The Muslim Association of Canada is set to host its annual Turning the Tides convention at the International Centre in Mississauga from May 17 to 19.
Included on its roster of speakers are a number of people who have openly espoused anti-Israel if not pro-Hamas views.
Among them is Ebrahim Rasool, who was recently ousted from his position as South African ambassador to the United States and kicked out of the country after suggesting President Donald Trump was "mobilizing a supremacism" and trying to "project white victimhood as a dog whistle."
Rasool, who Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to as a "race-baiting politician," has a long history of controversial views. In 2004, for example, during a rally in Cape Town protesting Israel's killing of Ahmed Yassin, Rasool praised the Hamas founder as "one of the greatest inspirations to Muslims."
According to South African-American political commentator Joel Pollak, while Rasool did not say anything "explicitly antisemitic" that day, a number of the people he shared the stage with spewed overt hatred of Jews.
One Muslim cleric cited the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and claimed Jews were trying to "corrupt the gentiles," while another called Israel a "filthy Jewish nation" with "filthy people."
Also slated to speak at the MAC event is Dr. Jasser Auda, who previously said he believed the war in Gaza is "part of a war against Islam as a religion and a civilization." He went on to suggest that Israel is "just a tool to actualize the imperialist interest of the white man's expansion and control."
According to Honest Reporting Canada, just days after Hamas' massacre of civilians on October 7, 2023, Auda signed a joint statement calling the terrorist group's actions "defensive jihad." He later defended the slaughter of Israelis as "a legitimate, sacred jihad."
Al Jazeera's manager of content strategy, Jamal Elshayyal, will also be on stage at the convention. He has a documented history of spreading misinformation about Israel.
On October 7, he described the attack as Hamas "capturing settlers who have been living in internationally recognized stolen land." As Honest Reporting Canada pointed out, however, the area where the massacre took place was, and is, internationally recognized as being part of Israel.
In another post on X, he claimed Hamas was only going after military targets, while Israel "carpet bombs civilian areas and has besieged 2 million people for 17 years."
The list of speakers also includes British commentator Sami Hamdi, who told people to "celebrate" Hamas' actions on October 7, and Shaun King, who has pushed the claim that Israel is committing "genocide."
The Muslim Association of Canada is a registered charity, and has received millions in funding from the Canadian government.
