Charity leader calls Jews 'grandchildren of monkeys, pigs', resigns

Khalifa resigned on Wednesday after The Times, which initially revealed the social media posts, approached IRW.

By TAMAR URIEL-BEERI
Islamic Relief Worldwide (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Islamic Relief Worldwide
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Heshmat Khalifa, a trustee and director of Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), resigned from his position after posts on his Facebook page were revealed in which he called Jews the "grandchildren of monkeys and pigs," according to The Times.
Khalifa, who chaired the Australian branch of the organization and directed branches in Germany and South Africa, saw his income vastly contributed to using funds from the United Nations, according to the report, even as he posted on social media in 2014 and 2015 that the Egyptian president is a "Zionist pimp."
Khalifa had also praised Hamas, calling it "the purest resistance movement in modern history." He later apologized for his remarks on social media, according to The Times, claiming that he did "not intend to insult the Jewish community" and does not "hold views which are antisemitic."
Khalifa resigned on Wednesday after The Times, which initially revealed the social media posts, approached IRW.
IRW chief executive Naser Haghamed told the Guardian that he was "appalled" at the "unacceptable" social media posts, and stated that the organization would be investigating "how we missed this particular case."
"We have to do everything in our capacity to make sure this does not happen again," he added, according to the Guardian. "Being a refugee, being black and being a Muslim, I have suffered all sorts of discrimination in my life. I know how it feels. I cannot accept that type of discrimination happening to any other community or any other individual. When I see something like this, it hurts me badly that it came from one of our trustees."
The UK's Charity Commission opened a compliance case with which IRW was cooperating, according to the report, as antisemitic commentary is "abhorrent" and has "no place in charity."
Israel banned IRW from the West Bank in 2014 after the organization was found to have direct ties with Hamas. The organization may not operate anywhere in Israel, nor may it transfer funds to anywhere in the region of Judea and Samaria.


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