Al-quds Day is antithetical to Islam
On April 24, there was an anti-israel rally in downtown Toronto, at which participants could be heard shouting “God is great” after it was announced that Israel had been hit by two rockets. Such hate-filled events are not uncommon in Toronto, as we witness every year at the Al-quds Day parade. As a practising Muslim observing the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan — which is about contemplation, reflection and the renewal of our ethics and morals — I feel I must speak out.
Al-quds Day is an annual international event that is held on the last Friday of Ramadan and was instituted by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. The event has been taking place in Toronto for many years, despite protests over the hatefilled rhetoric and incitement toward violence that always accompanies the rally. This year, it is scheduled to take place on April 29. Before the mayhem takes to the streets of Toronto, some reflection is in order.
First of all, conflict is prohibited during the month of Ramadan, as it is a time when hate, revenge, anger and rage are to be subdued. Thus, orchestrating an event that is nothing but a hate fest is totally against the essence of Ramadan.
Secondly, while some people believe they are following a legal edict by an ayatollah, according to many learned scholars, there is no official clergy in Islam. Muslims believe in a direct connection with the Almighty, without the need for an intercessor.
The ayatollahs and mullahs who take it upon themselves to impose their ideas on the Muslim masses are not divine and neither are they “sanctioned” by Islam. They are not in a position to promote violence and hate against anyone. In fact, Islam promotes knowledge, debate and discussion.
The Prophet Muhammad advised Muslims to attain knowledge even if you have to go to China (China at that time being considered the farthest point). Muslims are also told that if you possess knowledge and do not share it, you are like a donkey carrying a burden of books. The ayatollahs and mullahs who perpetuate Al-quds Day are like the donkey, because they don’t share knowledge, but only incite divisions.
Whatever the issues about the conflict in the Middle East, and granted there may be more than a few, they need to be discussed civilly and respectfully, as is being done through the Abraham Accords. If the issues are specifically about Israel, then the streets of Toronto are not the place to show hate and disrespect, which is what happens at Al-quds Day rallies.
I speak from personal experience, having observed the Al-quds Day rally at Toronto’s Queen’s Park a few years ago. I was shocked that it was allowed to take place on government property. While I support freedom of expression for everyone, the Al-quds Day rally was nothing but undiluted hate being spouted by speaker after speaker.
In May 2021, I wrote an article in this newspaper about violence perpetrated against two young people, warning that the roots of antisemitism are based on hate and if hate-fests are allowed to take place on our streets, then we are headed in the wrong direction.
After it was published, I received a message from a member of the Sufi Centre, which I had attended for many years, saying that they were “Not happy at all with your recent article about Israel and Palestine. You are not one of us.” The stench of antisemitism was strong.
I was shocked and dismayed at this veiled threat (you have to be part of the faith to understand the underlying implication, the results of which can be life-threatening). What was more astonishing was that it came from the Sufis. Sufism is the mystic path of Islam that is known for tolerance, moderation and inclusivity.
I wrote repeatedly to the sheik, explaining that the Jews who were being targeted on the streets were our colleagues, neighbours, friends, doctors and business partners. If Muslims in Canada have bought into the “Islamophobia” rhetoric in a big way, should there not be the same reciprocity when other communities are targeted?
I got no response. Statistics tell us that antisemitic incidents are on the rise in Canada and around the world. Antisemitism thrives on hate, so if there is hate being spouted on our streets, shouldn’t our government take notice and do something about it?
THE STREETS OF TORONTO ARE NOT THE PLACE TO SHOW HATE AND DISRESPECT.