A prominent Canadian Jewish group raised concerns on Thursday about several “extremist” speakers scheduled to appear at an Islamic conference in Toronto this weekend.
The event in question — titled “Reviving the Islamic Spirit” — began on Friday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and will run through Sunday.
In a statement on Thursday, B’nai Brith Canada highlighted concerns about three of the conference’s participants — American preachers Yasir Qadhi, Siraj Wahhaj and Omar Suleiman — who it said have “a history of antisemitic and inciting remarks.”
“It is troubling that a major Canadian Muslim conference continues to invite extremist preachers to Canada,” Michael Mostyn, chief executive officer of B’nai Brith Canada, said. “Surely there are enough qualified moderate Muslim leaders, without a history of extremist messaging, who can be chosen to speak at events such as these.”
According to B’nai Brith Canada, Qadhi defended earlier this year the Islamic hadith that that the End of Days, the Jews will be slaughtered by the Muslims.
Wahaj, B’nai Brith Canada noted, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
In a 2012 lecture, B’nai Brith Canada said, Suleiman asserted that “if not for the Children of Israel, meat would not decay,” and that Jews “harmed all of their prophets.” He is also said to have described Zionists as “enemies of G-d.”
“It is troubling that a major Canadian Muslim conference continues to invite extremist preachers to Canada,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “Surely there are enough qualified moderate Muslim leaders, without a history of extremist messaging, who can be chosen to speak at events such as these.”
