Tim Walz praised Muslim cleric who promoted Hitler, later refused to condemn Oct. 7 attacks, as a ‘master teacher’

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz once praised an alleged extremist Muslim cleric who previously touted Hitler — and more recently refused to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks — as a “master teacher,” newly resurfaced video shows.

Walz, 60, has come under fire after the footage, uncovered by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday, showed the two-term Minnesota governor speaking highly of Muslim cleric Imam Asad Zaman back in 2018.

“I would like to first of all say thank you to Imam. I am a teacher, so when I see a master teacher, I know it,” Walz said in the clip.

“Over the time we’ve spent together, one of the things I’ve had the privilege of is seeing the things in life through the eye of a master teacher to try and get the understanding, listening today to the stories and what it means.”

Walz, who made the remarks as he was introducing the Islamic leader at an event hosted by the Muslim American Society of Minnesota during his first gubernatorial campaign, went on to describe some of the lessons Zaman had taught him.

“It was a lesson when imam told me to go speak to people,” Walz said in the video, adding that Congress often “feeds on fear more than hope” and “division.”

“I have pushed back through my whole career on the demonization of Islam, on the demonization of immigrants,” he continued. “In this space, Imam Zaman is right on this, there is Islamophobia, there is a hatred that is being stirred.”

Walz has been ripped over his past history with the Islamic leader after it emerged Zaman had taken to Facebook in 2015 to promote a neo-Nazi propaganda film that praises Adolf Hitler — three years before he was praised by the Democrat.

The newly resurfaced footage was shared just days after it was revealed that Walz had repeatedly hosted the Muslim cleric and doled out more than $100,000 in funding to Zaman’s Muslim American Society of Minnesota non-profit over the years.

Meanwhile, it has also since emerged that Zaman pledged “unwavering support” for Palestinians in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attack.

“MAS reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli occupation,” Zaman in a Facebook post immediately after the bloodshed erupted.

“Israel’s recent unprovoked attacks on Palestinian areas have claimed numerous lives … We call on the US government … to exert maximum pressure on Israel to respect Palestinian lives.”

The Harris-Walz campaign has since stressed that, despite his prior remarks, the Minnesota governor does not have a “personal relationship” with the Muslim cleric.

“The Governor and he do not have a personal relationship,” a campaign spokesperson said in a statement. “Governor Walz strongly condemns Hamas terrorism.”

Still, the Republican Jewish Coalition slammed Walz and accused Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate of lying about his relationship with Zaman.

“It is an outrage to the American Jewish community that Tim Walz would champion Hitler-promoting cleric Asad Zaman of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota,” RJC CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement.

“At a time of spiking antisemitism here at home and as Israel faces an existential war for survival, it is essential for the American Jewish community to have confidence in our leaders – and it is clear that we cannot trust Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Their priorities are not our priorities, and the American people will reject their radicalism and extremism in November.”