On 28th October, controversial pro-Hamas Imam, Adil Charkaoui allegedly called for ‘exterminating all Jews’ in a statement during a pro-Palestine rally near Place des Arts of downtown Montreal in Quebec, Canada. The leaders of four primary political parties have jointly called for strict action against him for possible hate crimes. In his speech in Arabic, Charkaoui called for the extermination of “Zionist aggressors”.
Invocations pour nos frères & soeurs à #Gaza
— Adil Charkaoui-عادل الشرقاوي (@Adil_Charkaoui) November 3, 2023
Dites: Amin!#Gaza_Genocide pic.twitter.com/Ki1fIxdZod
Speaking on the issue, Quebec Premier François Legault said that Charkaoui had been accused of inciting violence and hate. He pointed out that though he has no role in how the police should conduct an investigation, he stressed the fact that inciting violence is not permissible.
On the day when Charkaoui delivered the speech, there was a large gathering of pro-Palestinian demonstrators near Place des Arts. It was part of the “global day” of pro-Palestinian protests to “denounce” the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and bombing in Gaza. During his speech, Charkaoui invoked Allah and asked for the elimination of “Zionist aggressors” while calling them the “enemies of the people of Gaza”. He urged “no one be spared” during his address.
Charkaoui himself shared the video of the statement on social media platforms. Jewish groups condemned his speech, including the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. CIJA characterised his speech as a call for violence against Jews. They argued that such rhetoric would not contribute to the peace in the Middle East and called for its condemnation.
A prayer calling for the elimination & destruction of “Zionist aggressors” during a #Montreal rally.
— CIJA (@CIJAinfo) November 5, 2023
This is a call for violence against Jews. It does nothing to advance peace in the Middle East.
Such hate has no place in Quebec, in #Canada, nor anywhere. It contributes to… https://t.co/kQTi3vQoTK
However, some “experts” believe that Charkaoui’s statement did not target all Jews but only those who were participating in the war. Shokry Gohar, the Arabic language program director at McGill University’s Institute of Islamic Studies, claimed that after reviewing the video, he could confirm Charkaoui “did not call for the extermination of all Jews”.
Notably, Charkaoui’s past is full of controversies. He was once detained for six years under suspicion of terrorism. However, his case was dropped by the Federal Court in 2009. The Montreal Police has not issued any statement over the matter, which raised questions about how he was permitted to address the crowd.
Responding to the allegations, Charkaoui claimed that the “Zionist Lobby” was trying to cover up the crimes committed in Gaza. He wrote, “The current strategy of the Zionist lobby is to attack – through unscrupulous journalists – those who denounce the genocide in Gaza and to obscure the crimes of those who commit it.”
Israel-Hamas war
On 7th October, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel, killing almost 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals. They abducted around 200 people and took them to Gaza. In response, Israel declared war against Hamas, aiming to wipe the terrorist organisation from the face of the earth. Since then, Israel has bombed Hamas locations in Gaza for around a month and initiated ground response as well. So far, around 10,000 people have been killed in the war. Israel has repeatedly asked Palestinians to evacuate Gaza for their safety. On 9th November, the Israel-Hamas war entered its 33rd day.
