Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, currently the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has come under scrutiny for his ties to a controversial Muslim cleric, Asad Zaman.
Zaman, a member of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, has been found to have publicly supported a Hamas attack on Israel and promoted a film that glorifies Adolf Hitler.
These revelations, uncovered by the Washington Examiner, have raised questions about Walz's judgement and associations.
According to the Washington Examiner, Zaman has been involved in multiple events with Walz. In May 2023, Zaman was among Muslim leaders who met with Walz's gubernatorial office to discuss mosque security. He also spoke at an event in May 2020, calling for peaceful protests alongside the governor during the Minnesota riots that followed George Floyd's death. In April 2019, Zaman delivered an invocation before Walz's state address, and earlier that year, he had called for an end to a government shutdown at a press conference with Walz. Zaman was also present at a Ramadan event hosted by Walz in May 2019.
These connections could pose a significant challenge for Walz as he campaigns with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. This news follows a recent report by the Washington Free Beacon that revealed Walz's participation in a 2019 event with an antisemitic scholar who has defended terrorism against Israel.
Zaman, originally from Bangladesh, publicly declared his solidarity with Palestinians against Israeli attacks on October 7 last year, the same day that 1,200 Israelis were murdered by Hamas terrorists. He also shared a Palestinian flag on Facebook in response to a post by Yusuf Abdi Abdulle, director of the Islamic Association of North America, who claimed that the Biden-Harris administration was "on the wrong side of history" for supporting "the extremist Zionist regime and its illegal settlements."
Over the years, Zaman has used his Facebook page to share official Hamas press releases, antisemitic blog posts, and even a link to a pro-Hitler film called The Greatest Story Never Told. The Anti-Defamation League has identified this film as a favorite among antisemites and QAnon conspiracy influencers.
A spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League told the Washington Examiner, "Imam Zaman has a troubling history of playing into classic anti-Jewish themes and justifying violence against Israel." The spokesperson also urged public officials and leaders to avoid meeting with Zaman in the future, and for those who have met with him to clarify that they do not agree with his views about Jews and the Jewish state.
Zaman's controversial statements include a response to Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) condemning the October 7 attack, in which he asked the congresswoman if she would be willing to "reaffirm the right of Palestinians to defend themselves." The Muslim American Society of Minnesota also released a statement on October 7, reaffirming its "unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli occupation."
Zaman has also appeared to equate Hamas's acts of terrorism with Israel's self-defense. State records reviewed by the Washington Examiner show that Walz's administration has awarded over $100,000 in funding to the Muslim American Society of Minnesota.
Sam Westrop, a terrorism researcher and analyst at the Middle East Forum think tank, expressed concern about Walz's ties to Zaman. He told the Washington Examiner, "It is astounding that with all the available public reporting and information about the iniquities of Imam Asad Zaman and MAS Minnesota that Gov. Walz has repeatedly given public platforms and taxpayer money to this extremist."
The Muslim American Society was described by federal prosecutors as the "overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States," according to court records. The society, which was designated as a terrorist group by the United Arab Emirates in 2014, came under fire in 2019 after a video surfaced online of children at an event held by its Philadelphia chapter calling for the murder of Jews.
Neither Walz's office nor Minnesota's Muslim American Society responded to requests for comment. This lack of response leaves unanswered questions about Walz's judgement and his potential influence in a Harris-Walz administration. It also raises concerns about the potential for anti-Israel extremists to be given a platform in such an administration.
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