The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is horrified by the Hitler-like, Nazi-like, genocidal statements by two California imams last Friday, calling for Allah to “annihilate” and “destroy” the Jews. The ZOA is calling for both imams to be investigated and prosecuted for advocating genocide, an internationally recognized crime.
ZOA applauds US Cong. Brad Sherman (D-CA) for releasing the following powerful statement, “I call upon the Islamic Center of Davis to terminate the employment of Mr. Amar Shahin, to declare he is ineligible for future employment, and to permanently bar him from attendance at the Mosque or at any of its facilities. I further call upon every organization to permanently bar Mr. Shahin from all of their activities and dissociate itself from the Islamic Center of Davis until it permanently dissociates itself from Mr. Shahin. In particular, I have contacted the following organizations and urged them to inform me when Mr. Shahin would be barred from participation in their activities and whether the Islamic Center of Davis would be likewise barred until it completely severs its relationship with Mr. Shahin. The organizations contacted are: Univ. California, Davis, CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, AMC, and all interfaith organizations in the greater Sacramento area.”
Egyptian-born Imam Ammar Shahin of the Islamic Center of Davis, California, quoted an anti-Semitic hadith (scriptural Islamic tradition relating to Muhammad) in his last Friday sermon saying,
“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’ … The Prophet Muhammad says that their time will come, the Last Hour will not take place until the Muslims fight the Jews. We don’t say if it is in Palestine or another place. Until they fight … When that war breaks out, they will run and hide behind every rock, and house, and wall, and trees. The house, the wall, and the trees will call upon the Muslims. It will say: Oh Muslim… It will not say: Oh Palestinian, oh Egyptian, oh Syrian, oh Afghan, oh Pakistani, oh Indian… No, it will say: Oh Muslim. Muslim. When Muslims come back … ‘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 … Oh Allah, support the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rest of the Muslim lands. 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” (‘California Friday Sermon: Imam Ammar Shahin Cites Antisemitic Hadith, Prays for Annihilation of Jews, and Calls to Liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque from Their “Filth,”’ transcript by Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), July 21, 2017).
Imam Shahin should also be investigated for potential affiliations with the terrorist group Hamas and Hamas parent organization, the Muslim Brotherhood. Imam Shahin’s incendiary sermon came straight out of the Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood playbook. The Hadith quoted by the Imam about killing Jews is the same Hadith quoted in the Hamas charter. Imam Shahin preached that the entire Muslim “umma” (world) must support a fight for the Al Aqsa mosque; and that this is a larger “Muslim” matter rather than a Palestinian or Arab matter. Imam Shahin praised Palestinian rock throwers (who have killed Jews), but then said that Muslims cannot rely on the Palestinian or Arab leaders to do the job. Imam Shahin blamed Arabs for giving the keys to Al Aqsa to the Crusaders. By contrast, the Imam held up Salah ad-Din (Saladin) – who was Kurdish and conquered Jerusalem from the Crusaders, and Turks who later conquered Jerusalem, as the example to emulate, of the larger Muslim umma successfully conquering Jerusalem. The Hamas charter similarly speaks of the duty of all Muslims to support the Muslim conquest of the “Zionist entity” (Israel). The Imam wore a Hamas scarf, with Hamas colors, while preaching his sermon to kill Jews. One side of the scarf says “we are all Gaza” and contains a V for victory, and what looks like a rocket or knife; and the other side of the Imam’s Hamas scarf contains a picture of the dome of the rock and says “Al Quds (Jerusalem) is ours.” In other words, Shahin was inciting a worldwide Muslim holy war against Israel, using Hamas’ words and ideas.
Also last Friday, Syrian-born Sheikh Mahmoud Harmoush, speaking at the Islamic Center of Riverside, California –– which was attended by one of the perpetrators of the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack in which 14 people were murdered –– claimed falsely that the Muslim world welcomed Jews coming from Europe between 1918 and 1948. (In fact, many Arab leaders, like the Nazi collaborator Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin el Husseini instigated pogroms against Jews in British-controlled Palestine and, together with the pro-Nazi Iraqi anti-British coup plotter, Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, strenuously urged Nazis to prevent Jews reaching the Middle East and in 1941 instigated a pogrom against Iraq’s ancient, Jewish community). Sheikh Harmoush then said:
“One brother sent me a video, showing a naked woman walking into the holy mosque under the occupation forces, just to insult more and more the psyche, honor, and dignity of the Muslims … Allah wants us to have jihad in our lives, no matter what and where we are and what is happening … 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 … They will say: ‘Muhammad has died. He left only daughters.’ Muhammad died, and he left female children, who cannot fight … Oh Allah, liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque and all the Muslim lands from the unjust tyrants and the occupiers. Oh Allah, destroy them, they are no match for You. Oh Allah, disperse them, and rend them asunder. Turn them into booty in the hands of the Muslims” (‘California Imam Mahmoud Harmoush Prays for Allah to Destroy the Jews: They Are After Mecca and Medina,’ transcript by MEMRI, July 21, 2017).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “It is horrifying and intolerable that Muslim preachers right here in the United States of America are making Hitler-like, Eichman-like statements calling for a genocide of the Jews.
“These statements underscore the deeply disturbing fact that there is Muslim scriptural warrant for murdering Jews, even though this is not the view or aspiration of all Muslims. But, their holy books call for this.
“It is also profoundly disturbing that this is not a “kill all jews” speech uttered by fringe Muslim radicals at obscure mosques. Imam Shahin’s mosque in Davis is the only one in that area. This is what Davis’ entire mosque-attending Muslim community hears from their religious leader.
“These statements by the two California imams amount to advocating genocide and inciting murder and hatred against Jews simply because they are Jews –– note the calls for ‘liberating’ Al-Aqsa from Jewish ‘filth’ and to ‘annihilate’ all Jews and to ‘not spare any of them.’
“American society and the world cannot be indifferent to these Islamic, religiously-inspired calls for genocide. And we dare not risk being sha-sha-shtil Jews, too timid to speak up at the crucial moment in our vital interest.
“These California imams must be subjected to the full rigor of the law in inciting hatred and advocating genocide.
“We support calls that have already been made by the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to launch an investigation into Imam Shahin and we would call for this investigation to be extended to Sheikh Harmoush.
“Religious hate crimes in the US target Jews far more than any other minority group and this has been the case for many years, although this fact is scarcely noted and discussed.
“What ever else happens, these hate speeches advocating genocide should be publicly condemned by all levels of the US government and society.”