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Houston Imam “apologizes” for call to “fight Jews in Palestine,” Jewish leaders skeptical

Dec 28, 2017 3:51 pm By Christine Douglass-Williams

Houston, Texas  Imam Raed Saleh Al-Rousan of the Tajweed Institute, who urged Muslims to “fight the Jews in Palestine” in a sermon in early December, now speaks out about his desire to “repair the damage caused by his remarks.”

Well of course he is “apologetic.” He was busted. This is precisely what my warning to Icelanders was about that got me into trouble with the Canadian government, who deemed me to be too “Islamophobic” to sit on an “arms length” race relations federal agency. My warning was about the deceptions used by Muslim Brotherhood types and stealth jihadists as a whole, aka their use of taqiyya; stealth jihadists are proficient at deception. They are sophisticated, but their goal is to obliterate Israel and conquer infidels. All the while, the murders of apostates, homosexuals and blasphemers, etc. are rampant among the Sharia-observant, yet the stealth jihadists have brainwashed certain Westerners into thinking that calling out such human rights abuses is “Islamophobic.” Despite the truth, their non-Muslim water-carriers take stealth jihadists at their word.

ADL Regional Director Dayan Gross is not convinced that Imam Raed Saleh Al-Rousan is sincere in his apology. Only a fool would be. His videotaped sermon “shows him citing an apocalyptic Hadith (a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) which declares ‘Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews….’”

“Houston Imam’s Apology for Sermon Urging Muslims to ‘Fight the Jews in Palestine’ Falls Short for Local Jewish Leaders”, by Ben Cohen, Algemeiner, December 27, 2017:

The Houston, Texas imam who urged Muslims to “fight the Jews in Palestine” during an incendiary Dec. 8 sermon spoke of his desire on Thursday to “repair the damage” caused by his remarks — but Jewish leaders said his apology fell short in at least one critical regard.

Imam Raed Saleh Al-Rousan of the Tajweed Institute — a Quranic teaching organization with branches in Houston and Tampa — spoke in a Facebook post of his “hope to establish new and meaningful relationships with my neighbors in the Jewish community,” including through meetings “with Jewish leaders.”

“I want to hear their concerns, learn from them and bring our communities closer together,” Al-Rousan said. “I hope to work with them to alleviate any fears and to combat hatred in all forms, most especially antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry.”

“I am absolutely and completely opposed to and disgusted by all forms of terrorism, all terrorists, and I oppose anyone who would commit, call for, or threaten violence against civilians,” he continued.

But Al-Rousan’s claim in the same post that he was “mortified that an impassioned sermon I gave in light of President Trump’s Jerusalem declaration is being seen as a call for the very things I despise” received short shrift from the head of the Anti-Defamation League in Houston.

The Facebook post demonstrated that Al-Rousan “doesn’t fully understand the ramifications of his sermon,” ADL Regional Director Dayan Gross said in a statement.

“Although he says he opposes anyone who could ‘commit, call for, or threaten violence against civilians,’ and that he’s ‘mortified’ that his sermon is ‘being seen as a call for the very things I despise,’ video of the sermon unmistakably shows him citing an apocalyptic Hadith (a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad) which declares ‘Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews….,’” Gross observed.

Israel’s consul-general in Houston, Gilad Katz, was also skeptical. “Keep in mind that in his speech, the Imam actually promoted violence and death to Jewish people,” Katz told The Algemeiner on Wednesday. “Therefore, this kind of man is not a partner for a dialogue, whether he apologized or not.”

Al-Rousan’s sermon – first brought public attention to by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) — left little doubt as to his meaning. As well as quoting the widely-cited hadith, Al-Rousan accused the Jews in his own words of having “killed the prophets and the messengers of Allah,” charged that they had maliciously “changed the Torah,” and asserted that “the Hour (Judgement Day) will not arrive until Muslims fight the Jews there, in Palestine.”

In a statement condemning Al-Rousan released on Tuesday, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH) — a body that includes 21 Islamic communities in the Houston area — observed that the imam was himself “new to Houston,” and that he had made “inflammatory remarks about our Jewish community in a deeply disturbing tone.”

“While unaffiliated with this organization (Al-Rousan’s Tajweed Institute), the ISGH feels the need to set the record straight,” the statement said. “The ISGH condemns blanket statements against Jews or any other religious community. The ISGH affirms Islam’s values of pluralism and peace-building.”

Another statement signed by a group of community leaders, including seven local imams, emphasized their rejection of “any direct or perceived calls to violence whether it be against Jews, Muslims, Christians, or any other group.”

“We understand that words can create fear and tension and even cause some amongst your congregation to ask the question — ‘are Muslims really our partners, or are they not?’” the statement, addressed primarily to other faith communities, continued. “There should be no doubt — we stand with the Jewish community to combat antisemitism, and we remain confident that the Jewish community stands with us to combat Islamophobia and hate in all forms.”

Both the ADL and the Israeli consul-general welcomed the statements of condemnation from the city’s Muslim leaders.

“Israel sees partners for dialogue like the Muslim leaders who condemned such words of hatred and violence,” Katz said.

In a separate exchange with The Algemeiner, the ADL’s Gross said he was “deeply gratified” by the Muslim leaders’ responses. “These are good friends of our community who stand with us to combat antisemitism,” Gross said. “Likewise, we stand with the Muslim community against Islamophobia.”

“These are friendships that have been formed over many years,” he said.

The initiator of the group statement condemning Al-Rousan told The Algemeiner that while the Tajweed Institute was not particularly well-known among Houston’s Muslims, “we are using this as an opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade, by making it a teaching moment for the imam and for others.”….

 

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Filed Under: Featured, Islamic antisemitism, Stealth Jihad, United States, War is deceit Tagged With: ADL, Dayan Gross, Houston, Imam Raed Saleh Al-Rousan, Tajweed Institute, texas


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Comments

  1. PRCS says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    “Houston, Texas Imam Raed Saleh Al-Rousan of the Tajweed Institute, who urged Muslims to “fight the Jews in Palestine” in a sermon in early December, now speaks out about his desire to “repair the damage caused by his remarks.
    Well of course he is “apologetic.” He was busted.”

    Apologizing because he was busted for saying that. Yes.

    Now–ask him to unequivocally renounce and denounce that hadith.

    • CRUSADER says

      Dec 28, 2017 at 6:04 pm

      Seems as though ACT for America ( group/chapter in Houston ) needs to jump on the stick and ramp up some rally against the Shariah seething salafists !

    • gravenimage says

      Dec 28, 2017 at 6:32 pm

      True, PRCS. He never will, though.

    • roger woodhouse says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 5:40 am

      They lie.Their book tells them to ‘lie to the infidel’Why should we believe them when they appologise ‘for lieing’.Treat every thing they utter with the greatest of suspician.The only truthfull muslim is a dead one

      • PRCS says

        Dec 29, 2017 at 6:43 am

        Anjem Choudary, al Baghdadi, al Zawahari, al Qaradawi aren’t lying about Islam.

        • LeftisruiningCanada says

          Dec 29, 2017 at 4:00 pm

          They seem to be the most honest.

        • Save Europe says

          Dec 29, 2017 at 11:30 pm

          ….add Recip Erdogan to that list – and he’s a leader of a Muslim country!!!?!????!

    • J D S says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 8:49 am

      Caught in the act..”ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” No matter if he apologised..the truth has found him out. He spoke the truth the first time..just what Islam believes..It’s in the book!

    • Norger says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 2:25 pm

      Yes, exactly. He’s ‘mortified’ that his sermon is ‘being seen as a call for the very things I despise,’” really means he’s embarrassed about making such a candid disclosure, in a public forum, about what Islam in fact teaches about relations between Muslims and Jews. As an Imam, there’s no doubt that he understood the meaning of the genocidal Hadith to which he referred and that he meant exactly what he said. Over the last few months,there have been similar sermons, and similar denial/apologies at other US mosques. This brazen lying about Islamic theology ( yes I know it’s taquiya or kitman or whatever) is one of things I find most disturbing about Islam.

    • Michael Clark says

      Jan 1, 2018 at 1:58 am

      Apologetic laughable. He might think of correcting remarks unless he intends to defend such remarks by apologizing.

    • Michael Clark says

      Jan 1, 2018 at 2:01 am

      Agreed

  2. Benedict says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    The religion of duplicity, instigated by the eel of the prophets, strikes again.

    • gravenimage says

      Dec 28, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      Benedict, I love the “eel of the prophets”! (I suppose it was a reference to the “seal” of the prophets, but I like yours better). 🙂

      • roger woodhouse says

        Dec 29, 2017 at 5:52 am

        The problem gravenimage is that the West has given their mad religion a sense of respectability here.Our weak leaders who are locked into a Socialist mindset have no way to go now so untill we the people kick the lot out of office and take control nothing is going to change.I secretly suspect the tory government are hoping for this to happen!They are heading for disaster at the next election either way.

        • Save Europe says

          Dec 29, 2017 at 11:38 pm

          I think one also has to factor in, additionally, other elements – Western leaders are following a Neville Chamberlain/Hitler approach – ergo, extreme appeasement. The irony? They’re doing this when Muslims are only 5-6 percent in the UK, for example. 8-10 percent in France, and so on and so forth. Whilst they’re in this minority, they should be harder like the Angolans and Japanese….but much of this is about Saudi and Qatari investment in the West ( which needs to be halted). Salafi investment in universities, museums, huge building projects etc….Oxford Uni and the Sorbonne for example. Arms deals worth billions, without loss of jobs. Saudi owning 5-6 percent of USA debt.

        • LeftisruiningCanada says

          Dec 29, 2017 at 11:44 pm

          Yes. In their arrogant materialist position of supposed moral superiority, they have decided to be equally condescending to all brands of what they consider to be the ‘hobgoblins of little minds” and the ‘opium of the people’.

          Discounting the reality and power of things they cannot see, they have laid the axe to their own solid foundation, and opened the most civil civilization around to an alternate universe of evil and mayhem.

          A popular analogy: In the “Avengers” movie, a brilliant scientist, at the command of a demon demi-god, opens a portal to a parallel dimension, through which pour the barbaric armies of an utterly foreign power. Without that portal, there could have been no invasion.

          The ideals of the Left have done the same to the West.
          The door is still open.
          I hope Iron Man and the Hulk show up soon.

  3. tgusa says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    I’m sorry. One more thing that the leftist/islamist alliance has destroyed. Coming from those two groups I’m sorry means absolutely nothing these days. Whomever is dumb enough to believe their I’m sorry bs please stay far far away from me.

    “In a separate exchange with The Algemeiner, the ADL’s Gross said he was “deeply gratified” by the Muslim leaders’ responses. “These are good friends of our community who stand with us to combat antisemitism,” Gross said. “Likewise, we stand with the Muslim community against Islamophobia.”

    Yeah, that means you dummy.

  4. PRCS says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    From JTA:

    “A statement issued by leaders of Houston’s Muslim community said the imam’s sermon “was deeply problematic and does not represent the views or sentiments of the Houston Muslim community.”

    1. Problematic because someone taped it.
    2. Said “leaders” have interviewed each and every member of Houston’s Muslim community?
    3. Whatever that “community’s” views or sentiments concerning the sermon’s content–it is an “authentic” hadith and DOES represent Islam’s teachings.

  5. CRUSADER says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    “HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM….”

    (Resurrect the fighters from San Jacinto ….and
    don’t forget to….”Remember the Alamo and Goliad!”

  6. tgusa says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    This muslim problem has been brought on the American people by the deep creep state. We were never consulted and that means we are living under taxation without representation. It also means that the deep creep state are domestic terrorists. I don’t believe we have enough rope to deal with all of them.

    And yet the deep creep state labels PDT Hitler. Nothing but projection.

    • CRUSADER says

      Dec 28, 2017 at 6:08 pm

      President Donald Trump understands that when there is more flack being exploded it means one is flying close over the target. Trump is doing well given he has been at this only a year, and has had a high learning curve in governance.

      Kudos to our PotUS D.J. Trump !

    • roger woodhouse says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 5:46 am

      No one in the West was consulted on whether they wanted to be replaced by a heathen hoard.This whole thing was a fullfillment of a lefties dream.The Eu was and is a socialist concept gone wrong.This is their ‘payback’to our society.There will be much gnashing of teeth to come.I expect kick off time in a few short years time.

      • LeftisruiningCanada says

        Dec 30, 2017 at 12:06 am

        Can’t fault what you’re saying

      • greyhound fancier says

        Dec 30, 2017 at 5:21 pm

        Leftists generally can’t see the point of religion – any religion – so they have difficulty seeing how religion can be important to anyone (anyone sane and thinking, anyway). Consequently, they underplay the danger from fanatics like mad dog mohammedans.

        Couple that with religious law and government joined at the hip with a religion…the Left will never see what hit it.

        They think that Christianity is constricting…wait till you see the Sharia, fellas!

        • gravenimage says

          Dec 30, 2017 at 5:27 pm

          Spot on, GF.

        • LeftisruiningCanada says

          Dec 31, 2017 at 2:53 pm

          It may be that many in the Left , who are happy use islam as their shocktroops, see muslims as simple poor and deprived savages who can be used as tools. They may be assuming that their savagery will be easily and harmlessly commuted into docile welfare state dependency once they have served their purpose.

          It worked with the ‘christians’ in Europe, so why wouldn’t it work with the muslims?

          This is unlikely to be the case.

  7. gravenimage says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    Houston Imam “apologizes” for call to “fight Jews in Palestine,” Jewish leaders skeptical
    ………………………..

    I’m glad these Jewish leaders are skeptical–they have good reason to be.

    More:

    “I want to hear their concerns, learn from them and bring our communities closer together,” Al-Rousan said. “I hope to work with them to alleviate any fears and to combat hatred in all forms, most especially antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry.”
    ………………………..

    Even while calling for the genocide of the Jews, this pious Imam is pretending that the problem is “anti-Muslim bigotry”. Just shameless…

    • Westman says

      Dec 28, 2017 at 8:26 pm

      I’ve concluded that Islam is incapable of shame due to its arrogantly assumed superiority.

      A viable, protected, state of Israel is a humiliating irritant that makes a liar of Allah(Muhammad). And, of course, the reponse to humiliation is rage.

      • gravenimage says

        Dec 28, 2017 at 9:47 pm

        Westman, Muslims feel shame if their wife talks to an unrelated male of if their daughter wants to marry someone she loves, or if a relative leaves Islam.

        But they feel no same over their savage creed.

        • LeftisruiningCanada says

          Dec 30, 2017 at 12:10 am

          It could be shame.

          But might not it be simple rage, or jealousy from a lack of control?

  8. Robert_k says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 8:45 pm

    Will the ISGH condemn the Hadith and will the Houston Imam get whitewashed by a duped Reform Rabbi?
    Let’s see what happens?

    • Frank Anderson says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 2:39 am

      Robert, my experience with one each Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Rabbis and congregations is that they in the US all whitewash and do not wish to have anyone around who doesn’t. Half of the Jews in Germany before WWII understood and believed what they saw and heard. Half did not. “Those who cannot remember. . .” Jorge Santayana, The Life of Reason (1905). Ignoring the writings and teachings of 1400 years is amazing; but ignoring the massive death toll of the present is incomprehensible to someone not living in Viktor Frankl’s (Man’s Search for Meaning) “delusion of a reprieve”. I am at a loss for something to do to help other than pray. “There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.”

  9. Karen says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 9:11 pm

    The, cough, learned imam is appalled and dismayed that his hate speech is being misconstrued as hate speech. What a sincere apology; I put this in the category of “I’m sorry if you were offended when I called you a fat pig”. Hopefully not too many people will fall for this, and will remain wary; as you can see from the text below, they should remain very, very on guard.

    Partial transcript from Al-Rousan’s sermon, in his own words. Skip to the last paragraph for a bone-chilling threat, or if you have doubts about the sermon’s intent.

    “My brothers, the Prophet Muhammad brought the good tidings, when he said: ‘Judgment day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Muslims will kill the Jews, and the Jews will hide behind the stones and the trees, and the stones and the trees will say: Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him, except for the Gharqad tree, which is one of their trees. This is the promise of Allah.

    “The hour [i.e. Judgment Day] will not start until Muslims fight the Jews there, in Palestine. And they know that fact. The Muslims will have victory. Jews will hide behind the trees and the stones, and the stones and the trees will call the Muslims: ‘Oh Muslim, come, there is a Jew behind me,’ except for a kind of tree called ‘Gharqad,’ and, Allah be praised, they try to plant a lot of this Gharqad there, because they know these facts, brothers and sisters. But they are trying to delay it.”

    “A Jewish soldier once told one of my friends: ‘Do you know when you are going to have victory upon us? Do you know when your God will give you victory?’ He said: ‘No, I don’t know.’ He said: ‘When you guys will be in the same numbers in the dawn prayers and the Friday prayers.’

    “They know, but they are trying to put all the obstacles in front of us, because they do not want us to be religious, they don’t want us to know our religion.

    “All these games in the Muslim and Arab countries are from them. They do not want a Muslim leader. Look at what happened in Egypt. They don’t want a Muslim leader, because they know what will happen.”

    Transcript from: https://www.memri.org/tv/houston-imam-raed-rousan-muslims-kill-jews-palestine/transcript

  10. Shoshonnah says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    A brilliant bit of kitna or taquiya by the Islamic society of greater Houston. ” “The ISGH condemns blanket statements against Jews or any other religious community. The ISGH affirms Islam’s values of pluralism and peace-building.” A true statement. Islam values pluralism not a whit, and it condemns peace building. But the silly liberals will hear the happy drivel they desire to respond to.

  11. MFritz says

    Dec 28, 2017 at 11:59 pm

    Today he said something in English, tomorrow he’ll say something different in Arabic to his community. And it’s always the latter that’s important.

    • Karen says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 10:42 am

      Yes. And the “watchdog” MSM won’t try too hard to find out what he’s saying.

  12. Natalie says

    Dec 29, 2017 at 8:13 pm

    As a Jew and an Israeli I say that he can take his empty words and shive em where the sum dont shine.

    • Save Europe says

      Dec 29, 2017 at 11:40 pm

      +1

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