By: Junisha Dama
Pamela Geller, an American blogger who writes for the anti-Islamic website, The Geller Report will be talking about fighting islamization in the West on December 18 in Toronto.
The event, which will take place at Canada Christian College, is being organized by the Jewish Defense League (JDL).
The National Council of Canadian Muslims’ executive director, Ihsaan Gardee said his group opposes Geller’s visit to Toronto.
“Her inflammatory commentary about Muslims is filled with misinformation, stereotypes and helps to spread hatred, mistrust and division. It is our hope that elected officials, interfaith allies and all Canadians of conscience will speak out against this message.”
Geller’s talk comes after the movie Killing Europe premiered on December 3 at the Toronto Zionist Centre, at an another event organized by the JDL and Act for Canada. The movie portrayed all migrant Muslims as violent and reportedly received a standing ovation.
Geller has been identified as a leading figure in the islamophobia movement by organizations including the Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC). The International Business Times reported that Geller was named as the world’s top islamophobe by researchers, a title she proudly announced on her website.
Geller’s also the co-founder of Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), which was inspired by the European anti-Muslim group Stop Islamization of Europe (SIOE). She has an online following of over two million and is known to be a far-right social media influencer.
Geller was previously prevented from entering the United Kingdom in 2013, where she planned to attend a march by the far-right English Defence League.
“She is not to be given credibility,” said Bernie Farber, human rights activist and former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress.
According to the JDL’s website, she will be interviewed one-on-one by Ezra Levant from The Rebel, a far-right political news site. There’s also an exclusive “meet Pamela” dinner being organized for December 17, tickets for which are being sold at $180 per person.
“I’m not surprised by the JDL,” said Farber, stressing that the group is notoriously known to promote anti-Islamic dialogue.
Farber said the JDL was formed in 1968 in New York City to protect Jews, but it changed into an organization that uses “racist tropes and operates outside of the Jewish community.”
A Quebec-based organization Groupe de recherché sur l’extrême droite et ses allié-e-s is campaigning to deny Geller entry into Canada. They’ve written an open-letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, immigration minister Ahmed D. Hussen and Minister of Public Safety, Ralph Goodale.
Farber said banning Geller from the country would be a reasonable thing to do. “I believe Canada is well within its rights to ban her from entry,” he said.
No statements have been made by the City of Toronto or the provincial government about the event.
“If she or other speakers make statements that cross that threshold it is our hope and expectation that law enforcement would take appropriate steps,” said Gardee.
Humber News repeatedly tried to contact the JDL for comment, but did not get a response.