How do ‘pro Palestine’ activists excuse hate speech by Muslim clerics?

We have spent some time writing about and investigating the events surrounding the Al Quds Day in Toronto on June 9.

This event has created controversy for many years, and concerns have been brought forward, not only with the speeches that were given, but also the attitude and signage of the participants.

Counter protesters recall small children walking past them, chanting ‘death to Israel’, while drawing their fingers across their throats.

This past June ninth rally was no different. When is hate speech considered hate speech? When are threatening gestures considered threatening?

During International Al Quds Day  held July 26, 2014 in Toronto , Shiite imam Asad Jafri delivered a speech in front of the American Consulate. The following are excerpts from Jafri’s speech:

“Al Quds rally in Toronto: “Your days are numbered” ; “Time of death is eminent” Credit: Dr Rachel Ehrenfeld, ACD

… first of all to the Zionist regime, we tell you very openly that your days are numbered… that we will see that day when you will be destroyed and until there is breath in our lungs and life in ourselves we will continue to chant ‘long live Palestine’. And we will not stop until that day, we will not stop until that day that we ourselves hammered the last nail in the coffin of Zionism. And your tombstone Zionism it will say that here lies Zionism, the establisher of injustice, the establisher of apartheid and the time of death is imminent, God willing. Our second group are the Palestinian people. Your resistance, your courage, your patience your perseverance, your sacrifice, is heard all over the world on this day of Al-Quds Day. We stand besides you. We stand in front of you. We stand behind you… You will see the destruction of Israel very soon. They are desperate, they are weak, they are losing their power…