***Article first published by WND on 'Feb. 2, 2018***

Google and YouTube have been caught sponsoring a symposium that featured a roster of “known Islamist anti-Semites,” and a widely recognized monitor of radical Islamic terror is wondering why.

“Why are Google and YouTube providing a forum for Islamists who approve of Shariah-imposed ‘death by stoning?'” asks Steven Emerson, founder of the Investigative Project on Terrorism.

“For more than two decades, the IPT has investigated the operations, funding, activities and front groups of Islamic terrorist and extremist groups in the United States and around the world. It has become a principal source of critical evidence to a wide variety of government offices and law enforcement agencies, as well as the U.S. Congress and numerous public policy forums,” his site explains.

Just now Emerson is asking why the web giants were lending their names and finances to an organization called Imams Online to hold a “Digital Summit.”

The organization of imams credited the YouTube Space in London, where the event was held, and also noted it was “supported by Google UK.”

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But the event featured a rogues’ gallery of virulently anti-Semitic, anti-Israel speakers, Emerson’s organization reports.

He explained one of the goals was listed as “Tackling Rising Islamophobia and the Far Right Threat,” and he pointed out that one of the “Muslim reformists” claimed he was called an “Islamophobe.”

“But spreading the false claim of rising Islamophobia actually can be seen as a national security threat. This is because that concept is based upon the false notion that there is a Western conspiracy against Islam – and that is the primary claim and motivation that induces jihadi terrorist attacks on western targets,” the IPT report says.

Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, told Emerson: “Islamists hope to insulate themselves from charges of supporting jihadi violence by shooting off accusations of ‘Islamophobia.’ Sadly, not only do many not-too-bright individuals of good will fall for this deception, but in the process, this ploy becomes a national security threat by confirming jihadi paranoia about the world being out to destroy Islam.”

Added Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center: “For Google and YouTube to provide a worldwide forum for a group that includes known anti-Semites and bigots is irresponsible and beyond the pale. Rather than promote tolerance and human dignity, it provides them with an enormous platform to further spew their anti-Semitism and hate!”

Google, while lending its name to the pro-Islam event, also has been censoring pro-Israel voices, such as Prager University. Its YouTube company has “restricted access to Prager U’s pro-Israel videos and has removed dozens of other videos for no apparent reason other than Google does not like Prager’s politics,” IPT reports.

“Google is not the first social media giant to enter into a partnership with this highly questionable Islamic group. Faith Associates, the parent company of Imams Online, partnered in 2016 with Facebook and Twitter,” IPT says.

Emerson notes that last November Facebook partnered with a Muslim organization to target “hate speech” and offered a how-to guide for Muslims.

“Facebook has never offered a similar guide for other religions,” he points out.

“It is curious that of all the groups Facebook could have chosen to ‘protect’ – if one is to believe that Facebook intends to ‘protect’ other groups as well – it chose Muslims,” comments lawyer Judith Bergman at the Gatestone Institute.

“Are Muslims the most targeted group in the world today? In Canada, according to fresh statistics, hate crimes against Muslims have fallen while hate crimes against Jews have risen. In the United States, according to Gatestone’s A.Z. Mohamed: ‘Since 1992 … anti-Semitic incidents have been higher than those perpetrated against other groups.'”

According to IPT, one of the event speakers, Adam Kelwick, a Muslim chaplain, earlier wrote of suicide bombing, “It is legitimate, of course, as long as it plays a role in the resistance.”

And Mahmood Chandia of the Universitiy of Centrla Lancashire “openly endorsed Shariah-mandated death by stoning,” the report said.

Comments IPT, “If Google had done its due diligence and investigated Imams Online, it would have easily discovered that its partner had posted anti-Israeli blogs, supported Hamas, accused Israel of genocide and promoted Hamas talking points.

“All this information is publicly available; Google either did not bother to investigate Imams Online, or simply isn’t concerned about its providing a platform for virulent anti-Semitism and Islamism. In partnering with this unsavory group, Google is demonstrating what its detractors have insisted for years: it is an enabler of Islamic radicalism and extremism.”