jacob (Israel), but to the entire Jewish people.
Another theological point made by Imam Tawhidi was about the Al Aqsa Mosque. Here he quoted the Quran and some basic logic. In the Quran it says that Muhammad went to heaven at “Al Aqsa”, meaning “the furthest mosque.” Most people think of Al Aqsa as the mosque on top of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, however this cannot be the case if you read the Quran. Muhammad died in 634, and the Islamic conquest of Israel did not start until 636 (two years after). This is why many Islamic scholars believe that Al Aqsa was actually a mosque in heaven or a mosque in India, which would have been the furthest away at the time.
So how did someone go from being an extremist anti-Semite, to one of the most passionate supporters of Israel and a consistent critic of antisemitism in a few short years? Imam Tawhidi was born in Iran and grew up in Australia where he was sent to an Islamic school famous for its radical extremism. There he said he was taught that Jews were the descendants of pigs and monkeys. From there he went back to Iran where he was trained as an Imam under the Islamic Republic of Iran’s radical Jew-hating Islamist regime. From there he moved to Iraq.
While he was in Iraq ISIS ravaged the country and even burned alive his favourite uncle. This inspired Imam Tawhidi to start speaking out against radicalization, and in 2014 an act of kindness from a Jewish man tore down his antipathy to the Jewish people.
Now, just 5 years later, he is often the first one to call out the lies, whether they be from Mahmoud Abbas or Rashida Talib, on his twitter account @imamofpeace. We recommend everyone follow.
Imam Tawhidi has an important message for all of us. He said we should not be afraid to stand up to antisemitism, we need to analyze each incident, expose all instances of Jew hatred, and send the information to the right people.
The right person could be the Imam himself who will expose the perpetrators, or it could be organizations that will act on the information. It could be the police, but he urged, even if informing the police – share the info with others. He promised to help. You can always report incidents to Hasbara Fellowships, Bnai Brith CAEF. With the rising tide of antisemitism, only a united front can stop it.
Teaching Muslims About the Holocaust is News
As reported in the San Diego Jewish World on line by Dr. Navras Aafreedi, “Anne Frank may be presented to Muslims in Urdu,” which may be a major breakthrough in combating Holocaust denial. Dr. Aafreedi is uniquely positioned to comment on the importance of this play being available in Urdu. He is Muslim and the only Urdu-speaking professor in India who is teaching Indo-Judaic History and a course on the Holocaust and Jewish History. He did post-doctoral studies at Tel Aviv University and has presented papers at conferences in the UK, US and Canada. Dr. Aafreedi is an activist for Muslim-Jewish relations. The full article about the Urdu version of the Diary of Anne Frank is available here.
CAEF joins in congratulating Stephen Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada on receiving the Moral Courage Award from UN Watch
The short video below tells why Harper was chosen and for more details go here.
We thank the Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper for fighting AntiZionism and Antisemitism.
CAEF joins in congratulating Nikki Haley, Former US Ambassador to the UN on receiving the Humanitarian Laureate Award from The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
We thank Ambassador Haley for standing for Israel.
Support our commitment to protecting Israel from AntiZionist Lies
CAEF is bringing important speakers and conversations to a wide audience and sending speakers to community groups and organizations on a range of crucial topics. We accept the working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; Anti-Zionism = Antisemitism.
P.O. Box 42044, John Woodbine P.O., Markham, ON, L3R 0P9
Comentarios