In the past two weeks alone, MEMRI has documented and translated a number of antisemitic and extremist sermons and statements, in the U.S. and throughout the world.
At the Islamic Center of Jersey City in Jersey City, Imam Aymen Elkasaby told worshippers that Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque is "under the feet of apes and pigs" and, in another sermon, that the Jews had carried out the November 2017 Sinai mosque attack in which over 300 were killed.
Following the publication of MEMRI TV clips and a MEMRI report on the sermons, New Jersey Sen. Corey Booker wrote to the center's president about his "anguish concerning the[se] abhorrent remarks... concerning our Jewish brothers and sisters," urging him to "unconditionally denounce" the statements." Islamic Center President Ahmed Shedeed said that Imam Elkasaby would receive "retraining" and added that there was "no place" at the center for "hatred and violence." It was announced today the imam has been suspended without pay and will undergo "training."
At a rally in New York's Times Square, New Jersey imam Mohammad Qatanani called for a new intifada, while a local leader of Students for Justice in Palestine said "Every inch of Palestine is Palestinian land" and "We want to see Israel fall within our lifetime" – to which the crowd responded, "Oh, Jews, the army of Muhammad will return."
In Sweden, protestors opposed to President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital called for shooting Jews – just before a synagogue in the country was firebombed.
A sermon at an Amman, Jordan mosque included the statement that "nothing will resolve the struggle [with the Zionists] but the sword."
MEMRI research has also exposed extremists Imams in California, Tennessee, Canada, Denmark, and elsewhere, leading to arrests.
We are reaching out to you, a valued reader of MEMRI, since, as you know, this research is both labor-intensive and costly to maintain. Please help us ensure that we have the resources we need to continue conducting and distributing our content in the coming year.
Specifically, we want to appeal to you, as a subscriber to our Antisemitism Documentation Project – the Tom Lantos Archives on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial – to help us sustain this project in the year ahead. If you have already responded to our end-of-year fundraising campaign, we would like to express our gratitude; if you have not yet done so, we hope you will consider making a donation at this time.
The MEMRI Antisemitism Documentation Project Maintains The World's Largest Archives Of Translated Antisemitic Content From The Arab And Muslim World
The Archives, founded in 1998, are the repository for MEMRI's monitoring, translation, and analysis on antisemitism and Holocaust denial in the Arab and Muslim world – and are the largest such archives.
The late Nobel laureate, author, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said of MEMRI's research on antisemitism and the Middle East: "Thanks only to the tireless efforts of the invaluable Middle East Media Research Institute, we know the true extent to which Holocaust denial has grown in the media in the Middle East and among Islamist as well as in other Muslim circles…. MEMRI is the only organization in the world translating and documenting this horrific phenomenon."
MEMRI Sharpens The Focus On Persistent Antisemitism Worldwide – And Prompts Authorities To Take Steps Against It
MEMRI research has and continues to have a tremendous impact – for example in Europe, where antisemitism, racism, and Holocaust denial are fought by means of legislation. Broadcasting by Arab and Iranian TV channels, including Al-Sahar (Iran), Al-Manar (Lebanon/Hizbullah), Al-Aqsa (Hamas), and Iqraa TV (Saudi Arabia) has been stopped in Europe after MEMRI exposed their incitement and extremism. Other media outlets in the Arab world have been forced to tone down their antisemitic discourse as a result of MEMRI research.
At the U.S. Capitol, nearly every year, MEMRI holds a unique bipartisan event at which its latest antisemitism research is released; these events are attended by senior Congressional and executive branch leaders. Distinguished speakers and contributors at past events have included Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Members of Congress John McCain, John Kerry, Paul Ryan, and others; and many more. Other participants have included representatives of the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Endowment for Democracy.
Abroad, the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights, UNESCO's director-general, the European Union, the European Parliament, the British Parliament, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Germany Foreign Ministry, and many others rely on MEMRI's resources. Recently, the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel expressed its gratitude to MEMRI for providing access to the Archives, which the director said had "significantly elevated the educational quality" of the institution's online training on antisemitism.
Please Support MEMRI's Archives On Antisemitism And Holocaust Denial
This vital research cannot be sustained without your generous support. A donation today is tax-deductible for 2017. You may donate online and, when you do, please consider establishing a recurring, monthly gift via credit card or PayPal to help us minimize costs and plan for the future. Or, you may mail a check to MEMRI at P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837. We hope you will be a part of the Archive's important work for years to come.
In gratitude for your consideration,
