Name Zachariah Anani | ||
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Zachariah Anani (25 December 1958 – 4 July 2016) (Arabic: زكريا عناني ) (also Zack or Zak) is a former Sunni Muslim Lebanese citizen who later converted to Christianity and settled in Canada in 1996. He describes himself as a former militia fighter.
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Biography
Zachariah Anani was born in Beirut, and claims descent "from a long line of imams" and that he was "expected to become one at the age of 14." Anani says he became a fighter in a Lebanese militia and "at the age of 14"
Anani claims to have been trained to fight and kill Jews, and to hate Christians and Americans. He says his family was pleased with his decision because they believe Islamic teachings promise reaching heaven if he were to die in battle against "unbelievers". Ironically, Anani says he faced Muslim groups, who fought among themselves, most of the times while facing Israelis only once.
He was later to meet an American Southern Baptist missionary who inspired him to convert to Christianity and later moved to Canada.
Anani is a naturalized citizen of Canada. He lived in Windsor, Ontario.
Anani had a controversial a career as a public speak on Islam in the 2000s.
Anani was included in the manifesto of extremist Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik in a section where Breivik criticized the Council on American-Islamic Relations for criticizing Anani's views.
Controversial views
Anani arrtracted criticism with talks such as a 2007 lecture at Campbell Baptist Church in Windsor, Ontario, entitled, The Deadly Threat of Islam, in which he characterized Islam a faith that worships a god who "fights and kills," "strikes with terror," and forbids the taking of prisoners in battles against non-believers.
Assertions of inflated or invented background details
Anani is one of a number of converts to Christianity who are public critics of Islam, including Ergun Caner, Walid Shoebat, and Mark A. Gabriel, who have been accused of inflating or inventing details of their life before conversion to Christianity.