Liberals Drop Former Imam As Candidate In Montreal Riding Over Comments Described As Anti-Semitic

The 'lack of sensitivity of these statements does not reflect my personality, nor my way of being. Since then, I have evolved,' Hassan Guillet said in a statement, SHARE

OTTAWA — The Liberal Party of Canada turfed one of its Montreal-area candidates Friday after a Jewish advocacy group unearthed a series of old statements Guillet made on social media about Israel and U.S. foreign policy.

Hassan Guillet, a former imam whose sermon at the funeral of worshippers murdered at a Quebec City mosque attracted international attention, will no longer be the Liberal candidate in the riding of Saint-Leonard-Saint-Michel, the party announced.

The Liberals said in a statement the comments made by Guillet, who is also an engineer, do not correspond to the party’s values.

“Justin Trudeau and the Liberal team are strongly opposed to anti-Semitic, hateful, racist, Islamophobic, homophobic, sexist remarks and any form of discrimination,” the party said. “The Liberal Party condemns all forms of discrimination, and we always expect our candidates to do the same.”

Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith said Friday it uncovered “a pattern of disturbing anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements” made by the candidate on social media that have since been removed
.