Speaker Nixed At ZOA Parley
One prominent no-show at the ZOA gathering was Stephen Schwartz, executive director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism.
Schwartz, a convert to Islam and a former Washington correspondent for the Forward, was scheduled to speak Tuesday about Saudi Arabia. But days earlier, his name was quietly removed from the press release on the ZOA’s Web site promoting the event.
Mort Klein, national president of the ZOA, said that Schwartz was removed because of a scheduling conflict. But Schwartz said he had no conflict, and that was removed from the schedule because of an e-mail campaign criticizing some of his past writings on Iran and Israeli Prime Minister Sharon. Those opposing his appearance also noted that Schwartz, who was born to a Jewish father, had become a Muslim.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO