Democrat Senator urges Egypt to release cleric who incited violence against Israeli tourists.

Senator Cardin Urges Release of Muslim Cleric Who Advocated Violence Against Israeli Tourists

Senator Ben Cardin (D., Md.) has ⁣made a bold request to the Egyptian government, ⁤calling for the release of a Muslim ⁢cleric who previously called for the murder of Israeli tourists. Interestingly, the⁤ imprisoned religious leader’s daughter-in-law⁢ happens to work on the senator’s staff.

This request from Cardin aligns with⁣ similar calls from other Democratic lawmakers, urging Egypt to release Salah Soltan, an elderly Muslim Brotherhood senior leader and U.S. green card holder. It is worth noting that Soltan’s son, Mohamed, has been actively lobbying and making political donations to Democratic causes, ⁣including Cardin’s campaign. Mohamed⁤ is married to Habiba Shebita, a⁢ legislative⁢ aide to Cardin.

Soltan, who was imprisoned in 2013 as‍ part of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s crackdown on the⁢ Muslim Brotherhood, has ​a history of making anti-Semitic statements and advocating violence. He has called for the ⁢murder of all Israeli tourists, propagated the false⁤ claim that Jews use Christian⁢ blood to make bread, and even suggested “obliterating America” in a ⁤holy war.

Despite Soltan’s troubling past, Cardin, ​who also serves as the special representative⁤ for anti-Semitism to‍ the Organization for Security and ‌Cooperation in Europe,‌ recently claimed that Soltan has ‌experienced a change of heart. Cardin urged el-Sisi to grant Soltan a presidential pardon so that he can be reunited with his family in‌ the United States. This plea was based ⁢on a letter written by Soltan, in which he apologized for ‍his previous anti-Semitic‌ positions and disavowed them.

In the letter, Soltan acknowledged that his⁣ defense of Palestinians was fueled by anger that turned​ into hate. He expressed deep regret for engaging in discriminatory, hateful, and violent rhetoric. Soltan also‍ highlighted the irony of being imprisoned by fellow Muslims while receiving support from Jewish ‌human rights lawyers and Christian politicians such as Senator Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.) and the⁣ late Senator John McCain⁣ (R., ⁣Ariz.).

It is‍ important to ⁤note that this ​letter represents ​a ⁣significant departure from Soltan’s long history of virulent anti-Semitism and calls for violence against Jews. In the past, he issued a fatwa ordering ⁤the ‌death of Israel’s ambassador and Israeli tourists ‍in ​Egypt. He also perpetuated the anti-Semitic trope of⁤ “blood libel,” falsely claiming that Jews use the blood of Christians to make bread during Passover.

Soltan’s⁣ children have been‍ actively⁢ involved in donating​ to Democratic‌ lawmakers and advocating for ⁣their father’s release. Habiba Shebita, Soltan’s daughter-in-law, has been working as a legislative⁢ aide to Cardin ‍since October. Senator ⁢Chris Coons‍ (D., Del.) even added an amendment to ⁢a⁢ State Department ‌appropriations bill, requiring consideration of Soltan’s case as a condition for‍ foreign aid to Egypt.

Democratic senators on‍ the Foreign Relations Committee have expressed concern about Soltan’s health struggles in prison and have ​called for his release⁢ and ‍immediate access ‍to medical care. These concerns were shared on Twitter and coincided with significant campaign ‌donations made by Soltan’s son, Mohamed, to Democratic politicians, including President Joe Biden and Representative Don Beyer (D., Va.).

Senator Cardin has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.