Toronto (March 6, 2020) – A vigorous advocacy effort by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) led to the cancellation of a Mississauga event last night featuring a speaker known for antisemitic and homophobic rhetoric.

Ustadh Daniel Haqiqatjou was scheduled to speak at Mississauga’s South Common Community Centre last night as well as today, but after FSWC reached out to Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie yesterday with details about the speaker’s hateful rhetoric, the event was cancelled.

In a follow-up letter to Mayor Crombie’s office this morning, FSWC wrote, “In a country that prides itself on embracing human rights, tolerance and multiculturalism, it is absolutely unacceptable that any person spewing hate and calling for murder should be speaking at a municipal community center. We thank the mayor and her team at the City of Mississauga for taking quick action and sending a clear message that hate speech is not welcome in our communities.”

Over the past year, Haqiqatjou has claimed that “Zionists control every level of US government” and that pro-Israel Jews are the world’s biggest promoters of pornography and “same-sex behaviours.” He also called on Muslim countries around the world to adopt a policy of punishing gays and lesbians by stoning them to death.

Earlier this week, an event at York University featuring Haqiqatjou was cancelled following active FSWC advocacy efforts.