‘Destroy the Zionist Jews:’ NY mosque condemns pro-Hamas imam sermon
New York and New Jersey ADL regional director Scott Richman warned that such rhetoric could result in "harmful real world consequences."
After a speech and prayers by a guest imam calling for God to destroy Zionist Jews and for victory for Hamas, and outrage from the Rockland Jewish community, the New York mosque at which the services occurred on Sunday condemned the sermon.
During an August 9 sermon at the Islamic Center of Rockland County, a guest imam said that Hamas and Gaza were facing the combined armies of Israel and several Western nations and were winning, the Middle East Media Research Institute reported the same day.
“It’s been 11 months nonstop, and they still can’t defeat them, because they have in their hearts that faith, the one we don’t have ourselves,” the imam said in the sermon, which was live streamed on Youtube. “Oh Allah, grant victory to our brothers in Gaza and in Palestine,” he said.
The religious leader prayed that God should “guide their shooting” and “destroy the Zionist Jews, Oh Allah, seize them with a crushing grip.”
MEMRI said that the imam continued to call on God to “liberate al-Aqsa Mosque from the plundering Jews.”
The Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County, Rockland Board of Rabbis, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the “inflammatory” and “threatening” sermon and called on the Islamic Center to repudiate the incitement in a Saturday joint statement.
“It is especially painful to hear such words from a mosque that has often been a partner to local synagogues,” said Rockland Jewish Federation CEO Ari Rosenblum. “The last 10 months have carried the weight of tragedy for all. There is room for critical and constructive conversations between the Jewish and Muslim communities. But there is no room for hateful, violent speech like this. It is more than alarming, it is threatening to the overwhelming majority of our community who identify with the self-determination of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland.”
"Real world consequences"
New York and New Jersey ADL regional director Scott Richman warned that such rhetoric could result in “harmful real-world consequences” and the statement thanked law enforcement for their efforts to safeguard the community, which has over 100,000 Jewish residents.
The Islamic Center on Sunday said that the guest imam’s statements, including “a prayer to God for the destruction of Zionist Jews as part of the conflict in Gaza” were hurtful and apologized for pain caused by the remarks.
“We unequivocally condemn these statements,” the center said on Facebook. “The Islamic Center of Rockland stands firmly against antisemitism and any rhetoric that incites violence or hatred, as we have for the 35 years we have operated in this county alongside other faiths. Our faith teaches us the values of peace, compassion, and justice. We remain committed to fostering a community built on these principles, where dialogue and understanding can pave the way toward a better future for all.”
The center said that it would ensure that its platform would not be used in the future to promote such harmful messages.
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