YouTube Removes PragerU Video of Pro-Israel Muslim over ‘Hate Speech’

LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images

YouTube has removed a video of a Muslim man describing how he was raised to be anti-Semitic from the YouTube channel PragerU, accusing the video of hate speech.

In a petition set up to challenge the decision, PragerU claims that “YouTube has entirely removed PragerU’s new video with Kasim Hafeez, a British Muslim who is a pro-Israel activist. In the video, Hafeez explains how he overcame the anti-Semitic indoctrination that radicalized him from an early age.”

“Within hours of the video’s release Monday morning, YouTube flagged it for ‘hate speech’ and took it down. PragerU is disputing YouTube’s removal of the video,” the petition continues.

The channel, PragerU, which is short for Prager University, produces short, concise, graphics-based videos for young people and has featured videos from the likes of feminist academic Christina Hoff Summers, human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Taleeb Starkes, author of Black Lies Matter.

It is not the first time that the channel has been targeted for some of its content, with YouTube previously placing some PragerU videos on “restricted mode,” designed to stop children from viewing inappropiate adult content.

In a press release sent to Breitbart News, Jared Sichel, PragerU’s Communications Director, described the ban as “alarming.”

“YouTube labeled the video as ‘hate speech,’ which is ironic since the video is about fighting hatred and anti-semitism, and is presented by a Muslim,” Sichel said.

“YouTube’s decision to remove this video is de facto censorship, and may prevent hundreds of thousands, or millions of people from hearing its valuable message,” the press release added.

The petition to reinstate the video has already reached over 90,000 signatures.

You can follow Ben Kew on Facebook, on Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com

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