Khaliq Raufi is an Afghan refugee residing in San Diego who was recently appointed to the San Diego County "Human Relations Commission" by County Supervisor Joel Anderson. The 31-member commission is intended to promote positive human relations, respect, and the integrity of every individual regardless of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or citizenship status. Though the Commission was reinstated in response to the antisemitic attack at the Chabad of Poway in 2019, no individuals were appointed to represent the Jewish community.
During a July 18th meeting, Khaliq Raufi completely disregarded the Commission's goals when he embarked on an antisemitic rant accusing the Jewish people of murdering Palestinians.
Raufi claimed he read "a few verses" in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy - calling it "the book of Jews" - claiming it "states to go kill Palestinians." He continued to outrageously claim those instructions to kill were being taught in synagogues.
In fact, Deuteronomy recounts the Jews wandering in the desert after fleeing Egypt and their ultimate entry into Israel. Khaliq Raufi’s comments were reported as a "hate incident" and after uproar from the community he subsequently resigned from his position, claiming the Commission was "no longer a safe space for people to express their beliefs."
Not surprisingly, this incident wasn't Khaliq Raufi’s first dive into the antisemitism pool. A simple search of his social media identifies a plethora of antisemitic posts vilifying both the Jewish nation and people.
For example, in several Facebook posts in 2021, Khaliq Raufi spreads antisemitic conspiracy theories claiming Jews run the media. He also referred to Israel's Prime Minister as “Hitler” and often referred to the Jewish people as "apartheid Jewish gangsters."
According to the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, Khaliq Raufi's demonization of the Jewish people and nation are deemed antisemitic.
How could such a vile antisemite be placed on the Commission in the first place? Community leaders must ensure dramatic changes occur, including proper vetting procedures to prevent another Khaliq Raufi from having the power to spread his vile bigotry.
If your city or town has a community relations council or similar, we strongly urge you to get involved. Jewish voices must have a seat at the table to ensure antisemitism does not go unchecked.