Ammar Shahin

Shliach Condemns Imam’s Incitement to Violence

From the Algemeiner by Rachel Frommer:

The director of the Chabad center serving the University of California-Davis told The Algemeiner on Tuesday that he was “taking seriously” a Friday sermon made by the imam of the local mosque that some have called antisemitic.

Rabbi Shmary Brownstein said the comments from Ammar Shahin of the Islamic Center of Davis — which sits blocks away from Chabad of Davis — had “unacceptably advocated and incited hatred and violence against Jews” by praying that god would “liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews.”

In his sermon, translated by the Middle East Research Institute TV Monitor Project, Shahin continued, “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.”

Brownstein said, “I don’t know if this is typical of what’s said at the mosque, but there is too much acceptance of this kind of talk. Either people aren’t aware or they think it’s not that big a deal.”

“As Jews, we are sensitive to this sort of rhetoric because we know what’s come of such talk in past times,” said Brownstein, who added that he had contacted the authorities and would be considering increased security measures.

Brownstein noted that Shahin’s is the only mosque in the town of Davis and that, during the academic year, the center has substantial student attendance.

Shahin and the mosque’s executive board reportedly said in a written statement released Tuesday, “It was clear to all who listened to the entire sermon that Imam Shahin was not calling towards anti-Semitism nor towards violence against any religion. Rather, he is known for his stance against extremism and his condemnation of un-Islamic groups which promote such views.”

Also Friday, the imam at the Islamic Academy of Riverside, located near that city’s UC campus, made a speech calling for “jihad in our lives, no matter what and where we are and what is happening.”

Mahmoud Harmoush commended those who “resist and fight back as much as you can” against the Israeli security forces installed over the weekend on the Temple Mount.

“Dear brothers and sisters, the conflict is not only in Palestine. They are going there, and they will be demanding that next….I promise you, it is not only Palestine. If you are going to be like that, most of the Middle East, and even, as I said, Mecca and Medina,” said Harmoush, who has taught Arabic at California State University-San Bernardino.

The Islamic Academy of Riverside was attended by one of the perpetrators of the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack in which 14 people were killed.

17 Comments

  • Moishe

    Brownstein said, “I don’t know if this is typical of what’s said at the mosque…
    This is kind of politically correct nonsense that will get all of us killed. The imam was quoting from official Muslim texts. This real Islam, Rabbi Brownstei.

  • Special shluchim!!!!!

    So what is America doing about this kind of HATE SPEECH?
    Hopefully under President Trump we can stop this insanity.
    May Hashem protect all the Jews!!!!

    • Milhouse

      What should America do about it? How do you imagine Trump can stop it, and what right would he have to do so? Has the first amendment been suddenly repealed and I didn’t hear about it?!

    • to millhouse

      the first amendment DOESN’T apply to hate speech as proven by charging holocaust deniers!!

  • to #1

    He actually quoted a hadith, which you might consider equivalent to (l’havdil) a questionable medrash. The imam has the choice to say that I do not accept this hadith as true, and yet he chooses to preach it.

    • Milhouse

      Every hadith with a solid provenance is binding on all Moslems, and no Moslem has the right to pick and choose for himself which ahadith appeal to him and which don’t, any more than we can pick and choose among maamorei Chazal accepted as authentic, including medroshim.

  • To#4

    He wasn’t JUST quoting the Hadith.

    He emphasized that its the duty of every Muslim to carry it out. and he continued saying that the battle wont necessarily take place in “Palestine” (hint,here in america).
    so his sermon was a call for violence against all Jews.

  • Moishe pipek

    Islam is a vile and murderous religion.The Rabbi should increae security.

  • Lubab

    The man is an anti Semite and if incitement to violence isn’t a crime, I don’t know what is. And that mosque should lose its 501c3 status and should owe taxes retroactively, lien enforced on their house of hate.

    • Milhouse

      Nothing he said comes even close to incitement. It’s all protected by the first amendment.

      The definition of incitement is speech that is both subjectively intended and objectively likely to send its audience into a frenzy, causing them to commit crimes immediately, without thinking about it for themselves.

      Essentially it turns its audience into robots, temporarily depriving them of free will, so the crimes they commit are actually committed by the speaker, just as if you tap someone’s patella with a hammer, and his leg jerks up and kicks someone, he didn’t kick that person, you did, using his leg.

      None of that is applicable here.

  • ddr

    whats the link to Rabbi Brownstein’s Chabad house, people should donate to him. He’s really out there advocating for everyone.

  • Larry

    To Mihuose there’s one thing to say I hate Jews there’s another thing to say go out and kill them

    • Milhouse

      He didn’t tell his audience to go out, right this minute, and kill Jews right here in Davis CA. He said that Moslems in Eretz Yisroel have to fight, and he said that in the final battle at the End of Days the Moslems will kill the Jews, and he prayed that Allah bring that day close. The first amendment protects his right to say all that.

  • To #16

    So now your sticking up for him to make such comments like that, & how do u know that he is not inciting Muslims to go out & kill Jews now especially in the Holy Land where his main focus is about ? Could u explain plz