Tim Walz, while running for governor of Minnesota, praised a Muslim cleric known for promoting a pro-Adolf Hitler film, calling him a “master teacher” who had imparted valuable lessons during their time together. Disturbing footage from a 2018 event was recently unearthed by the Washington Examinerhighlighting Walz's alarming ties to Asad Zaman, the controversial imam of the American Muslim Society of Minnesota.
The news comes after a spokesperson for Kamala Harris' campaign said in a statement Friday that Walz has “no personal relationship” with Zaman. That denial came in response to reports detailing how Walz, now the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, had repeatedly hosted the imam at various events during his tenure as governor. At several of these events, Zaman was given the platform to speak alongside Walz.
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At the February 16, 2018 event hosted by the Muslim American Society at the South Metro Islamic Center in Rosemount, Minnesota, Walz expressed his admiration for Zaman. “I'm a teacher, so when I see a master teacher, I know it. During our time together, one of the things I've been privileged to do is see things in life through the eyes of a master teacher, to try to understand each other,” Walz said. He then spoke of a previous attack on the Dar al Farooq Islamic Center, quoting Zaman as saying, “In those times is where we find who we are, in those times is where we really see.”
Walz continued, “This brings me to the second lesson the imam taught me,” describing how Congress “feeds on fear rather than hope” and “division.” He praised Zaman's advice to “go and talk to people”, casting himself as a staunch opponent of what he called the “demonisation of Islam” and “immigrants”. According to Walz, Zaman was right to highlight the presence of Islamophobia and hatred.
However, Zaman's troubling story cannot be overlooked. On October 7, 2023, he expressed his “solidarity with the Palestinians against Israeli attacks”, even though Hamas terrorists had just murdered 1,200 Israelis. His organization, which has a history of controversy, including a 2019 incident in which children at one of its events called for the killing of Jews, issued a statement reaffirming its “unwavering support for the Palestinian people in the their struggle against the Israeli occupation”.
Zaman's social media activities further reveal his extremist leanings. In 2015, he shared a link to an article promoting a pro-Hitler film titled The greatest story ever told. In 2016, it released an official Hamas press release mourning the death of an Islamist leader convicted of war crimes.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has condemned Zaman, noting his “troubling record of playing on classic anti-Jewish themes and justifying violence against Israel”. The ADL urged public officials to distance themselves from him, stating, “Given his hurtful statements after Oct. 7, and in the absence of acknowledgment of the pain he has caused the Jewish community, we urge all officials and public leaders to avoid meeting with him in the future Those who have met with Imam Zaman should make it clear that they do not agree with his toxic views about Jews and the Jewish state “.
Records reveal that under the Walz administration, Minnesota awarded more than $100,000 in funding to Zaman's organization. Spokespeople for Walz and Harris have remained silent, not responding to requests for comment.
This piece was written by the LifeZette News Staff on August 14, 2024. It originally appeared on LifeZette and used with permission.
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