Jewish group disappointed Montreal imams accused of hate speech won’t be charged

Sep 14, 2017 | 2:45 PM

MONTREAL — Two Islamic preachers accused of giving anti-Semitic sermons in 2014 won’t face charges, a spokesman for Quebec’s Crown prosecutor’s office said Thursday.

Jean-Pascal Boucher said the statute of limitations had expired and, therefore, the Crown will not proceed.

“The prosecutor responsible for the file conducted a careful analysis of the evidence,” he said. “And came to the conclusion that the statute of limitations had been reached and as a consequence, no charges will be brought in this case.”

The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) filed a criminal complaint with police in march 2017 after it discovered two videos online of Arabic sermons recorded at the Al-Andalous Islamic Center in Montreal in 2014.

CIJA alleged an imam in one video uttered anti-Semitic sentiments, and the group claimed a second video included a separate imam allegedly calling for the destruction of Jews.

“While we appreciate the thoughtfulness of the Crown and the investigation of the police, we are very, very disappointed,” said CIJA spokesman Martin Sampson.

The Al-Andalous Islamic Center released a statement in early 2017 in response to CIJA’s accusations.

The statement referenced one of the videos, and stated the imam’s intention “was not to call for the destruction of Jewish individuals or the elimination of this community. His wording was, however, tainted by an abusive generalization, and we consider that a serious mistake.”

Representatives of the mosque were unable to be reached Thursday.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press