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Imam who says he fights against “extremism” and has been honored in Belgium barred from flying over US

Jan 5, 2020 8:00 am By Robert Spencer

American authorities are extremely anxious to avoid “Islamophobia,” and hence it is very likely that they have good reason for this decision, and Khalid Benhaddou’s self-description is not entirely the whole story.

“Ghent imam Khalid Benhaddou is not allowed to fly over the US,” translated from “Gentse imam Khalid Benhaddou mag niet over de VS vliegen,” HLN, January 1, 2020:

The famous Ghent imam Khalid Benhaddou is not allowed to fly over the United States. Benhaddou, coordinator of the Islam experts’ education network and co-founder of the CIRRA expertise center, wanted to fly from Brussels to Mexico today. At the check-in counter in Zaventem, he was told that his departure was being refused by the American security services, he told Belga.

Benhaddou, main imam of the El Fath mosque in Ghent and chairman of the Flemish Imams Platform, is an expert in social issues concerning the place of Islam in society. He has been lauded several times for his work. In 2017 he received the human rights prize, in 2018 he received the badge of honor from the Flemish Community on behalf of the Flemish government. King Filip has repeatedly shown interest in his work on the prevention of radicalization. Various political parties regularly ask him for advice.

“I had booked a trip to Mexico, but when my passport was checked at the check-in counter I was told that my departure was being refused by the United States security agency because I was flying over American territory. The reason for this was not disclosed,” says Benhaddou.

“Frustrating”

“This is of course very frustrating, and not just because I have lost my money, because the airline is not at fault. But mainly because I have gone out of my way in the fight against extremism. If people who are committed to this are stopped and humiliated, this is a very bad signal. It may be a reason for others who will hear this story to be even more suspicious of institutions in society,” says the imam.

Benhaddou will write to the American embassy about the event. Coincidentally, a few weeks ago the American ambassador visited CIRRA, the Benhaddou expertise center.

“This story goes further than me personally, because I have heard that many other people experienced the same thing,” says the imam. He hopes that the government will raise the issue diplomatically with the US.

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Filed Under: air security, Belgium, Muslim clerics, United States Tagged With: Ghent, Khaled Benhaddou


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Comments

  1. Michael Copeland says

    Jan 5, 2020 at 8:34 am

    “I have gone out of my way in the fight against extremism”, says Benhaddou.
    What is “extremism”?
    Here is the British Government’s definition:

    “Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs…”

    Perhaps if “Western” be substituted for “British” the definition will fit Belgium.

    Is Benhaddou really engaged in the “fight” against this?
    Islam is, in its basic teachings, opposed to democracy, the rule of Parliamentary law. individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths. Their placards bear witness:

    Democracy go to Hell
    Muslims reject democracy and secularism!
    Freedom go to Hell
    Liberalism go to Hell
    Freedom of expression go to Hell
    British police go to Hell
    Anglian Soldiers go to Hell
    The Muslim nation is one nation to the exclusion of all others
    Sharia the only solution

    Numerous muslims are vocally and actively engaged in opposing them.
    “Burn, Burn, USA!, Queen and Country Go To Hell!” shouted Anjem Choudary outside the US embassy in London.
    “There will be no House of Commons”, said an imam (Channel 4, “Undercover Mosque”).
    “We are definitely a danger to Western democracy”, shouted Abu Izzadeen of banned Shariah4UK.
    “I am telling you that my religion doesn’t tolerate other religion. It doesn’t tolerate,” said Abu Bakr, Algerian-born cleric, in Australia.

    So where and how is Benhaddou’s “fight” against extremism?
    Are there videos of his anti-extremism preaching in the mosques, that Westerners are forbidden to attend?
    Has he written tracts against extremism?
    Has he any anti-extremism followers?
    Where are his placards?

    It seems that the USA knows something to cause their prohibition. Benhaddou only has his word.

    • Michael Copeland says

      Jan 5, 2020 at 8:35 am

      See “The Lamentable Shortcomings of Some English Judges and Senior Lawyers”:
      https://gatesofvienna.net/2019/06/the-lamentable-shortcomings-of-some-english-judges-and-senior-lawyers/

    • Jule Bacal says

      Jan 6, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      Mexico?PROTECT THE BORDER and let No one in. (actually not even from Canada)

  2. Trick_or_Treat says

    Jan 5, 2020 at 9:10 am

    He probably means Christian extremism. For years and years now, us rabidly radical Christians have been stabbing, and beheading people who won’t confess Jesus Christ; blowing up and burning down mosques; violently invading the homes of imams and brutally murdering them and their families; issuing death warrant encyclicals on those who insult Jesus with Easter Cross cartoons, or blasphemously denounce Christianity; chopping off the hands of those who steal our rosary beads; throwing infidel muslims off railway platforms and under trains; hijacking and flying airliners into buildings; burning people alive in steel cages; running down crowds of people [while shouting ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’]; blowing up trains, buses, and airplanes; dragging muslim women and girls off the streets and gang raping them [while reciting ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ into their ear]; kidnapping adolesent muslim girls and forcing them to convert and marry us under threat; going into muslim villages and slicing every man, woman and child up into dog meat, etc, etc, on and on it goes, …there’s just no end to the sheer horrors of our radical Christian extremism!
    [SARCASM/OFF!,]

    • mortimer says

      Jan 5, 2020 at 10:15 am

      A radical Christian would be someone like Billy Graham, Saint Francis of Assissi or Mother Teresa.

  3. mortimer says

    Jan 5, 2020 at 9:51 am

    If Khalid Benhaddou is talking out of both sides of his mouth, namely, if he is denouncing Islamic terrorism in public and promoting it in private, then word is likely to leak out, especially if he is being tailed and bugged.

    If he has been caught in private promoting terrorism, then it is obvious why he would be on the no-fly list.

  4. CogitoErgoSum says

    Jan 5, 2020 at 10:11 am

    If this man calls himself a Muslim then I assume he accepts the Koran as the true and unchangeable word of his god, Allah. No matter what he says or how he acts he cannot change what is in the Koran. That is what Muhammad told his followers to use to guide them – the Koran. It guides me to tell this man to get out of Islam now. If you don’t like what is in the Koran, leave Islam NOW. Oh wait. There is always that pesky matter of some pious Muslim who may try to kill you for leaving. Yeah, there is that, isn’t there. What does the Koran say but to fight the disbelievers near you and let them find harshness in you (Koran 9:123). Defend that if you can – or fight against it. Does not leave a person much choice.

    • mortimer says

      Jan 5, 2020 at 10:25 am

      CES is correct. Khalid Benhaddou is creating an “innovation” (bida) … a non-canonical version of Islam based on a hippy philosophy of ‘peace-and-love’. You cannot find such hippy teachings in the words of Mohammed.

      • CogitoErgoSum says

        Jan 5, 2020 at 12:58 pm

        So many Muslims want to make Muhammad into another version of the Jesus of the Bible. Perhaps this is because the ancestors of many of today’s Muslim were Christians who were forced into chosing Islam over Christianity. Those who rejected Christ tried to rationalize their decision by convincing themselves that Muhammad was just as good as Jesus and, since they could not read the Koran themselves, they trusted in the lies being told them by their leaders. The lies and the delusion have been handed down through the generations but the truth is that MUHAMMAD WAS NO JESUS CHRIST. If anything, he was the exact opposite of Christ. Muslims, you need to learn the truth about your religion. It is based on lies that deceive the weak, the uneducated … and the willfully ignorant. The truth is that Islam is evil and it will never change as long as the Koran, eternal and unchangeable, is its foundation. Everyone needs to understand this.

  5. mortimer says

    Jan 5, 2020 at 10:20 am

    There is actually no ‘Golden Rule’ version of Islam. Mullah Khalid Benhaddou is creating his own INNOVATIVE version of Islam with the jihad unpleasantness removed. Khalid Benhaddou has no right to make up his own extra-canonical version of Islam. Sharia law calls that ‘BIDA’ (illegal innovation).

    Clearly, Khalid Benhaddou is not following canonical Islam … at least he is not following it in public.

    Only those spying on him know the truth. Khalid Benhaddou is certainly not fooling himself. He knows what Sharia law says … so do we counter-jihadists. Sharia law counsels jihad until victory, not peace and love or tolerance towards the kafir.

  6. Infidel says

    Jan 5, 2020 at 10:43 am

    Flemish imam? Flanders was never a Muslim state, so why not just call him a ‘Belgian’ imam, if one wants to associate a country w/ him? Or call him an EU imam, given that his country houses EU headquarters

  7. Scott Carlson says

    Jan 6, 2020 at 4:58 am

    If people only knew there was more than one form of jihad.
    Not all forms of jihad are obvious.
    Indoctrination, psychological terrorism, lying to non-Muslims to avoid telling the truth about Islam, raising funds for terrorist organizations via fake charities on social media, having many babies etc..
    Moderate Muslims perform jihad because it’s their duty to Islam and their culture.
    Those type of jihad actually give them the most power over non-Muslim in a host country.

    • Scott Carlson says

      Jan 6, 2020 at 4:59 am

      Yet, most Americans are too ignorant to only see the physical forms of jihad like bombings, beheadings etc…

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 6, 2020 at 9:40 pm

      True–stealth Jihad is a big part of the strategy.

  8. Dawne Swift says

    Jan 6, 2020 at 8:01 am

    Interesting that it isn’t an entry to the US ban, but a “flyover” ban? Is this purely punitive or is there considered to be an actual risk during a flyover of territory by an extremist Muslim?

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 6, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      He cannot travel within the US, either, Dawne.

      And after 9/11 can you *really* ask if a Muslim flying over the US can be dangerous?

  9. gravenimage says

    Jan 6, 2020 at 9:42 pm

    Imam who says he fights against “extremism” and has been honored in Belgium barred from flying over US
    ………………….

    What–another “moderate” who really isn’t? I’m shocked…shocked…oh, wait, no I’m not…

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