Where did Tareq Al-Suwaidan go?
One moment, the man described as an extremist preacher seemed slated to speak at a conference of Muslim Canadian students. The next, he was gone.
The issue began when CIJA issued a statement on the morning of Aug. 5 expressing concern that Al-Suwaidan, “a notorious extremist preacher affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood,” was to address the virtual Muslim Student Leadership Conference, organized by the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) from Aug. 6-8.
CIJA provided ample quotes attributed to Al-Suwaidan in which he glorified violence against Jews and Zionists. In one, he is quoted as saying about Jews: “We should instill this in the souls of our children until a new generation rises and wipes them off the face of the earth.” In another he reportedly referred to Jews as Muslims’ “greatest enemy.”
CIJA also noted that Al-Suwaidan, a Kuwaiti preacher, has previously been denied entry into Belgium and Italy because of his extreme views.
“It is shocking that any organization, especially a registered charity in Canada, would give a platform to those promoting a genocidal form of antisemitism,” stated CIJA CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel. “Worse, the program in which Al-Suwaidan is scheduled to speak targets young Canadians under the guise of ‘social impact.’”
CIJA provided a link to the lineup of speakers at the student conference. Al-Suwaidan’s name and photo were shown on the first line.
But later that day, the MAC website showed the same lineup, minus Al-Suwaidan.
A statement posted to Twitter followed, saying MAC was “extremely disappointed” by CIJA’s statement, which included “false claims and ignores MAC’s work to counter Islamophobia and hate of all kinds, including antisemitism.”
Without mentioning Al-Suwaidan by name, the MAC said CIJA had expressed concern about “a speaker who is not attending the conference.”
Whether MAC had invited, then uninvited Al-Suwaidan, or whether he was never asked to speak, remains a mystery. The CJN’s queries to MAC and its executive director, Sharaf Sharafeldin, which included CIJA’s cached link showing Al-Suwaidan’s attendance, went unanswered.
MAC also countered that when he last spoke in a virtual session in Canada, Al-Suwaidan was quoted as saying, “I would emphasize that we as Muslims are never against Jews. Jews lived with us for centuries peacefully. We are against Zionism, we are against oppression, we are against occupation, but not against any other religion.”
MAC “therefore question(s) the accuracy or currency of the quotes that CIJA attributed to him and the sources relied upon.”
The CIJA statement is “particularly disappointing,” said the group, because it came only a few days after the federal government hosted summits on Islamophobia and antisemitism and to promote religious tolerance.
MAC said it has “repeatedly condemned all forms of antisemitism and hate” and “values the contributions of the Canadian Jewish community and the relationships MAC has built with Jewish community members across the country. MAC continues to welcome dialogue with Jewish organizations around shared values as Canadians.”
In response to the accusations from the MAC, Fogel said it is “shocking” that the organization would “double down in defense of an individual who has been banned from multiple countries for spreading his violent and hateful agenda.”
Fogel said “quietly removing” Al-Suwaidan from the MAC website “does not remedy the problem that a notorious antisemite was invited to speak to young Canadians.”