Why do I continue to share these media inquiries to the Toronto Star with you? Because I hope to bring to the forefront the true meaning of #FakeNews all over mainstream media (MSM); the omission of relevant facts. I believe that this is the point of President Trump’s constant attack on MSM regarding Fake News. Yes, all media outlets at some point make mistakes. A statement is proven incorrect and honest media outlets will share that information and apologize.
But #FakeNews is more insidious. You don’t know what you don’t know, to paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld. The greatest experiment in #FakeNews came during the 2016 American elections. MSM left out important facts about the Republicans. The MSM was sure that Hillary was going to win and so it came as a shock-to the “journalists” themselves, let alone the millions of people who relied on them to report the news, when Hillary lost. They had not done their job. They had not covered the story. And when Hillary lost they couldn’t believe it and so came the Russian conspiracy that the main stream media continue to share; that Trump only won by cheating, when we have since learned that the Democratic Party paid for the fake dossier. How many on the left know about the facts behind that dossier?
When the mainstream media take on biased views, when they refuse to report facts that don’t agree with their perspective, which in and of itself is gross unethical journalism, the populace suffers, terribly. Divisions in the population grow wider.
Here are two more important questions that the #FakeNews Toronto Star continue to avoid answering.
Why did Toronto Star ignore the THIRD supplication recited by Elkasrawy in which he asks Allah to destroy whoever wishes ill to Islam and Muslims in the same manner Allah annihilated rebellious communities?
Why did Toronto Star ignore Shaykh Abdool Hamid’s supplications that contain similar messages to Elkasrawy’s prayers?
On October 22, 2017, the Toronto Star dedicated four pages, including its front page, to an attempt to exonerate Ayman Elkasrawy, an imam at “Masjid Toronto” mosque, from anti-Jewish and anti-infidel prayers during Ramadan 2016. It is filled with errors in fact and the gross omission of facts.
The article was written by Jennifer Yang and approved by Kathy English, the Star’s public editor.
I have sent numerous media inquiries to the Publisher, John Boynton; Bob Hepburn media inquiries; Kathy English and Jennifer Yang. None have responded.
In her article Jennifer Yang wrote: “[The] context is key in determining the appropriate translation.”
The Toronto Star claimed that Lt.Col. (Ret) Jonathan Halevi’s translation of Ayman Elkasrawy’s prayers at Masjid Toronto mosque was “propaganda”, “mistranslated”, “decontextualized”, “disingenuous” and/ or “slanted translation.”
In previous articles ( search Toronto Star Fake News on my website) I showed in detail that Jonathan Halevi’s translation was accurate and supported by authoritative Islamic sources, including Canadian. I also exposed that the Toronto Star ignored Elkasrawy’s social media posts on antisemitism, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, ISIS and the jihad that uncover his views and mindset at the time he recited the prayers in Masjid Toronto mosque.
The Toronto Star also disregarded other relevant information that may help understand the context of Elkasrawy’s prayers. In the article in question, Jonathan Halevi added the translation of other prayers recited in the mosque that contain similar messages.
Here is an excerpt from the Halevi article:
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims
And humiliate the polytheism, the polytheists, the infidels and the atheists
And Give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah
O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere
O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet
And give them victory over the disbelieving people
And give them victory over the evildoers
And give them victory over the criminals
The sermon that was delivered by Shaykh Abdool Hamid was published on YouTube on July 8, 2016. He recited similar supplications at Masjid Toronto mosque also on:
June 6, 2016 (click HERE)
December 11, 2015 (click HERE)
November 13, 2015 (click HERE)
August 14, 2015 (click HERE)
June 12, 2015 (click HERE)
May 13, 2015 (click HERE)
May 8, 2015 (click HERE)
January 8, 2016 (click HERE)
Moreover, responding to the Toronto Star’s media inquiry, Jonathan Halevi sent to Jennifer Yang the translation of a THIRD supplication recited by Ayman Elkasrawy that was not included in his original article. In this supplication Elkasrawy asked Allah to “destroy” “those who wish ill for Islam and Muslims” in the same way Allah annihilated other communities that refused to follow the teachings of the prophets. Elkasrawy’s THIRD prayer enhanced the message of his two other prayers in which he asked Allah to “slay them one by one and spare not one of them.”
Ayman Elkasrawy (July 2016):
[O Allah], give us victory over the disbelieving people… O Allah, give victory to Islam and raise the standing of Muslims. O Allah, give victory to Islam and raise the standing of Muslims. [O Allah], as for those who wish ill for Islam and Muslims, restrain them by their neck and destroy them as you destroyed [the peoples of ]ʿĀd and Thamud [ancient peoples that perished by Allah because they didn’t heed the warnings of the prophets].
O Allah! We ask you… [to give us] victory over the enemies. O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims. O Allah! Give victory (help) to your oppressed slaves all over the world, east to west. O Allah! Give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah, O the Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Destroy the criminals. O Allah! Destroy anyone who inflicts injustice on your slaves, O the Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Count their number; slay them one by one and spare not one of them. O Allah! Do not defer [it] from them. O Allah! Seize them with the seizure of One Mighty, Omnipotent [referring to a Quranic verse that deals with the punishment Allah inflicted on Pharaoh and his people].
[O Allah!] Give us victory over the disbelieving people… O Allah! Give victory to Islam and raise the standing the Muslims. And humiliate the polytheism and polytheists. O Allah! Give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah, O the Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Give them victory over the criminal people. O Allah! Destroy anyone who killed Muslims. O Allah! Destroy anyone who displaced the sons of the Muslims. O Allah! Count their number; slay them one by one and spare not one of them. O Allah! Purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews! O Allah! Purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews!
In addition, Jonathan Halevi provided Yang with the translation of the supplications of imams Mostafa Hanout and Shaykh Abdool Hamid in the Masjid Toronto mosque.
Here is an excerpt from Halevi’s email to Yang on July 25, 2017:
The following are the supplications recited at Masjid Toronto that deal with non-Muslims:
Mostafa Hanout (July 2016):
O Allah give victory to the oppressed Muslims everywhere. O Allah give victory to the oppressed Muslims everywhere. O Allah help them in Palestine, help them in Syria, help them in Burma. Help them in any place in which they are treated unjustly, O Lord of the Worlds… O Allah don’t give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (July 8, 2016):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (June 6, 2016):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere, in Syria, Libya, Jordan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and in other countries in the world. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet. And give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (May 13, 2016):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad). O Allah! Give victory (help) to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shakyh Abdool Hamid (January 8, 2016):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (December 11, 2015):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (November 13, 2015):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (August 14, 2015):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (July 10, 2015):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (June 12, 2015):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet. And give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
Shaykh Abdool Hamid (May 8, 2015):
O Allah! Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims and humiliate the polytheism [identified by Muslim scholars also as Christianity], the infidels and the atheists, and give victory (help) to your slaves who believe in the oneness of Allah. O Allah! Give victory to our oppressed and deprived Muslim brothers and the mujahideen (those who engage in jihad) everywhere. O Allah! Pour on them patience and steadfast their feet and give them victory over the disbelieving people and give them victory over the evildoers and give them victory over the criminals.
I often wonder what is going on in the minds of these people at the Toronto Star. Why do they refuse to respond to fair questions?
From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”
