Clerics & Preachers

‘Imam of Peace’ calls on Arabs, Muslims to embrace Israel Hassen Chalghoumi strives to bring people together to fight antisemitism and Islamism, more specifically political Islam.

(JNS) Born in Tunisia in 1972, Hassen Chalghoumi received his undergraduate degree from a university in Damascus before studying theology in Pakistan. The father of five children, he arrived in 1996 in France, where he became the imam of the Drancy mosque […]

Clerics & Preachers

Imam Iquioussen sent back to Morocco

(Brussels Times) Hassan Iquioussen, the Moroccan imam accused by French authorities of spreading hate, was sent back to Morocco on Friday, Belgium’s state secretary for asylum and migration, Nicole de Moor, reported. Iquioussen had fled to Belgium in summer after France decided […]

Clerics & Preachers

Belgium wants to deport imam Hassan Iquioussen to Morocco Morocco’s government canceled a consular pass for imam Iquioussen’s deportation in September 2022.

(Morocco World News) Authorities in Belgium are seeking to deport Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen to Morocco. News outlet BFMTV quoted sources that Belgium will deport the imam directly to Morocco. Belgian authorities arrested Iquioussen in September of last year. The imam has […]

Clerics & Preachers

Preacher accused of being ISIS marriage broker faces trial in New York Prosecutors say that Abdullah el-Faisal, who served time in Britain for inciting racial hatred, tried to find recruits for the Middle East extremist group.

(NY Times) In late 2016, Abdullah el-Faisal, a Jamaican preacher who was an outspoken supporter of the Islamic State, began communicating on WhatsApp with a woman in New York who claimed to be an aspiring jihadist with medical training. He offered to […]

Clerics & Preachers

US Muslim delegation to visit Abraham Accord countries Israel and Bahrain Talib Shareef, a prominent imam from Washington, D.C., will speak about the role of religious leaders in promoting peace.

(JNS) A delegation of American Muslim community leaders plans to visit two of the Abraham Accords countries, Bahrain and Israel. Sharaka — a Middle East-based NGO that promotes people-to-people peace and engagement — and the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council […]

Clerics & Preachers

Police in Belgium arrest Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen France issued a European arrest warrant against the imam after the French Council of State gave the green light for his deportation.

(Morocco World News) Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne announced today that security services in the European country arrested French-Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. AFP quoted the Belgian minister confirming the news. “I can confirm to you that he was arrested today by […]

Christians

Greek authorities want to install Christians in mufti offices in Western Thrace: Muslim cleric 'Discrimination began when there were efforts to remove our elected clerics (muftis) from office,' says Mustafa Trampa

(Anadolu) The newly elected Muslim cleric (mufti) of the Turkish minority in the Xanthi region of Western Thrace in Greece said Monday that discriminatory practices are being carried out against the Turkish minority in the region. Mustafa Trampa, who was elected as […]

Clerics & Preachers

Greece’s Muslim Turkish minority set to elect new religious leader Election to manifest minority’s rejection of state intervention on matter, says candidate running for elections

(Anadolu) In defiance of state intervention, Greece’s 150,000-strong Muslim Turkish minority is set to elect their new religious leader. The elections — in which two candidates, Mustafa Trampa and Mustafa Kamo, are running — will be held following Friday prayer in Xanthi […]

Clerics & Preachers

Türkiye urges Greece to stop denying recognition to elected Muslim clerics Ankara urges Greece to respect rights of Western Thrace Turkish minority to elect their religious leaders, guaranteed by international agreements

(Anadolu) Türkiye on Monday again urged Greece to respect the rights of the Turkish minority in its Western Thrace region and to stop denying recognition to elected Muslim clerics (muftis). Talking to Twitter, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Türkiye expects Greece […]

Clerics & Preachers

Lawyer of Imam Iquioussen denounces French interior minister’s ‘political show’ The French-Moroccan imam is accused of promoting hate speech.

(Morocco World News) Lucie Simon, Imam Hassan Iquioussen’s lawyer, on Friday confirmed that her client left the French territory in compliance with the ministerial expulsion decision without specifying his whereabouts. In an interview with BFM TV, Simon decried the “political show” carried […]

Clerics & Preachers

Imam Mohamed Magid appointed to international religious freedom commission The former president of the Islamic Society of North America and current co-president of Religions for Peace has played a key role in numerous declarations and dialogues.

(Religion News) Imam Mohamed Magid, the executive religious director of a Northern Virginia mosque and a leader in interfaith relations, has been appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Magid said he received word from the White House that his […]

Clerics & Preachers

French court suspends expulsion of Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen Reports suggested that France would expel the imam to Morocco after Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin decided to issue an expulsion order against him.

(Morocco World News) The Paris Administrative Court on Friday suspended the expulsion order of Moroccan-French imam Hassan Iquioussen. The court ruled in favor of the imam, suggesting that his expulsion would cause a “disproportionate attack” on his private life and family. The […]

Clerics & Preachers

Türkiye calls Greek move disclaiming minority Muslims’ local elected leaders ‘unacceptable’ Ankara urges Greece to respect international law, fulfill obligations stemming from Lausanne Peace Treaty on Turkish minority in Western Thrace

(Anadolu) Türkiye on Thursday criticized Greece’s latest move denying recognition to the Turkish minority’s elected Muslim clerics (muftis), calling it “unacceptable.” In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry urged Greece to respect international law and fulfill its contractual obligations under the longstanding […]

Clerics & Preachers

NGO slams France for threatening to expel French-born Moroccan imam France’s interior minister is accusing the imam of promoting hate speech against the country’s values.

(Morocco World News) The League for Human Rights (LDH) issued a statement on Monday to denounce the French government’s decision to expel Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. The NGO argued that both Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin and the prefect of the Hauts-de-France […]

Clerics & Preachers

France uses controversial law to expel Moroccan imam Iquioussen France's interior minister claims that the imam has been promoting hate speech against the country’s values.

(Morocco World News) France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that his country is set to expel Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. The minister publicly accused the France-born Moroccan imam of adopting “hate speech against the values of France, contrary to our principles of […]