Major Muslim NGO, the Global Imams Council, adopts the IHRA working definition of antisemitism

The Global Imams Council is an Iraq-based NGO of Shiite and Sunni clerics. 

In 2014 when ISIS invaded Iraq, the government invited Shia and Sunni Imams to be a religious-based counterbalance to ISIS extremist Islamism. After ISIS collapsed, the imams invited other councils of imams around the world to join, and the Global Imams Council was launched in 2018. It now has over 1,300 imams as members, all of whose mosques and organizations are expected to adhere to the rulings of the GIC.

This week, the Global Imams Council adopted the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, without any caveats, including its examples. This definition includes considering criticism of Israel that goes beyond normal criticisms of other countries to be antisemitic.

From the Global Imams Council press release:

 On Monday the 26's of October 2020, The Global Imams Council's Governing Board, Senior Imams Committee and Advisory Committee passed a unanimous vote to adopt the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. This was followed by an overwhelming majority vote by the general council of Imams and our members worldwide. The adoption of the following definition of Antisemitism: 

"Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." 

and all examples underneath it, by The Global Imams Council, will come into effect on Thursday the 29. of October 2020. 

This definition will be binding on all current and future members of The Global Imams Council; including all affiliate Mosques, Centers, Institutes and Organizations operated by the Imams of this council worldwide. 

We ask the Almighty to bring together the hearts of the Children of Abraham and to strengthen the bridges of peace, harmony, understanding and mutual respect. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing. 

The decision is another huge victory for Elan Carr, the Office of The U.S. Department of State’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, who spearheaded this effort. 

This would simply never have happened under the Obama or any potential Biden administration. 

Israel haters are incensed at the IHRA Working Definition, falsely claiming that it muzzles their ability to advocate for Palestinian rights. This is only true if one's idea of Palestinian rights necessitates the destruction of the Jewish state, which is in fact their real goal - they show very little concern for Palestinian rights in Lebanon, Jordan or Syria. 

When Muslim groups like the GIC or Muslim nations like Albania and Bahrain adopt the IHRA Working Definition, they are showing that they are the ones who truly support equal rights for all. None of them are anti-Palestinian, they support a Palestinian state, they support peace. Muslim acceptance of the IHRA exposes the socialist Left opponents of the definition as being modern antisemites who oppose the human and national rights of the Jewish people.  

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