An imam at a Toronto mosque who prayed for the purification of Jews and slaying of “infidels and polytheists” is no longer employed by Ryerson University.
B’nai Brith Canada made the announcement late Tuesday, citing Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi. “Ayman Elkasrawy, a teaching assistant at Ryerson University, who in a sermon preached ‘purify the al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews,’ has been dismissed by the university,” B’nai Brith said in a news release.
Toronto Police are investigating the 2016 comments, as is Masjid Toronto mosque and the Muslim Association of Canada, which has apologized and suspended Elkasrawy, who they called a “junior employee” who preached an “unauthorized” service. Elkasrawy has also apologized on social media.
Videos discovered by former Israeli Intelligence officer and CIJN journalist Jonathan Halevi revealed comments from prayers in which Elkasrawy was translated from Arabic as saying, “O Allah! Give them victory over the criminal people, O Allah! Destroy anyone who killed Muslims, O Allah! Destroy anyone who displaced the sons of the Muslims, O Allah! Count their number; slay them one by one and spare not one of them, O Allah! Purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews!”
Another passage stated “slay them one by one” and suggested to “humiliate the polytheism, the polytheists, the infidels and the atheists.”
Ryerson did not immediately return requests for comment. But in a letter obtained independently by the Sun, Lachemi wrote: “I want to add that we are very aware of how something of this nature can impact the climate for our Jewish students and our Jewish community” and “that is why we continue to be committed to broadening education and awareness of anti-Semitism and we remain actively engaged in addressing any anti-Semitism in our community.”
B’nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said in a statement they are “relieved” by Ryerson’s news.
“There is no place for someone who believes that Jews are ‘filth’ to deliver lectures or grade assignments at a Canadian university. We hope that this action by Ryerson administration will serve as a turning point in what has been a difficult year for Jewish students on that campus, and commend the administration for dealing with this serious matter.”