SOLON, Ohio — Mark Liner, a Solon resident who is serving as a member of the Israel Defense Forces, says the amount of anti-Israel rhetoric that has been spread since Oct. 7, 2023 — when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel — is “terrifying.”
In an online interview Wednesday (Oct. 23), Liner said that was one of the reasons why he and a group of other residents posted a petition in late September on change.org against the Solon-based Chagrin Valley Islamic Center (CVIC).
The petition, signed by “We the People of Solon,” demands that city leaders “condemn the antisemitism being openly harbored and promoted” by the CVIC and to have the CVIC cease operations in the city.
Liner said the CVIC — which opened the city’s first mosque on Liberty Road in 2021 — has been promoting antisemitism “under the guise of anti-Zionism” for more than three years, despite vocal concerns from the community.
“I made this petition along with over a dozen Solon residents who are also concerned about the recent rise in antisemitism,” said Liner, a 2019 Solon High School graduate who requested that his city of residence in Israel not be disclosed.
“Our only goal is to call out antisemitism and make sure that our city leaders follow through with upholding the city’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies and antisemitism resolution (passed in April 2023).”
Liner said the petition was signed by “a few Muslim people, who acknowledge that the hate against Israel being promoted by the (CVIC) has nothing to do with the Quran and goes against true Islam.”
Liner claimed that after Oct. 7, 2023, the CVIC and its leaders started to heavily promote antisemitism and radicalism.
“It’s a fact that this became a regular pattern with the CVIC, despite reaching out to both city leaders and the mosque itself, that I and other Solon residents felt the need to make the petition,” he said.
CVIC officials deny these claims and said that their mosque has promoted peace throughout the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
At the City Council meeting Monday (Oct. 21), 19 people — including many religious leaders — spoke to council in support of the CVIC.
After nearly 200 people signed the petition, it was removed from change.org after being “mass reported,” Liner said.
“The website claimed it was removed due to ‘false or misleading information,’ despite not stating what information specifically they considered to be false or misleading,” he said.
Liner was also a co-organizer of a pro-Israel rally Sept. 8 in Solon.
More than 100 people rallied that day at the city’s Veterans Memorial Park gazebo to commemorate the 11-month mark since Hamas launched its attack on Israel.
More than 1,200 people were killed by Hamas in the attack, which triggered the Israel-Hamas War that is still taking place.
“It’s important to note that this petition has absolutely nothing to do with Islam or the fact that (CVIC is) a mosque, as they may claim that any of their critics are ‘Islamophobic’ as a way of deflecting attention away from their antisemitism,” the petition stated.
“We the People of Solon stand with the Global Imams Council and their statement that was released on Sept. 1, 2024, blaming Hamas for all deaths and destruction on both sides since Oct. 7, (2023), naming Hamas as the aggressor in the war, and calling for the immediate release of all hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas.
“We wish that the Chagrin Valley Islamic Center would follow the wisdom of the Global Imams Council and stop promoting and partnering with organizations and ideologies that front as being Islamic community organizations, but in reality act as an arm for Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West.”
The petition also stated that the CVIC has partnered with and is in support of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.
Liner claimed that CAIR “promotes its members to attend anti-Israel rallies and take part in antisemitic activities.”
“The Biden administration cut ties with CAIR last December after its national executive director, Nihad Awad, stated at a CAIR conference that Oct. 7 attacks made him ‘happy,’” Liner said.
Allegations date to 2021
Liner noted that he runs a group on Facebook called the Solon Community Group.
In 2021, he said it was brought to his attention that the CVIC was promoting antisemitism with the invitation of a “notorious antisemite” named Yasir Qadhi as the featured speaker for one of its first fundraisers.
“Qadhi is listed by the Canary Mission as having a long history of promoting antisemitism and hate against Christians, hate against Israel and supporting terrorists,” Liner said.
“After speaking with a few other residents, I sent Solon Mayor Ed Kraus an email of concern regarding the mosque promoting this speaker.
“He replied, thanking me for bringing this to his attention, and later spoke with the CVIC’s leaders to have them cancel Qadhi from their event.”
Less than a month later, Liner claimed, CVIC leaders Simee and Masroor Malik started sharing “anti-Israel ideologies” on their joint Facebook account, including promoting a “Free Palestine” protest in downtown Cleveland.
“I continued to bring these issues up with Mayor Kraus because the concern was that this new religious institution was suddenly promoting radicalism and hate against Israel,” Liner said.
“Also, Masroor Malik, the leader of the mosque, is an unelected member of the Solon Community Relations Committee through City Hall and is listed on the city’s website (as such).”
Masroor Malik is the CVIC’s director of finance and a member of its executive board.
A more recent example of the CVIC’s promotion of radicalism and antisemitism, Liner said, is its promotion of an event set for Saturday (Oct. 26) at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland featuring former CNN anchor Marc Lamont Hill, who was fired from his position at CNN in 2018 after his antisemitic and pro-terrorist comments surfaced.
“Keep in mind Marc Lamont Hill has nothing to do with Islam or the teachings of the Quran; rather his only involvement in Middle East issues is with his open support of jihadism and hatred of Israel,” Liner said.
“It’s very concerning to people that the CVIC is promoting him.”
Liner said since posting the petition, he has been “harassed and targeted” by CAIR, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and “a few radical faith leaders in the area because I’m a lone soldier in the IDF.”
A “lone soldier” is a soldier in the IDF with no family in Israel to support him or her.
“They’re using the fact that I’m an IDF soldier as a way to stir hate about this petition, combined with the lie that it was ‘Islamophobic,’” Liner said.
”It’s a completely irrelevant detail to the petition, and not only that, but the petition was made along with over a dozen Solon residents who are Jews, Christians and Hindus.”
When asked for his reaction to the comments made by speakers in support of the CVIC at Monday’s council meeting, Liner said, “Most of the people who spoke gave nothing but the same repetitive emotional arguments over and over again about how the CVIC donates to food drives and has samosa dinner parties at their mosque.
“But in my opinion and the opinion of many other Solon residents, none of that justifies the mosque promoting radicalism and antisemitism,” he said.
Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
