Stop presuming U.S. mosques teach U.S. values. My latest in PJ Media:
A recent controversy in California shows the perils of assuming, as nearly everyone does, that mosques in the West teach peace and tolerance, and that the overwhelming majority of Muslims are moderate and loyal members of secular societies.
On July 21, the imam Ammar Shahin gave the Friday sermon at the Islamic Center of Davis, California, and had the misfortune of having his sermon videotaped by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
Preached Shahin:
Oh Allah, liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews. Oh Allah, destroy those who closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Oh Allah, show us the black day that You inflict upon them, and the wonders of Your ability. Oh Allah, count them one by one and annihilate them down to the very last one. Do not spare any of them.
And:
Oh Allah, liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Oh Allah, make this happen by our hands. Let us play a part in this. Oh Allah, let us support them in words and in deeds. Oh Allah, let us support them in words and in deeds. Oh Allah, let us support them in words and in deeds.
This understandably touched off a firestorm, and the Islamic Center of Davis initially resorted to the familiar deflection of Islamic supremacists everywhere: it claimed that Shahin’s remarks had been “taken out of context.”
When that didn’t fly, Shahin apologized:
To the Jewish community here in Davis and beyond, I say this deeply: I am deeply sorry for the pain I have caused … I let my emotions get the best of me and cloud my better judgment. I said things that were hurtful to Jews. This was unacceptable.
Very well. But there was just one problem. In his sermon, Shahin also referred to a well-known statement that Islamic tradition attributes to Muhammad.
Said Shahin:
Allah does not change the situation of people “until they change their own situation.” The Prophet Muhammad said: “Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews, and the Jews hide behind stones and trees, and the stones and the trees say: Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah” … “Come, there is someone behind me” — except for the Gharqad tree, which is the tree of the Jews. Except for a certain tree that they are growing today in Palestine, in that area, except this form of tree, which they are growing today … That’s the tree that will not speak to the Muslims.
Shahin left a key part out of this narrative. In the hadith, the trees don’t just say, “Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah … Come, there is someone behind me.”
They say that there is a Jew hiding, and that the Muslim should come kill him:
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews. (Muslim 6985)
Why did Shahin not quote the part about the trees calling upon Muslims to kill Jews?
Was it because he is a moderate, and believes that the Muslims should not kill the Jews hiding behind trees, but should hug them and invite them to inter-religious dialogue?
Or was it because he knew his audience would know this hadith, and he didn’t want to attract unwelcome scrutiny by calling outright for the killing of Jews?
The latter is much more likely. After all, he couched his call for the annihilation of Jews as a prayer to Allah; he didn’t call on Muslims directly to kill Jews. But he also knew that his listeners would know that the Qur’an says:
Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands … (9:14).
So a call for Allah to annihilate the Jews is also a call for Muslims to do so, as Allah punishes the Jews by the Muslims’ hands.
All this makes it abundantly clear that the statements for which Ammar Shahin apologized are firmly based in Islamic tradition — meaning Shahin was essentially apologizing for being a Muslim. Consequently, it is unlikely that his apology was sincere; Shahin was not likely to discard deeply held religious beliefs in the face of a controversy that has already faded from the headlines.
This raises a larger question: what will prevent other imams from quoting these Islamic passages, and enjoining their congregations to act upon them? What about the numerous exhortations to jihad warfare that are contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah?
What are U.S. authorities going to do if imams keep … quoting Muhammad?…
Read the rest here.
miriamrove says
The do teach and preach peace. Except their version of peace is different that the ones we know. Their version of peace is killing the Jews, infidels and whomever they do not agree with. M
Bob says
Miriamrove – the ‘peace’ that they teach is what Winston Churchill called “The peace of the graveyard.”
Bob says
Agreed, Miraimrove, except that their ‘peace’ is what Winston Churchill called “The peace of the graveyard”
mortimer says
The ‘peace’ of Islam is in fact ‘PACIFICATION’… the utter defeat of Islam’s enemies… all those who resist Islamic supremacism in any way.
Pacification is a synonym for Islam. Mohammed ‘pacificed’ the Jewish majority of Yathrib by EXTERMINATING THEM with the mass murder of 900 males by beheading and by the enslavement and rape of the women and children.
Since Mohammed is considered to be the IDEAL ROLE MODEL and PERFECT MAN in Islam, EXTERMINATING JEWS is considered to be an IDEAL ACTION for all Muslims.
Genocide is NORMATIVE ISLAM, rather than an aberration.
carol says
“…I let my emotions get the best of me and cloud my better judgment. I said things that were hurtful to Jews…”
Even as Shahin makes such a touching display of ever such a “heartfelt” apology, he cannot refrain from whining and implying his victimization at the hands of the “guilty”:
Andy says
Churchill would be doing not only spinning but cartwheels and the whole nine yards in his grave if he saw what has happened to the great nation of the UK.
Sometimes I think I’m going to wake up from this nightmare. It’s like that Twilight Zone episode TO SERVE MAN. Where the moslems come in with there “religion of peace” only to, at the end show how they really are, but we already know how they are and have these globalists who are deliberately trying to ruin our nations!
MADNESS!
To Serve Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2j-4bZPSqU
frank day says
Imam Was Simply Quoting Muhammad. You don’t say?
Oh well, I suppose that makes alright then.
Andy says
Sounds like imam Ammar Shahin swallowed a “red pill” like moslems do on a daily basis.
MY BIGGEST RED PILL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2M0ZRIB29k
SK says
Molyneux? Isn’t that the guy who tells kids to separate from their family? De-FOOing, they call it.
I do think that what you had in mind is an apt comparison. They would definitely view Radical Islam as a sort of “red pill”-like idea.
Andy says
So SK that is your “red pill”-Radical Islam
My “red pill” is the willing destruction of any nation(s) that have built for centuries a land in which not perfect in any stretch of the imagination but livable for everyone, being destroyed by bringing in third world moslems who will never integrate into society and will only destroy it.
Utter madness! Which is a deliberate act on our nations by George Soros and his minions.
SK says
Well, yeah, Shahin and friends would view the ideology that way. For me it would probably be how religious minorities are treated, especially if there are many in the country.
Andy says
Important Information You Need To Hear!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp_RTSLjeyo
Robeaver says
Can we get these special trees and make bit stick to use? Medieval bows were made from)Yu trees, the English longbow was a feared weapon. Not as good as a bacon. Sandwich
gravenimage says
The Gharkad tree is real–it is a type of thorn tree.
Here is my painting, “I Am a Gharkad Tree”:
http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/gravenimageartist/media/bWVkaWFJZDoyNzk5MTkwMQ==/?ref=1
This means that I will protect Jews and other victims of Jihad to the best of my ability.
ItsReallyQuiteClear says
gravenimage,
That is just so awesome on so many levels! Thank you for sharing your painting, and your message.
It would be interesting to buy some some Gharkad seeds, toss them onto the grounds of the local mosque, and see if any of them would grow, but I’m not in the right zone (er, for planting). Oh, Allah, there’s a mosque behind my Gharkad tree…
Louis Schwartz says
gravenimage: Your painting is amazing and beautiful. I am speechless.You are some awesome artist. God Bless you.
WorkingClassPost says
That apology stinks.
He’s not sorry for wanting Jews killed, just for hurting their feelings by telling them first.
What is it with islam that makes it’s followers so proficient at twisting words and meanings to deceive the unwary, and conceal their blackest intentions.
gravenimage says
He’s only sorry the “filthy Infidels” heard his say it.
gravenimage says
Robert Spencer in PJ Media: The California ‘Annihilate Jews’ Imam Was Simply Quoting Muhammad
………………..
God help us, this is true. The “Prophet” hated Jews and drove them out, enslaved, and mass-slaughtered them. His goal–which he achieved, was for Arabia to be “Judenrein”.
More:
Stop presuming U.S. mosques teach U.S. values.
………………..
They can’t do that and still teach Islam.
mortimer says
It’s apparently impossible for Muslims to consider that Temple Mount is as sacred to Jews as Mecca’s Grand Mosque is to Muslims.
This is a perfect example of Islam’s malignant narcissism. It’s not enough to forbid Jews from visiting their holiest religious site, no… Jews must in addition be ‘exterminated’ so all evidence may be removed that they worshiped on Temple Mount.
The proposed genocide of Jews is to keep them from ever again claiming that Temple Mount is the number one Jewish holy site. However, that won’t work, because billions of ordinary people around the world know it isn’t true. Temple Mount has been a holy site to Jews (Hebrews) for over 4 millennia.
mortimer says
Too bad Mohammed said so many GENOCIDAL and MEGALOMANIACAL things. It makes it next to impossible to ‘REFORM’ Islam.
Most of Islam is MALIGNANT NARCISSISM.
Danforth says
There is no hope of Muslims, moderate or otherwise, ever reforming Islam. The Qur’an is the Perfect Word of Allah, and Muhammad is the Perfect Man.
You cannot improve or alter that which is “Perfect”.
Therefore, all that can be done is to contain Islam in that part of the world where Muslims can do no further harm to the planet.
If containment is not possible (as appears to be the case in 2017), then there are only two alternatives:
1: Treat Islam like the cult it is and defeat it with “Truth”. Much like defeating vampires with light, silver bullets or crosses, exposing Islam for the sham it is (based on the actions and aspirations of their prophet). This will require an about-face by the western media, political elite and leftists.
With Option 1 looking rather weak as well, there is always Option 2.
2. By the Grace of God, He will put an end to this cancer which is spreading over His creation. Allah can be no match whatever to the God of The Bible.
If there are other answers to this scourge, I’d like to hear them. Over to you guys……
John Forbes says
It is a brilliant ploy to plant Mosques all over ! The authorities will not approach as the hatred is taught in all corners of America. What is taught is the intolerance of all non believers be they Jews ,Christians, Sikhs OR Hindu or Buddist !
They also teach that DEMOCRACY is immoral & that SHARIA has the answer for everything !
It is the actual so called HOLY BOOKS & MOHAMMED that are the problems !
This is where the HATRED COMES FROM & the life of Mohammed ( the so called PREFECT MAN – war lord, child rapist & killer)