Newly resurfaced video shows Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris, praising Imam Asad Zaman, a Muslim cleric who has shared pro-Hitler propaganda and celebrated the anniversary of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Governor Tim Walz, D-Minn., is facing fresh controversy after a resurfaced 2018 video showed him praising a Muslim cleric, who once shared a pro-Hitler propaganda film and celebrated Oct. 7, as a "master teacher."
In the video, recorded at an event hosted by Imam Asad Zaman's group, the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, then-gubernatorial candidate Walz said, "I am a teacher, so when I see a master teacher, I know it. Over the time we’ve spent together, one of the things I’ve had the privilege of is seeing the things in life through the eye of a master teacher, to try and get the understanding."
Governor Tim Walz's Ties to Controversial Muslim Cleric Raise Concerns
Zaman, the Imam of the Bloomington mosque, has used his Facebook page to share official Hamas press releases, blog posts from antisemitic sites and a 2015 link to a pro-Hitler film, "The Greatest Story Never Told." Zaman also posted on Oct. 7 that he and his organization "stands in solidarity with Palestinians against Israeli attacks."
Despite Walz referring to having spent time with Zaman, the Harris-Walz campaign told Fox News' Mike Tobin, "Gov. Walz does not have a relationship with [Zaman]," and "strongly condemns Hamas terrorism."
Governor Tim Walz's Ties to Controversial Muslim Cleric Raise Concerns
However, this was not Walz and Zaman’s only public appearance together. According to Tobin, the two appeared together multiple times in 2019 and 2020, including Zaman delivering an invocation to the state of the state address and calling for calm in the George Floyd riots.
Critics have accused Walz of being willfully ignorant of Zaman's radicalism, alleging that he relies on the Arab or Muslim voting bloc and fears being labeled Islamophobic.
Governor Tim Walz's Ties to Controversial Muslim Cleric Raise Concerns
"This is a serious problem," said Sam Westrop of The Middle East Forum. "Under a Walz-Harris ticket, given Walz's ability to embrace really just the worst kind of radicals within the Muslim community, one can only imagine this will be replicated at the White House level. Walz clearly doesn't want to know about the extremists he embraces."
Walz’s administration has also donated over $100,000 to Zaman's group, according to state records reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
Governor Tim Walz's Ties to Controversial Muslim Cleric Raise Concerns
The Muslim American Society is a chapter of the Muslim American Society (MAS), which the United Arab Emirates designated a terrorist group in 2014. MAS faced criticism in 2019 when a video emerged of children at a Philadelphia chapter event calling for Jewish people to be killed.
Federal prosecutors have described the MAS as "founded as the overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S.," according to court records.
The controversy surrounding Walz's ties to Zaman has raised concerns about his judgment and suitability for higher office. Critics argue that his association with a radical cleric undermines his credibility and raises the specter of Islamism in American politics.
The Harris-Walz campaign has defended Walz's record on fighting terrorism, pointing to his work with law enforcement and his support for the Muslim community. However, the controversy is likely to continue to dog Walz as he seeks to ascend to the national stage.
