Leader of Britain’s largest Muslim charity quits after labelling Jews ‘grandchildren of monkeys and pigs’ and calling Egypt’s president a ‘Zionist pimp’ in anti-Semitic Facebook posts
- Heshmat Khalifa said Jews are ‘grandchildren of monkeys and pigs’ on Facebook
- Mr Khalifa described Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as a ‘Zionist pimp’
- After being confronted with the Facebook posts he apologised and resigned
- Posts were written between 2013 and 2015 but came to light last night
The leader of Britain’s largest Muslim charity has quit after putting anti-Semitic posts on social media.
Heshmat Khalifa , a former trustee and director of Islamic Relief Worldwide, said the Jews are ‘grandchildren of monkeys and pigs.’
Mr Khalifa also described Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as a ‘Zionist pimp’ on his Facebook page, as reported by The Times.
And he called the Muslim president – who ousted President Morsi in July 2013 – a ‘pimp son of the Jews’ and a ‘Zionist criminal’.
There were other posts on his page, written in Arabic, that promoted the work of the charity that has 100 offices in 40 countries worldwide. His Facebook page has now been taken down.
Heshmat Khalifa meeting the Princess Royal at an event. He has now resigned from Islamic Relief
An image depicting President el-Sisi from one of Mr Khalifa’s anti-Semitic Facebook posts
The 63-year-old had been with the charity since 1999 and has held a number of senior roles within the organisation which over the past five years has an annual income of £570million.
Islamic Relief is one of the largest Muslim charities in the world and on it’s website says its mission is to ‘enable people to respond rapidly to disasters and fight poverty through our Islamic values, expertise and global reach.’
The charity is currently running a number high-profile appeals currently for funds to help those impacted by the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, as well as the ongoing issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Khalifa – who until recently was Chairman of Islamic Relief Australia – also used social media to described Hamas as ‘the purest resistance movement in modern history’.
The Charity Commission has now opened a compliance case into Islamic Relief.
Mr Khalifa (pictured right) – who until recently was Chairman of Islamic Relief Australia – also used social media to described Hamas as ‘the purest resistance movement in modern history’
Mr Khalifa resigned after he was confronted with the posts by The Times. He said that he was sorry for publishing the posts on social media and he regrets his actions.
He said: ‘I did not intend to insult the Jewish community and neither do I hold views which are antisemitic.
‘I have dedicated much of my life’s work to promoting tolerance and freedom of religion and beliefs.’
Islamic Relief told the newspaper that the Facebook posts, which were made between 2013 and 2015, ‘contravene the values and principles of Islamic Relief Worldwide’.
The organisation added: ‘Heshmat Khalifa has resigned from the board of trustees of Islamic Relief Worldwide with immediate effect.
‘He will also play no further part in any other Islamic Relief boards.
‘We reject and condemn terrorism and believe all forms of discrimination — including antisemitism — are unacceptable.’