Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) appeared several times with a local Muslim leader who has justified Hamas terrorist violence against Israel and once shared a pro-Hitler film on social media, according to the Washington Examiner.
The Examiner‘s Gabe Kaminsky reported on Friday that Asad Zaman of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota was a frequent Walz guest and gave an invocation in 2019 before Walz gave his annual “state of the state” speech.
Kaminsky reported that some of Zaman’s radical opinions were public before Walz was elected in 2018:
Zaman, meanwhile, has used his Facebook page over the years to share official Hamas press releases, blog posts on antisemitic websites slamming Jews, and, in one 2015 instance, a link to a piece on a website for a pro-Hitler film called The Greatest Story Never Told. The propaganda movie was released in 2013 and is a favorite among antisemites and QAnon conspiracy influencers, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Some of his radical opinions emerged in recent months, following his extensive association with Walz as governor:
Zaman, who is from Bangladesh, said on Oct. 7 of last year that he “stands in solidarity with Palestinians against Israeli attacks.” That day, which saw 1,200 Israelis murdered by Hamas terrorists, he also shared an image of a Palestinian flag on Facebook in response to a post by Yusuf Abdi Abdulle, director of the Islamic Association of North America, declaring that “Palestine has the right to defend itself.” The Biden-Harris administration, Abdulle wrote in the post, was “on the wrong side of history” in “supporting the extremist Zionist regime and its illegal settlements.”
The statement Zaman posted on October 7, which came from the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, did not condemn Hamas terrorism. It did not even mention Hamas. Instead, it encouraged “Arab and Muslim nations with normalized relations with Israel to reconsider their stance,” meaning they should end peaceful relations with Israel.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which normally sides with Democrats, urged public officials to distance themselves from Zaman:
“He also has justified violence against Israel, including from terror groups,” the ADL spokesperson said. “Given his hurtful remarks post-Oct. 7, and absent any recognition of the pain he has caused the Jewish community, we urge all public officials and leaders to avoid meeting with him in the future. Those who have met with Imam Zaman should clarify that they don’t agree with his toxic views about Jews and the Jewish state.”
Walz was chosen over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, triggered opposition among some Democrats.
Update: Kaminsky noted that Walz’ administration awarded Zaman’s group, the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, some $100,000 in state grants.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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