Earlier this month, Anti-War Committee Chicago organizer Shabbir Rizvi was filmed teaching the slogans “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” in Farsi to a group of 80 activists in Chicago. Rivzi’s background is troubling when it comes to his documented support for anti-Iran and anti-Israel views.
The Free Press The story first broke about Rizvi’s sloganeering during a breakout session at an event in which 300 activists from across the country gathered to plan protests to disrupt the Democratic National Convention in August. The crowd reportedly applauded hours later when another activist shared the news that the Islamic Republic of Iran had attacked Israel, launching more than 300 bomb-carrying Shaheed drones and ballistic missiles into its airspace .
in the video Shown by the Free Press, Rivzi said that “marg barg” could mean either “to put to death, or to put down”, while previously laughingly saying “it depends on who’s asking. “
Before videos of Rizvi’s “Death to America” chants hit the Internet, the self-proclaimed anti-war activist was a regular contributor to Iran press tv and an outlet called Al Mayadeen. David Daoud, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, spoke to Fox News Digital about these outlets’ ties to Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Shabbir Rivzi is seen teaching activists the chants “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in Farsi. (free Press)
“Press TV is a well-known Iranian mouthpiece,” Daoud said, noting that its US website was seized along with 32 other sites in June 2021. US Department of Justice, He said it “targeted the United States with disinformation campaigns and malicious influence campaigns.”
Rizvi promoted this anti-Israel, anti-American ideology, writing for Al Mayadeen on 19 January, reporting that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Hamas’s deadly incursion into Israel on 7 October, “had called for it”. axis of resistance In action.” Rizvi specifically cites Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as groups that “coordinated action to assist their Palestinian allies while maintaining their sovereignty.” The IRGC is also a US-designated foreign terrorist organization.
Press TV reports of Rizvi also show an alleged pro-terrorism bias. In a Press TV article dated 9 December, Rizvi Doesn’t write about terrorist attacks On October 7 innocents but “the gravity of the insult to the Zionist regime faced by the Palestinian resistance led by Hamas on October 7.”
Hezbollah fighters attend the funeral of their commander Wissam al-Tawil in the village of Khirbet Selm in southern Lebanon, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The war of words that has erupted in Lebanon reflects the small country’s long-standing divisions over Hezbollah. Now the militant group’s role in the Lebanon-Israel border conflict and fears that already troubled Lebanon could be dragged into an all-out war have increased. (AP Photo/Hussain Malla, File)
Relations between al-Mayadeen and Hezbollah are “a little more complicated,” Daoud said. While the Lebanon-based outlet calls itself “an independent Arab satellite news channel,” Daoud said that “sometimes it is almost indistinguishable from Al-Manar,” a Lebanese The outlet is owned by Hezbollah, Daoud said, “both in terms of content and access to Hezbollah officials,” he “considers Al Mayadeen to be a Hezbollah-linked media outlet,” although the site’s funding sources “have always been shrouded in a bit of mystery.”
Daoud said that both channels “embrace the ‘Resistance Axis’ ideology” and “spread it as far and wide as possible in the Arab world.”
Although Rizvi may characterize these actors as part of the “resistance”, Daoud says that these groups simply use the term “to gain legitimacy” when demanding the destruction of the State of Israel. “Their motives are not defensive,” Daoud said. Daoud said, “The destruction and destruction of a state is not a defensive action. The idea of opposing Israel’s right to exist is not resistance. It is propaganda designed to make the objectives more attractive.”
A large mural of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a smaller mural featuring Ayatollah Khomeini are seen in Tehran, Iran, on March 8, 2020. (Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)
While discussing Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel for Press TV, Rizvi said “Iranian retaliation is within the scope of international law” and Iran’s response “is proportionate and justified and comes after great patience in dealing with the rogue regime (Israel).” He added, “The morale of the Islamic world is being restored as Iran serves as a harbinger of regional stability.”
In contrast, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights he notes Israel’s April 1 attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, and Iran’s April 13 airstrike on Israel “may both constitute an international crime of aggression.”
After videos of his anti-American slogans went viral, Rizvi appears to have cleaned up his social media presence on the internet. powerless podcast Set up an episode privately with Rizvi on April 16. In the episode, discussing so-called Western and Israeli propaganda, Rizvi suggested that “no politician, no business person, no corporation should be allowed to enjoy any peace until justice is done.”
Rizvi’s “Abolishnato” handle on X, formerly known as Twitter, no longer exists. However, the Internet and many related groups have a long memory of the hatred they supported there.
On 14th April, anti defamation league In a tweet shared in response to a tweet by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Rizvi wrote, “God bless the heroes of Iran and the IRGC.”
UN newsletter exposed for sharing ways to protest in the US against Israel on Tax Day
Canary Mission, which exposes American entities and individuals who spread anti-Israel or anti-Semitic hatred, shared several of Rizvi’s archived tweets and press appearances with Fox News Digital. They demonstrate what they claim is Rizvi’s anger towards Israel and its supporters.
CHICAGO, UNITED STATES – APRIL 15: Chicago police intervene and detain pro-Palestinian protesters during a protest against Israel’s attacks on Gaza on April 15, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. (Photo by Jacek Bozarski/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Photo by Jacek Bozarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
On October 25, Rizvi said on Press TV that Israel is “actively flaunting” plans to create “a bigger Israel” that “extends to Egypt, extends to Syria, extends to Saudi Arabia ” He further said that if Israel were to “carry out these grand plans to invade Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan as well… it would have the full political and military support of the United States.” He said Israel is “actively admitting that they have plans to kill” the people they have conquered.
Daoud says that the idea that Israel wants to expand its territory to create a “Greater Israel” is “a conspiracy theory commonly supported by the most virulently anti-Semitic minds.” Furthermore, Daoud points out that Rizvi’s belief that “Israel wants to conquer much of the Middle East and slaughter its inhabitants goes one step further, revealing that his worldview is based on the demonization and dehumanization of Israelis.” based on.”
People are shown during an anti-Israel protest in Chicago on May 16, 2021. (Jacek Bozarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
On 1 November, Rizvi addressed press tv Once again, stating that “the Zionist lobby has a huge influence on the American political system and spends millions of dollars, sometimes one per congressional representative, to make sure everyone conforms to the Zionist political line.” Rizvi also said in the interview that he does not believe you can “call (the conflict between Hamas and Israel) a war when one side is destroying entire peoples.”
In a series of archived tweets exposed by the Canary Mission, Rizvi’s fervor against Israel is further exposed. On November 15, 2023, Rizvi condemned The Guardian newspaper’s decision to remove Usama bin Laden’s “Letter to America”, reporting that bin Laden “repents for his role in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by arming Israel.” America was rightly blamed.”
On January 6, 2024, Rizvi wrote, “Great to hear the news that Hezbollah has put these Zionists in the blender.” A month later, on February 11, he tweeted that the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism super bowl commercialsWhich he incorrectly attributes to the State of Israel, was evidence that “the entire entertainment industry, from sports to Hollywood, is complicit in genocide.”
Although Rizvi and many protesters at the Saturday worker gathering alleged that Israel was committing genocide, International Court of Justice On 26 January it ruled that no genocide had taken place in Gaza.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact Rizvi for comment regarding his online statements and articles and the context behind his chants on Saturday. Rizvi did not give any answer.
saturday’s The gathering in Chicago was the beginning of a larger initiative to protest against Israel at the Democratic National Convention in August.
In a January tweet saved by Canary Mission, Rizvi wrote, “Good to wake up to the news that Hezbollah put these Zionists in a blender.” (Canary Mission.) (Canary Mission.)
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson rejected protesters’ initial request to march around the convention. Fight Back News reported That a coalition of protesters sued the city for marching in a location where President Biden “can hear us and see us.” A spokesperson for the coalition that marched on the DNC called the president “genocide Joe Biden,” telling Fight Back News that “Biden could have started a war with a phone call. He has refused to take action, and that’s why we must protest. “
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According to AxiosThe city has until April 21 to respond to protesters’ request for permission to protest closer to the convention. One protester told Axios that the group would march “with or without a permit” because of “the massacre that is taking place in Gaza.”
While anti-Israel sentiment has risen in Chicago, where the mayor cast the deciding vote on a controversial issue cease fire resolution In January, the Jewish population in Illinois faced increased hatred. On April 16, the ADL released its findings that anti-Semitic incidents increased by 74% in Illinois between 2022 and 2023. Of the 211 recorded incidents of vandalism, harassment and assault, 68% occurred after 7 October.
