Canada: Muslim Author Denounces Terrorism While Arguing Israeli Policies Fuel Islamist Extremism

Image: Jihad Watch

Under the pretext of condemning the Islamist terrorist attack that targeted Jews in Sydney, Australia, Globe & Mail columnist Sheema Khan used her platform to advance unsubstantiated accusations against Israel—claims that closely mirror narratives often invoked to rationalize or excuse anti-Jewish hatred and violence.

In her December 18 opinion piece titled “We have to confront what Ahmed al Ahmed fought on Bondi Beach,” Khan lauded the actions of Ahmed el Ahmed, a Syrian man who reportedly wrested a firearm away from one of the attackers. She praised his bravery as a moral exemplar, writing that he “embodied the Quranic teaching: ‘whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.’”

While the sentiment is commendable, it is worth noting that this ethical principle predates Islam and originates in the Jewish Talmud centuries earlier. Nevertheless, Khan framed el Ahmed’s actions as a model for Muslims worldwide, arguing that he represents what adherents of Islam should strive to be. She went on to stress that “Muslim communities must engage in, urgently: the fight against religious extremism,” adding that it is insufficient merely to celebrate el Ahmed’s courage. According to Khan, the community must also confront “who and what he fought against: a hateful, murderous ideology that is the very antithesis of Islam.”

Up to this point, such assertions are broadly appropriate and widely welcomed, particularly in the context of rising religious extremism and violence. However, the column soon took a troubling turn. Despite ostensibly denouncing Islamist terrorism, Khan introduced a suggestion that appeared to shift partial responsibility away from extremist ideology and toward Israeli government policies.

Immediately after condemning the attack, she wrote that “Australian authorities have yet to indicate if the attack was related to Israel’s violence against Palestinians.” This remark, inserted without evidence or substantiation, implied a possible causal link between Israeli actions and a terrorist assault against Jews in Australia—an implication that echoes a familiar and dangerous trope. Such framing risks legitimizing violence against Jewish communities by portraying them as proxies for geopolitical grievances, rather than unequivocal victims of terrorism motivated by extremist ideology.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)