New York, NY, September 25, 2009 … A Muslim group hosting an international interfaith conference and touting itself as a leader in interreligious dialogue in fact promotes anti-Semitic rhetoric through its official publication and by statements of its leaders, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

A recent issue of The Muslim World League Journal, the magazine of the Muslim World League (MWL), based in Saudi Arabia, featured a cover story propagating anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about Jewish control of the news media.  

After ADL revealed details of the organization's May 2009 issue, the office of the MWL Secretariat General sent out an unsigned "urgent clarification" to some Jewish leaders in the hopes that the group's upcoming interfaith conference would not be adversely affected.  Ironically, on the MWL conference agenda is "the media and its role in strengthening dialogue and human values."

"The King Abdullah Interfaith Dialogue Initiative," a gathering of interfaith leaders sponsored by MWL, is slated to take place in Geneva, Switzerland on September 30.

"The Muslim World League is not engaged in honest interfaith dialogue; it is engaged in deception and dissemination of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  "Its 'clarification' that it is not responsible for the content of articles published in its official organ is a pathetic attempt to deflect responsibility. Not only does the MWL dismiss its own responsibility for promoting vile anti-Semitic canards, it ignores its own stated policy on confronting racism and smear campaigns."

"We strongly urge religious leaders of good will to condemn the anti-Semitism of the Muslim World League and to not participate in their interfaith gatherings," Mr. Foxman added.

The  May 2009 cover story in the Muslim World League Journal, "Control of World Media," appears to be an updated version of an article widely circulated on anti-Semitic Web sites and based on an original piece written by William Pierce, the former head of the neo-Nazi National Alliance. The magazine cover featured a baseball cap with a Jewish star enveloping a globe to visually promote the anti-Semitic conspiracy theories of Jewish control in the article.

Though claiming it has no responsibility for the content of the article, in the same issue the journal's editor stated:  "In this issue we carry an article that exposes the myth of neutral journalism. Through deception and deceit, the world media is controlled by the few and what gets print is what they want."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.