Clerics & Preachers

Clerics & Preachers

Abu Walaa, the preacher guilty of supporting ‘Islamic State’ terrorism The trial of suspected 'Islamic State' recruiter Abu Walaa has lasted three and a half years in the German city of Celle. He was sentenced to over 10 years in prison.

February 24, 2021   

(Deutsche Welle) Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 11 1/2 years for Ahmad Abdulaziz Abdullah A., also known as Abu Walaa. They said the defendant, who was born in Iraq, was the head of an “Islamic State” (IS) network and worked to […]

Clerics & Preachers

Austria calls for European register of Muslim imams Austria has already adopted an obligatory imam registry among other measures aimed at reducing terrorism after a November terror attack in Vienna.

January 2, 2021   

(Deutsche Welle) Since the start of 2021, Austria has required the registration of all imams in the country. The mandate was one of several new measures Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s government adopted after a November 2 terror attack in Vienna. Four civilians were […]

Clerics & Preachers

Renowned imam calls on Muslims to engage with France Prominent Islamic scholar [Mohammed] Abu Zaid has urged Muslims in France to cooperate with the government. But he told DW that the authorities should also foster dialogue with the Muslim community.

December 5, 2020   

(Deutsche Welle) France’s latest steps in combating Islamist extremism at home have been closely monitored in Arab countries. The brutal killing of French teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in class, prompted French President Emmanuel […]

Clerics & Preachers

Danish minister’s comment on sex before marriage angers Muslims Mattias Tesfaye has suggested the Muslim community should support the ‘right’ to sex before marriage for Muslim women.

November 26, 2020   

(Al-Jazeera) A Danish minister has caused outrage among the Muslim minority for suggesting imams and community leaders should publicly support the “right” to have sex before marriage for women. Mattias Tesfaye, foreign affairs and integration minister, said in a Facebook post last […]

Clerics & Preachers

Canadian imam calls Jews ‘brothers of monkeys and pigs’ B’nai Brith Canada asks police to investigate imam with a history of anti-Semitic and radical Islamic incitement.

November 25, 2020   

(World Israel News) B’nai Brith Canada contacted police to investigate an Islamic religious leader in British Columbia for his latest incitement against Jews, the organization said [in] a statement Tuesday. Local imam Younus Kathrada in the provincial capital of Victoria posted a […]

Clerics & Preachers

‘The French government has no right’: CAIR slams Macron’s ‘ultimatum’ to Muslims Muslim-American civil rights group labels French president's order to establish 'National Council of Imams' under government parameters 'hypocritical and dangerous'

November 20, 2020   

(Middle East Eye) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned French President Emmanuel Macron’s “attempt to dictate the principles of the Islamic faith” to French Muslim leaders, and his demand they “falsely state that Islam is an ‘apolitical religion.’” Macron on Wednesday […]

Academics & Education

European imam school ‘not feasible,’ says Paris mosque rector Chems-Eddine Hafiz said Charles Michel’s proposal was a ‘noble idea’ but not viable.

November 13, 2020   

(Politico) The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris has described European Council President Charles Michel’s proposal to create a European imam training institute as “not feasible.” Visiting Austria earlier this week after the terror attack in Vienna, Michel suggested establishing an […]

Academics & Education

Germany’s imams seen as key in combating radicalization Imam training is in the spotlight of this year's German Islam Conference. In light of recent terror attacks, Germany's interior minister said a new training program for German-speaking imams was 'money well-spent.'

November 10, 2020   

(Deutsche Welle) The latest spate of terror attacks in France and Austria will not hamper the cooperation between the government and Germany’s Muslim community, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Tuesday. “We won’t let terrorism and extremism derail us,” Seehofer said at […]

Academics & Education

Malta imam says religious vilification should be illegal, in France murder reaction Imam Mohammed El Sadi claimed the publication of Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad played into the hands of Muslim extremists and extreme right groups

October 27, 2020   

(Malta Today) The imam of the Paola mosque, Mohammed El Sadi, has once again called for the criminalisation of blasphemy and the mocking of faiths, in a reaction to the fanatical murder of a French teacher who displayed the notorious Charlie Hebdo […]

Children & Teens

Iranian ambassador summoned for role in Sharia law divorce contracts Foreign minister Jeppe Kofod wants an explanation and calls Iranian interference in Danish law unacceptable

October 7, 2020   

(Copenhagen Post) Today, the government outlined plans to crack down hard on imams who propagate Sharia law divorce documents. Now, in a stunning turn of events, Iran’s ambassador to Denmark, Afsaneh Nadipour, has been summoned to the Danish Foreign Ministry to explain […]

Clerics & Preachers

Influential Muslim scholar Hamza Yusuf criticised for backing UAE-Israel deal Academics say Yusuf's endorsement of the Israel-UAE deal is part of a long history of condoning the actions of the UAE government

August 21, 2020   

(Middle East Eye) Hamza Yusuf, a prominent Muslim scholar based in the United States, is facing a deluge of criticism after publicly endorsing the United Arab Emirates’ decision to normalise ties with Israel — a move which has in large part been condemned […]

Clerics & Preachers

Democratic National Convention hosts imam from Islamic extremist institution Noman Hussain, imam of ISM Brookfield in Wisconsin, was one of the religious leaders who took part in the 'Interfaith Welcome Service.'

August 17, 2020   

(JNS) The Democratic National Convention hosted an imam from an Islamic extremist institution on Sunday. Noman Hussain, imam of ISM Brookfield in Wisconsin, was one of the religious leaders who took part in the convention’s “Interfaith Welcome Service.” Hussain is a scholar […]

Clerics & Preachers

Ban on Qaradawi urged by French commission into Islamist radicalisation Capture by Muslim Brotherhood of elite institutions and grassroots organisations across France aids radicalisation

July 21, 2020   

(National-UAE) A French commission of inquiry has called for the leading Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Yusuf Al Qaradawi and his supporters to be barred from France, as it puts forward recommendations to reduce the group’s influence. The 44 recommendations in the report on […]