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Rabat – The controversial Moroccan Christian preacher Brother Rachid has challenged Moroccan Salafi scholar Mohamed El Fizazi to debate Islam and Christianity.
Brother Rachid posted a video on Youtube on Sunday alleging that El Fizazi has been avoiding a debate that they had agreed to hold back in 2014.
He said that he recently called El Fizazi but the scholar refused to talk to him. According to the preacher, El Fizazi responded, “I have no time for you.”
The Moroccan Christian preacher known for his opposition to Islam rejected El Fizazi’s apparent excuse not to debate him because he is an “apostate.” Brother Rachid pointed out that El Fizazi is set to debate US-Syrian author Wafa Sultan, “who is one of the most known apostates.”
He also said that the Salafi scholar made a condition that the debate be monitored by a “commission” specialized in religions “to decide who wins” the argument.
“[El Fizazi] says he would make a concession to debate me,” said Brother Rachid. “He has to now that I’m not a newcomer. People know me through my videos on Youtube and Facebook. I have been around for ten years, criticizing Islam.”
“If you don’t like me criticizing Islam, all you have to do is debate me and show me that I’m wrong,” he added.
In 2012, Brother Rachid posted a series of videos responding to criticism by El Fizazi.
Known for his radical views on Islam, where he claims that terrorism groups such as ISIS represent Islam, Brother Rachid is one of the most prominent Arab Christian TV personalities. He made a name of himself through programs on the Christian Arab TV Channel Al Hayat, in which he criticized Islam and Prophet Muhammad.
El Fizazi has been a prominent figure of Moroccan Salafism. A former leader of Salafi Jihadism, he was arrested in 2003 following the terrorism attacks in Casablanca. In 2011 he was released from prison along with other key Salafi sheikhs after renouncing violence and radical discourse.
He is famous for debating Muslim and secular personalities such as Syrian mufti Badreddin Hassoun, Syrian Salafi cleric Adnan al-Aroor and Moroccan secular author Ahmed Assid.
