GOLD: Banned radical Imam gets platformed in Winnipeg church hall

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All summer long across Canada, even after the last of the university encampments were dissolved, the purveyors of Jew-hatred continued to fan the flames of antisemitism by word and deed.

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And the bare-minimum response by law enforcement, political leaders and the media is allowing it to fester and take hold.

Marches continue to be led by people glorifying Hamas and their heinous acts of Oct. 7. In Toronto, a fellow wore a T-shirt honouring the group’s recently eliminated leader Ismail Haniyeh. He led the mob in chanting “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”

In Montreal, banners at the forefront of hate parades proclaim: “No pride in genocide, Globalize The Intifada.”

In other words, Israel’s self-defence against marauding Jihadists should beget a worldwide campaign of terror against civilians. You’d think there’d be a law against promoting that.

In short order, Canada has become a hotbed of antisemitism where malign actors are characterized as social justice visionaries or austere religious leaders, not as toxic propagandists.

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One such character embarked on a national “Journey of Faith” tour for Penny Appeal Canada, under the guise of teaching the obligations of charitable giving.

An Imam in Jeddah, Assim Al-Hakeem was pitched to ticket-buyers as “a prominent and popular Islamic scholar” who had been “spreading Islamic knowledge over 20 years in-person and on TV, in a charismatic and candid manner, which the audience thoroughly enjoys!”

“Dans le monde musulman, Assim Al-Hakeem est une star” wrote Richard Martineau in Le Journal de Montreal. He described him as “An Islamist “scholar” of Saudi origin. Known – and admired – for his hateful remarks against “infidels”, gays and Jews.”

Among the extremist beliefs he imparts to his millions of followers are:

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“The September 11 attacks were a fabrication.”

“The Jews have been collaborating with the Illuminati and the Freemasons for centuries to do their dirty work.”

“(Gays) are animals who only seek their sexual satisfaction.”

“When you pass a woman, look away… Don’t look at her. Or if you have to look at her, look through her, don’t look at her body…”

In a video dated March 30, he lumped Jews and ‘idol worshippers’ together as enemies of Islam: “What’s happening in Gaza, it’s a clear indication, a clear sign, of their hatred and enmity – it’s in their DNA.”

He also defends taking sex slaves and opposes Holocaust education.

Thornhill MP Melissa Lantsman excoriated the Trudeau government for allowing Al-Hakeem into Canada as he embodies “the most vile hate against Jews, Christians, gay people & many others … Why, at a time of rising hate against these groups, would he allow such a person into our country?”

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Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet tweeted, “Assim Al-Hakeem makes statements that are completely contrary to Quebec values and to what the Liberals also claim to be theirs.

“Why is this person allowed to come here knowing his intentions to spread his hostile and hateful speech?”

With criticism mounting, the venue in Montreal cancelled the booking. Almost immediately, the Eventbrite pages for a London speech the day before, and at BCIT in Vancouver on Aug. 27, were removed.

But before the tour got kaiboshed, his traveling roadshow played right here in Winnipeg, on Aug. 21.

At a Catholic church hall.

The day after Al-Hakeem appeared, B’nai Brith Canada stated, “St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Winnipeg, hosted Assim Al-Hakeem, a known antisemite and extremist. Despite B’nai Brith Canada’s urgent warnings to the church and to the Archdiocese of Winnipeg about his history of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial, and promoting violence, the church ignored our calls and proceeded with this hate-filled event.”

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The Chancery Office, meanwhile, claimed it had pushed the stop button, but the tour bus rolled into Petrus Hall anyway:

“The Archdiocese of Winnipeg has a policy of not permitting the use of parish facilities for political purposes, either domestic or foreign … Unfortunately, this speaker is known as a political activist.

“The parish was notified by the Archdiocese about this situation and was instructed to tell the charity to disinvite the guest speaker, but due to circumstances, the disinvitation did not occur.”

The “circumstances” under which the event proceeded- featuring a homophobic, Jew-hating misogynist — will likely never be explained. Who Shaykh Al-Hakeem met with or spoke to here will likely never be known. Especially, since it got zero attention from the Winnipeg media, or from our elected officials.

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You’d think that at least some local gay or feminist activists would have piped up, but no Melissa Lantsman-style outrage here. Instead, the leading lights of the NDP are busy asserting Gazan children are being deliberately starved by Israel (Nahanni Fontaine) and that CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn isn’t antisemitic, just an anti-Zionist (Niki Ashton).

The “circumstances” of the last 11 months in our city have resulted in people not wearing Star of David necklaces, removing mezuzahs from their thresholds and kids being told not to speak Hebrew in public.

The Jewish residents of Winnipeg, including 4,000 Israelis, know what the sound of silence from the media and politicians means.

It’s time to disinvite antisemites from Winnipeg-loudly and unequivocally.

— Marty Gold is a Winnipeg journalist. You can find more of his work at The Great Canadian Talk Show.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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