A South Florida imam and dentist is facing criticism and calls to suspend his dental license after state lawmakers accused him of making antisemitic comments during a sermon. NBC6’s Niko Clemmons reports
A South Florida imam and dentist is facing criticism and calls to suspend his dental license after state lawmakers accused him of making antisemitic, violent and inflammatory comments during a sermon last month.
Imam Dr. Fadi Kablawi, a dentist from North Miami, told NBC6 his comments were taken out of context after they were posted online by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
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“Suddenly they're so offended that I'm making a prayer, this is how low it is,” Dr. Kablawi said. “It was a prayer, I was asking God to deal not with the Jews, to deal with the atrocities of the tyrannical Jews.”
The Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus said Dr. Kablawi called for the murder of Jews and also called the current Israeli regime worse than the Nazis.
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Dr. Kablawi said his statements were political.
“I wasn't calling for violence, I wasn't calling for anyone to harm anybody, I was making a pure prayer against tyrannical criminals who are killing my people,” Dr. Kablawi said.
The Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus is now asking the Florida Board of Dentistry to revoke the doctor's dental license because they said they are "concerned with Dr. Kablawi’s incendiary rhetoric and the potential danger it poses to his patients."
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In a recent audit, the Anti-Defamation League tabulated 8,873 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. last year, compared to only 3,698 in 2022.
“This alarming and hateful speech is unacceptable and frightening,” former State Rep. Joe Geller from North Miami said. “Calling for the annihilation of an ethnic group amounts to genocide. Patients deserve to be protected from this violent and dangerous individual. This cannot be tolerated in a civilized society.”
Dr. Kablawi said he will take action on his own if he has to.
“To target my license that I worked hard for and kept in good standing for 20 years, it's an under-the-belt shot and it's unethical,” Dr. Kablawi said.
