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B’nai Brith Canada applauds Germany for expelling an extremist Iranian cleric, while lamenting Canada's lack of action on a terrorist residing in our country.
Cleric Sayed Soleiman Mousavifar was given an expulsion order and also served with an entry and residence ban that would result in up to three years imprisonment should he return to Germany.
German authorities indicated that Mousavifar, who was also the deputy head of the Islamic Centre of Hamburg, shared extremist videos on social media. He was also linked by authorities to fundraising for banned terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah. German elected officials said fundraising for terrorist entities represents a serious national security threat.
“Germany’s action in this case is similar to its 2020 expulsion of Khaled Barakat, a senior member of the terrorist-designated Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP),” said Marvin Rotrand, National Director of B’nai Brith’s League for Human Rights. “Yet, inexplicably, Barakat has been residing for two years now in Canada with no one reacting to the threat he represents here in our country. Will other terrorist supporters like Mousavifar also find a home in Canada?”
"Our efforts to have Barakat deported from Canada have fallen on deaf ears, despite his expulsion from both Germany and the United States," said Michael Mostyn, B'nai Brith's Chief Executive Officer. "While Germany has taken decisive action to remove security threats like Barakat and Mousavifar, Barakat continues to fly under the radar of Canadian authorities, despite his leadership role in the PFLP."
Earlier this year the Hamburg Shura Council, which represents more than 40 mosques and other Islamic institutions in Hamburg region, removed Mousavifar's Islamic Centre of Hamburg from its Board of Directors, linking it to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Contributed by Monte Friesner – Financial Crime Analyst 
Chronicles of Monte Friesner – Financial Intelligence Analyst (Canada)
Submitted by B'Nai Brith (Canada)
