Sheikh Ammar Shahin (center, in white head covering) of the Islamic Center of Davis was joined by Jewish and Muslim leaders at a press conference in Davis on July 28, 2017, where he apologized for earlier anti-Semitic remarks.
Sheikh Ammar Shahin (center, in white head covering) of the Islamic Center of Davis was joined by Jewish and Muslim leaders at a press conference in Davis on July 28, 2017, where he apologized for earlier anti-Semitic remarks. (Photo/Elissa Einhorn)

In a recent article in J., Imam Shahin in Davis misleadingly and manipulatively referred to a “commitment to defending religious rights in Jerusalem” and “this group shutting down the mosque” to excuse his recurring calls for death to Jews.

However, the shutting down of the mosque he referred to was requested by Jerusalem mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein: “The prayer of anyone entering the Al-Aksa mosque via the metal detectors is null and void.”

Bear in mind that Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, is surveilled by both metal detectors and 5,000 CCTV cameras, which apparently do not render prayer at that site “null and void.” And how is it that weapons smuggled onto Al-Aksa by Muslims to commit murder do not defile the site, but metal detectors and cameras at its entrance do?

The Davis imam, on two occasions that we know of, openly sermonized about visiting death upon Jews:

“Oh Allah, turn Jerusalem and Palestine into a graveyard for the Jews” (July 14) and “Oh Allah, count them one by one and annihilate them down to the very last one. Do not spare any of them” (July 21).

That is hate speech — not merely “ hurtful” speech. Hatred like that can’t be tidied up with a carefully crafted, politically expedient apology. Hatred like that is not the American way.

Julia Lutch,
Davis

Why are Jews forgiving this Davis cleric?

As per the progressive Jewish protocol, J. chose to run a story embracing the Davis iman’s “apology” hook, line and sinker. In true New York Times form of opinion masquerading as journalism, J. fails to report that the imam did not even retract his hateful and violent call on Allah and Muslims to annihilate the Jews. At the end of the story, a local rabbi talks about the principle of teshuva in Judaism, which he erroneously defines as “atonement.” Would it were that he understood the term correctly as returning to G-d, and not to one’s own self-glorified and jaundiced personal politics.

I don’t see a real apology, and it is sad that people are so quick to jump to the defense of a man who publicly, on more than one occasion, has called for our annihilation.

Isaac Winer,
Palo Alto

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6 replies on “Imam’s hate speech can’t be forgiven with an apology”

  1. Ms. Lutch is spot-on. As per left-wing Jewish protocol, the J previously chose to run a story embracing the Davis Iman’s “apology” hook, line and sinker. In true New York Times form of opinion masquerading as journalism, the J failed to report that the Imam did not even retract his hateful and violent call on Allah and Muslims to annihilate the Jews. At the end of the story, a Reform rabbi talks about the principle of teshuva in Judaism, which he erroneously defines as “atonement.” Would it were were that he understood the term correctly as returning to G-d, and not to one’s own self-glorified and jaundiced personal politics.

  3. This hate speech originates from the holy isalmic texts – The hadiths and quran.

    In order to ‘not forgive’ it, we would need to ‘not forgive’ islamic texts. Which would be ‘not forgiving’ islam.

    But such is our sheer insanity, that we have given complete legal protection to islam.

  4. Thank you for your letters!
    Once again these so-called Jewish leaders proved to all of us that not only they do not represent us or speak for us, but they are ready and willing to betray us in the name of political correctness

  5. At a minimum, the Davis Islamic Center needs to fire the fire-breathing imam. Ferchristsake, he’s not some marginal figure, he’s their *principle* spiritual leader.

    Until that happens, our working assumption needs to be that this organization is a classic hate group. (In fact, I think you’d have trouble finding an analogous call to mass murder even among the most far-out white supremacist groups.)

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