Quick Facts
Biography
Yasser Harrak is a Canadian writer, commentator and human rights activist. He graduated from Concordia University with a degree in Political Science and Religion. He has over 50 peer reviewed articles in Arabic published by Almothaqaf Political Daily and Annabaa Institution for Media and Culture, in addition to a book titled: The Predicators, and another titled: Shiaphobia and the Iranianization of Shiism, both published in Arabic. In 2016, Yasser Harrak appeared in the Oximity News list of selected writers joining some of the world's most respected authors and human rights activists like Naom Chomsky and Robert Reich. The author is also listed as top contributor to Unpublished Ottawa, Canada's only social media website dedicated to current affairs. In a study published by the Center of Studies for Arab Unity, Dr. Abdelatif Hannachi cited Harrak'a article "Salafi Revisionism" in his research on Islamic movements in the Arab world. The Moroccan Al Aan weekly magazine qualified Harrak's analysis of Shi'ism in the country as most scientific and elaborate after his interview with journalist Aziz El Hor. In his study of Sunni extremism, Iraqi leftist journalist Saeb Khalil cited Harrak's work on Shiaphobia and its sociopolitical manifestations in the Arab world. In an article on Moroccan popular culture, philanthropist Ali Issa Alwabari, from the International Center for Research and Studies, relied heavily on Harrak's essay regarding the role of Fatima Zahra in the Moroccan popular culture.
Minority Rights Star
In 2013, the largest newspaper in Morocco, Almassae, named Yasser Harrak a minority star citing his work in support of the freedom of religion in the kingdom. His literature generally promotes secularism and the separation between faith and state. Yasser Harrak was listed with two other influential activists: televangelist Brother Rachid and the most influential Moroccan atheist Qasim al Ghazali.
Counter Extremism Efforts
Harrak's anti-extremism literature has been translated from English and Arabic, his writing languages, to several other languages. The Italian magazine Ilguastatore translated to Italian and published his article "Understanding why Saudi State Clerics Offer Prayers for ISIS".
The author has been known for openly criticizing political Islam and its prominent figures. He often publishes articles exposing radical scholars and activists calling on Canadian politicians to ban them from entering the country. In 2015, Badil Info, a famed Moroccan news agency, qualified Harrak's activism as a form of lobbying. In an interview with the London-based Fadak TV, Harrak suggested that the only way to trounce modern extremism is to denounce extreme acts of violence committed by the Muslim Caliphs. Violence, according to him, cannot be denounced in the present and glorified in the past. In August 2015, Chouf TV reported that Harrak campaigned to have Sheikh Abdel-Bari Zamzami expelled from Canada in the start of his 6 months visit to his daughter. He published articles accusing Zamzami of being anti-Semitic preaching hatred against Jews and Shiites. He also accused him of using Canadian health system urging prime minister Stephen Harper to expel him from Canada. In October 2015, Harrak campaigned to have Mohamad al-Arefe ,a Saudi Islamist theologian, banned from entering Morocco after a visit plan was announced on his website. He accused al-Arefe of planning to recruit Moroccan youth to join radical movements fighting in Syria. Several news outlets published Harrak's article including Al Etejah TV. Arefe later cancelled his visit to Morocco.
The 2015 Liberal Campaign
During the 2015 electoral campaign in Canada, Harrak published several articles criticizing the conservative party in the way it handled domestic and international issues. He urged Canadians in general and minorities in specific to vote for the Liberals through the Ottawa-based Support Trudeau campaign, and through the office of Outremont with the liberal candidate Rachel Bendayan, a Canadian politician whose parents are from Tangier.