The anti-Semitic Auckland Iman
Shalom Kiwi blogs:
A shocking video has surfaced containing excerpts of a number of Auckland sermons and lectures given by Shaykh Dr Mohammad Anwar Sahib between April 2014 and November 2016 in which he repeatedly uses appalling anti-Semitic slanders and libels and denigrates women. In one sermon, he calmly calls Jews “the enemy of Muslims” and claims that:
- Jews are using everybody because their protocol is to rule the entire world”
- No woman can dare step out of her house without the permission of her husband”
- Read history and you will understand that the Jews of yesterday are the evil fathers of the Jews of today, who are evil offspring, infidels… the scum of the human race whom Allah cursed and turned into apes and pigs… These are the Jews, an ongoing continuum of deceit, obstinacy, licentiousness, evil, and corruption…”
You can see extracts of his speeches in this clip below:
This is shocking stuff. The Islamic community in New Zealand has generally been very moderate and well integrated. We have avoided most of the problems that Europe and Australia has. But there are real questions to be answered about how such hate speech was allowed to be preached in Auckland and by a senior cleric.
Susan Devoy has said:
The Human Rights Commission says an Auckland man’s speeches condemning Jewish people are appalling and have no place in New Zealand.
“We live in one of the most ethnically diverse nations on earth as well as one of the most peaceful: this is because we are a tolerant nation,” said Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.
“This kind of intolerance is not welcome here in any form: Prejudice against Jewish people has no place in New Zealand.” …
“We urge Kiwis to recognise that these are the views of a single person and are not held by every single Muslim New Zealander, however questions need to be answered,” said Dame Susan.
“We’ve been in touch with the leaders of the NZ Jewish Council as well as the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), both of whom are deeply concerned about the speeches. We have asked for an urgent response from FIANZ.”
FIANZ does need to respond. This is not some lone radical but senior cleric who preaches in mosques to others.
Stuff reports:
Ethnic Communities Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga called Sahib’s speech “offensive and insulting” and said his comments “are way out of step with New Zealand’s egalitarian values”.
“I have spoken to FIANZ President Hazim Arafeh and he assures me Dr Sahib’s views do not represent the beliefs of that organisation or most Muslim New Zealanders,” he said.
Most, no. But why was he allowed to preach for so long and why did no one report his hate speech? In fact they proudly displayed it on You Tube.
“It disgusts me that anti-Semitic views are being recorded and posted online. It harms New Zealanders reputation as a tolerant and welcoming people. It also concerns me that New Zealanders could be influenced by this,” Lotu-Iiga said.
It would be good to have this condemned by all political parties.