• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

The Islamophobia Victim’s Murder Plot

Jun 15, 2019 11:00 am By Daniel Greenfield

“Observe how peaceful we are,” Imam Mahmoud Shalash urged. “We do not cause any harm to anybody.”

Shalash’s mosque, the Islamic Center of Lexington, had contacted Lexington cops and Homeland Security, while claiming to be suffering from Islamophobic threats.

Before long, two cop cars in the Kentucky city known as the Horse Capital of the World were parked outside the mosque to protect the imam and his congregation.

The FBI also got on board.

CAIR widely circulated reports of the threat to what it called, a “house of worship”.

“Our nation’s leaders must send a clear message challenging the rising Islamophobia that leads to such threats,” CAIR’s Ibrahim Hooper declared. With the 2016 election still imminent, his news release blamed the “extreme anti-Muslim rhetoric” of Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

Four years later, Imam Mahmoud Shalash is in jail. The imam of the Islamic Center, along with John Sadiqullah, and Abdul Hadi, were charged in a harmful and not especially peaceful murder plot.

What makes this particular murder plot interesting is that it would have been authorized with a fatwa.

Imam Shalash has worn many hats. According to a LinkedIn profile, In addition to running the Islamic Center of Lexington, a man of that name owned a mobile home park and the Bluegrass Extended Stay motel (guest reviews have complained about roaches, stained beds and unfriendliness to service dogs), was a member of the Muslim Students Association (a terror linked Muslim Brotherhood hate group) while working on a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Chicago, and, ironically, considering his current predicament, had worked as a chaplain at “fedral and state prisons”.

It’s unknown which, if any of these businesses, led to the first plot.

In March, Imam Shalash met up with a government informant at the Days Motel which records indicate is owned by Shalash. (Reviews of the motel describe a man named Mohammed, accuse the staff of sexual harassment, and claim that the motel is dangerous and that the mattresses are covered in bugs.)

There the imam told the informant he needed help getting $80,000 from his target. “Do whatever you have to do to get my money back.” That, according to the informant, included breaking the man’s legs.

At a second meeting, Imam Shalash was there along with Sadiqullah, for a murder plot against another man, this time apparently involving a taxi company deal gone bad, across state lines.

“I want him dead,” Sadiqullah said. “If someone could kill him for $10,000, we all four will pay someone $10,000.”

A meeting was then meant to happen at a mosque at which a fatwa would be provided authorizing the murder. That mosque may have been the Islamic Center of Lexington, which is just across the street from the University of Kentucky.

A fatwa, a religious Islamic authorization, for murder would have provided a sharia license for violence.

“This is the month when the heart gets soft,” Imam Shalash had claimed during a previous Ramadan. “You read the Quran more often, you remember Allah more often, you tend to come to the mosque more often to pray in congregation.”

This Ramadan didn’t seem to have softened his heart. But Imam Shalash has never been a kind man.

A decade ago, Asra Q. Nomani described Imam Mahmoud Shalash telling Muslim men to beat their wives.

“This is America,” Nomani had protested. “How can you tell men to beat their wives?”

“They should beat them lightly,” Imam Shalash had insisted. “It’s in the Koran.”

And yet, despite incidents like this, the media continued quoting Imam Shalash favorably.

When Sonny Landham called for a Muslim ban while running for a Senate seat in Kentucky, the media turned to Imam Shalash to describe the libertarian actor’s comments as “irresponsible”.

The media constantly turned to Imam Shalash because he’s a major figure in the Muslim settler community in Lexington. Documents list him as an incorporator of the Islamic Society of Central Kentucky. The Society’s site lists him as conducting marriages and funerals. And the Society founded the Lexington Universal Academy whose board appears to contain a number of people with that last name.

That includes one woman described as a CAIR board member and anti-Israel activist who shares a name with a woman who is listed as living at the same address as Imam Shalash.

The Islamic Center of Lexington responded to Imam Shalash’s arrest with a statement claiming that its leadership is “shocked” at the news, that “every American citizen is innocent until proven guilty”, and that “Islam is a religion built on peace and tolerance”. But how shocked can the Center really be?

News accounts report that Imam Shalash had already pleaded guilty to federal charges of $238,763 in illegal currency transactions back in 2012. Despite that, the Center didn’t cut ties with him.

It didn’t cut ties with him after the wife-beating story.

The Islamic Center is probably hoping once again that this latest Shalash scandal will blow over.

The media has been the Islamic Center’s greatest ally during its previous scandals. When neighbors protested the plans for an Islamic community center, the media took Shalash’s side. Had the media disclosed Shalash’s previous guilty plea and the wife-beating incident, the stories and the hearings might have had a very different outcome.

Instead the media waited for a murder. And nearly got one.

Imam Shalash has spent the better part of two decades trading in vague concerns about Islamophobia while preaching that Islam is a religion of peace.

When Obama ran for office, Imam Shalash claimed that his opponents were “trying to exploit the anti-Islamic sentiment in this country that ties Muslims with terrorists.”

After President Trump’s travel ban, Imam Shalash had insisted, “People come for better opportunities to this country, not to do terroristic actions.” Apparently the two are not mutually exclusive.

After repeatedly exploiting false claims of Islamophobia, the former chaplain is now facing prison.

This case isn’t about Islamic terrorism. But it is about how Islamic law can be leveraged for violent purposes. Islamic violence isn’t just terrorism. It’s violence that is licensed by Islamic authorities.

And that can be as simple as a meeting in a grimy motel or a mosque opposite the University of Kentucky where the religious authority is just a thug who wants to get his money any way he can.

“We want to come up here and show them the real Islam that carries the love and courtesy and tolerance in our faith,” Imam Shalash was quoted as saying in news stories.

It took a while, but he finally did.

Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: "Islamophobia", claiming victim status, Featured Tagged With: Islamic Center of Lexington, Kentucky, Mahmoud Shalash


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. Mac-101 says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 11:12 am

    Nothin says the Religion of Peace better than a Fatwa to kill a Scumbag crook. Hopefully they will issue Fatwas against the Internet and phone scammers. I’m sick of em!

  2. Prabh says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 11:25 am

    This gentleman looks sharif.lol very friendly musalmann of afpak region, a land of stunning natural beauty, Greeneyed fair children and legendary Emerald Mines.
    Reminds me, I must go find my emerald ring set in gold.
    The swindling at Jaipur Gem market must be investigated.
    Green is Hermes, Budh, Mercury, wit, colour of paxtan flag. Deciphering reality of Islam must include study of Mercury, the love child of and messenger to the Gods, Titans Deva Asura etc.

    Note: I did not read article just looked at face. face reading is helpful sometimes
    One assumes plastic surgery is not part of the equation. Even with fuller partial beard, face never lies.
    Ancients understood full well that ancestors and character or lack thereof can be seen on the visage. Religion creates Beauty, The war on family and religion must end for sake of Civilization. True religion and Science r never in conflict with one another. Both the religious mystic and the scientist r worthy of Respect.
    Torturing animals is not science.
    We r part of a Nature. Prakriti is indifferent to our gaze. But in a contest between Nature and Man, Nature always wins. There can’t be such a contest as Mankind is part of Nature.
    Where Nature and the girl child r unhappy and ill treated, such entire lineages come to an end. Domestic harmony is major plank of American life as per vision of founding fathers of USA. This is basic RigVedic Axiomatic Truth. Nature has her own arsenal: natural disasters.

    • gravenimage says

      Jun 16, 2019 at 9:44 pm

      More from the bizarrely racist Prabh:

      This gentleman looks sharif.lol very friendly musalmann of afpak region, a land of stunning natural beauty, Greeneyed fair children and legendary Emerald Mines.
      Reminds me, I must go find my emerald ring set in gold.
      The swindling at Jaipur Gem market must be investigated.
      Green is Hermes, Budh, Mercury, wit, colour of paxtan flag.
      ……………………………………..

      How “friendly” is wanting to murder someone? But just the other day, Prabh was lauding Anjem Choudary wanting to murder Britons, claiming this was–somehow–he wanting to protect white people.

      More:

      Deciphering reality of Islam must include study of Mercury, the love child of and messenger to the Gods, Titans Deva Asura etc.
      ……………………………………..

      No, studying ancient Greek mythology tells you nothing about Islam–what tosh.

      More:

      Ancients understood full well that ancestors and character or lack thereof can be seen on the visage.
      ……………………………………..

      Not really–while attitude can to a point affect facial expressions, the fact is that looks tell you almost nothing about someone’s character. In fact, a sign of maturity is that a person realizes that you cannot tell character from a person’s looks. This is terribly superficial.

      Moreover, Imam Mahmoud Shalash is actually pretty ugly. More to the point, of course, is that plotting murder is damned ugly.

  3. Wellington says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 11:52 am

    On the specific matter of the media as related in this article by Daniel Greenfield, it can be seen that once again the media has gotten things wrong. Well, since the Mainstream Media (MSM) is really nothing more than an arm of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party in our time has lost its collective mind (think Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, AOC, Jerry Nadler, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Gavin Newsome, Beto O’Rourke and Eric Swalwell as a mere handful of examples confirming this), it comes as no surprise that the silly and uninformed (though highly self-righteous) MSM would to this day continue to shill for the worst religion of all time.

    The Democratic Party, the MSM and Islam. Now there’s an unholy trinity for you. Not good for America. Not good for the Constitution. Not good for freedom.

  4. CRUSADER says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    Do you think that the Islamic Center recently celebrated :

    USA Flag Day ?
    President Trump’s Birthday ?
    Anne Frank’s commemoration (she’d be 90 years old!) ?

  5. Lisel R Sipes says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 2:59 pm

    Think of the Ten Commandments. In Islam, it is OK to break all of them.

    • CRUSADER says

      Jun 15, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      Let’s list them…

      Ten Commandments:
      ================

      You shall have no other Gods but me.
      ALLAH/MOHAMHEAD

      You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
      MOHAMHEAD, ESSENTIALLY

      You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
      JIHAD IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

      You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
      OOOPS. FRIDAY PRAYERS?

      Respect your father and mother.
      WHEN CONVENIENT IN A SHAME SOCIETY.

      You must not commit murder.
      SWORD AT KUFAR’S NECK.

      You must not commit adultery.
      RIGHT HAND GRABS.

      You must not steal.
      BOOTY TIME!

      You must not give false evidence against your neighbor.
      KUFAR’S SUFFER AS DHIMMIES.

      You must not be envious of your neighbour’s goods. (You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.)
      DAR AL HARB….

    • underbed cat says

      Jun 15, 2019 at 4:11 pm

      Simple comment very true, it makes them a better muslim as they say. Try to tell that to the highly educated liberal left, response is” I don’t want to hear this”, I don’t believe it. Explain the deception they still don’t believe it. Ask if they have they researched this or read the Quran. I know the answer, “that is racist”. Nope they never read it. No change from ten years ago. It is all a conspiracy theory. They can’t get past a professional they know with degrees whose religion is Islam and they fled war, if this was true. It is an alternate universe of no knowledge. Explain sharia slander law, they start to look concerned and walk away.I guess they knew how to dupe America. Sell it to Hollywood and Universities…we don’t mass migrate unless we mass migrate first to prepare the minds and build the organizations to maximize the long term deception. Clever. No seditious goals here, move on. Very clever.

  6. gravenimage says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 7:03 pm

    The Islamophobia Victim’s Murder Plot

    “Observe how peaceful we are,” Imam Mahmoud Shalash urged. “We do not cause any harm to anybody.”
    …………………..

    Yeah…”peaceful”…

    • JM says

      Jun 16, 2019 at 5:17 am

      Indeed. I would imagine Shalash keeping both hands behind his back with his fingers crossed when he said that. Does he think we were born yesterday?!

  7. observer says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    “Observe how peaceful we are,” Imam Mahmoud Shalash urged. “We do not cause any harm to anybody.”
    ……………………..

    Another twat living in a fools’ paradise.
    Do you not read the news you idiot imam ?!!!
    On what planet do you reside ?
    You’re stuck in the dark ages without a candle.
    It takes a Westerner to make a candle.

  8. somehistory says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 10:05 pm

    Squad cars parked out front to warn away anyone who might put bacon on a door knob. Much like the cops guarding the moslim barracks in Sri Lanka after the churches were bombed…protect the murderers and let the victims fend for themselves.

  9. Relic says

    Jun 15, 2019 at 10:41 pm

    “Islamic violence isn’t just terrorism. It’s violence that is licensed by Islamic authorities.”

  10. Kesselman says

    Jun 16, 2019 at 2:22 am

    The claim that the war-ridden ”religion” is ”The Religion of Peace” is long overdue. At least sensible people know this.

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • Vladimir on Islamic Republic of Iran: Turkey’s Erdogan champions Islam only as a tool to further his own interests
  • John on Muslim cleric: ‘We welcomed the takeover of ISIS because they wanted to implement the Sharia’
  • Vladimir on Muslim cleric: ‘We welcomed the takeover of ISIS because they wanted to implement the Sharia’
  • Linda McGuire on UK: Muslim stabs two women in Marks & Spencer, one in the neck, cops search for motive
  • Linda McGuire on UK: Muslim stabs two women in Marks & Spencer, one in the neck, cops search for motive

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.