An online video station established by a global coalition of extremists is operating and fundraising in Canada.
Middle East Forum reported Thursday Free Palestine TV (FPTV) was established after the Hamas attacks on Israel and displays terrorist propaganda.
FPTV’s broadcasts are extreme and its social media channels comprise video clips glorifying Hamas and Hezbollah.
FPTV was established by terrorism activists and serves to promote their interests.
“We built live broadcasting units to go from the front in South Lebanon, with North Palestine and bring in journalists from inside Palestine to give us updates,” said FPTV Director Laith Marouf.
Marouf said it was set up “to translate the speeches of all the resistance leadership and as they happen, all their videos of their operations that they're releasing on a daily basis and to air it on the internet.”
Many Canadian news outlets have accused Marouf of supporting extremism. Iranian journalist Marwa Osman said it was founded by Lebanese activists.
The people who founded it are members of Lebanese advocacy group Al-Tajammu.
In October, Al-Tajammu organized an online meeting of its coordinators in Europe, the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Australia to discuss the establishment of FPTV.
Al-Tajammu Secretary-General Yahya Ghaddar prefaced its launch by celebrating the Hamas attacks.
“God Almighty has granted the Qassam Brigades a tremendous victory,” said Ghaddar.
Ghaddar praised Iranian extremist group Mujahideen for targeting American military bases in Syria and Iraq. With assistance from Al-Tajammu’s support for terrorist groups, he said Israel will be eliminated and the US defeated.
Al-Tajammu North American coordinator Paul Larudee attended this meeting with various peace activists from the American far-left. Larudee said he would support this resistance with words and money.
“We support broadcasting efforts from the Lebanese-Palestinian border with all the resources we can,” said Larudee.
“We are confident that the Palestinian resistance, its advisors and supporters know what they are doing and are prepared for its consequences, and we wish them success.”
Al-Tajammu's network includes dozens of other members across Europe and North America and officials and members of known terrorist organizations such as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Houthis.
Middle East Forum analyst Michael Barak determined in 2021 Al-Tajammu had close involvement with Hezbollah.
The most cursory of searches shows that to be true today. In 2023, Iranian media reported Hezbollah Political Council Head Seyyed Ibrahim Al-Sayed attended an Al-Tajammu conference in Beirut.
Its other activities have been as extreme. Previous meetings have celebrated and mourned former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani and former Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri and have praised terrorist attacks where zionists were killed.
At FPTV’s launch at an Al-Tajammu meeting in October, Marouf appeared at home among these people. He responded to all the praise by asking its members for donations.
“We are all volunteers and work for Palestine and confront the Zionist enemy,” he said.
While it is based in Lebanon, it fundraises in developed countries. It held a fundraiser featuring indigenous leaders in Canada in December.
FPTV has been fundraising through the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC), which Marouf is involved with.
Former diversity and inclusion minister Ahmed Hussen said in 2022 the CMAC will no longer be working on an initiative for the Canadian government after it was discovered Marouf had made antisemitic remarks.
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“The antisemitic comments made by Laith Marouf are reprehensible and vile,” said Hussen.
“We have provided notice to the CMAC that their funding has been cut and their project has been suspended.”
Marouf could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
