Daniel Greenfield: Shapiro sends $5M grant to mosque that called Jews the ‘vilest people’
Gov. Josh Shapiro attended an iftar dinner at a mosque where an imam had previously declared that “Jews are the vilest people,” and announced a huge grant for the hate mosque.
The $5 million grant, described as the largest ever given to a Muslim institution, came only five years after the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society in Philly was forced to apologize for posting hateful Islamic sermons by an imam delivered at its mosque declaring that the Arabs were superior to all races, that Jews were the “enemies of Allah” and the “vilest of all people.”
The imam also appeared to call on Muslims to take over the world.
“By Allah, if faith had taken root in our hearts, things would have been different. We would have imposed the word of Islam upon the world, like those before us did,” Imam Abdelmohsen Abouhatab told the congregation at Al Aqsa.
He also quoted a hadith describing the eventual Muslim extermination of the Jews.
The Al Aqsa Society — whose name is the Islamic one for the mosque planted by the invaders on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem following the seventh-century Arab conquest of Jerusalem — was created by a group of Palestinian migrants out of Hebron, and had been previously in the news as part of the Fort Dix terror plot by six Muslim terrorists who had prayed at the mosque and even done free roofing there.
Even though the hateful sermons had been praised in person and featured online by the mosque, public outrage led mosque leaders to disavow them, declaring that “hatred against any group of people or religion will not be tolerated.”
But earlier this year, the Al Aqsa Society promoted a ”Gala for Gaza” featuring anti-Israel writer Norman Finkelstein and Sheikh Mohammed Elshinawy whom the NYPD had described as an “acolyte” of Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Blind Sheikh linked to the World Trade Center bombing, and whose father had reportedly been an unindicted co conspirator in that same Islamic terror attack on America.
The NYPD stated that the sheikh had “made statements encouraging attendees to follow in the footsteps of Muslims who died while participating in violent jihad against non-Muslims” and that the FBI had investigated “Elshinawy for his possible role recruiting others to travel overseas to train or fight alongside extremist elements.” Elshinawy had reportedly responded to the Oct 7 atrocities by arguing “do not equate the violence of the oppressed with that of the oppressor.”
The mosque had also featured a video from Imam Omar Suleiman who had previously justified sex slavery and called for the destruction of Israel during an earlier conflict with Hamas.
According to Gov. Shapiro, who is Jewish, however the massive $5 million grant was necessary because “as we’re facing tumult overseas, and we’re facing a lot of rising hate here at home.”
“This is a moment where I think communities are fearful of the federal government and that’s deeply concerning to me and I want the Muslim community to know that they’re welcome here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said, in a dig at the Trump administration. “I’ve got their back and I’m going to protect them and I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure that their rights are protected here in the commonwealth.”
The $5 million giveaway could also be seen as a kind of political payback since Marwan Kreidie, the director of the Arab American Development Corp, is a spokesman for the mosque and had come to Shapiro’s defense during Kamala’s “Veepstakes” when he was being accused of “Islamophobia.” Kreidie wrote an op-ed claiming that Shapiro had phoned to check on him the day after the Oct. 7 attacks, hates Netanyahu and is angry over the deaths of Muslims in Gaza.
Shapiro “appointed the highest ranking Muslim to ever serve on a cabinet seat in Pennsylvania. He proclaimed April as Arab American Heritage Month. He visited Arab American mosques and churches. He spoke at an Eid-al-Fitr prayer,” he gushed.
It didn’t get Shapiro the VP nomination, but Kreidie and Shapiro appear to both continue to see the relationship as mutually beneficial.
The Al-Aqsa Islamic Society is politically influential, hosting Philly mayors Michael Nutter and Jim Kenney. After a pig’s head allegedly appeared on its doorstep, Councilman David Oh, who later ran for mayor as a Republican, signed a pledge to combat bigotry. And Gov. Shapiro claims to have a long history with the powerful mosque.
The original Palestinian center had been bolstered by refugee resettlement agencies planting Iraqis, Syrians and Afghans there to further get out the vote for Democrats in Philly.
And Philly Democrats brought them into their coalition.
That’s why Gov. Josh Shapiro, who hadn’t been picked by Kamala as her VP in part due to a whispering campaign suggesting that his Jewishness made him a liability among the party’s new pro-Hamas base, showed up at Al-Aqsa’s iftar dinner to talk about the mosque as “a place I have felt welcome at for many, many years” and had been coming there for over ten years.
“I’m really proud that we’ve been able to work with your leaders here to invest $5 million in making this place an even greater center of activity in the community.”
Part of the $5 million is supposed to be used to expand the school. However the Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy, the Society’s school, which was started to service its Arab Muslim membership but increasingly draws black students, was sued in 2023 by a teacher over accusations of racial discrimination.
According to Gov. Shapiro though, a mosque where Jews were called the “vilest people” is a very special place where he always feels welcome. That may say more about him than about the mosque.
Daniel Greenfield is an Israeli-born journalist and columnist with nearly 20 years of experience writing for conservative publications. His work spans national and international stories, covering politics, history, and culture. His first book, Domestic Enemies: The Founding Fathers’ Fight Against the Left, explores the forgotten struggles that shaped America’s early history.
Dear Mr. Greenfield,
Do you have any thoughts on Trump when during his campaign when he stated that Jews who did not vote Republican are disloyal and they hate their faith and Israel? How about when Trump stated that of he lost the election it would be because of American Jews?
How about Elon Musk giving a speech at the an AfD rally? A neo nazi political party in Germany? Or when he told that German’s should not feel guit over the Holocaust and WWII? Event though what the German government does is activley prevent it from happening.
We live in America, where thanks to the separation of Church and State, as well as the check and balances in our government that would prevent an Imam from implementing any form of of Islamic law. I am concerned to push Christianity into the public schools of America.
You need to come up with something new. Trump is right. Being a democrat is more important to Jews that being a Jew. Shapiro just proved it.
Yiu have yet to answer my question about Trump and Musk. Then we can talk about American Jews
Do you have proof that he said all those things? Give the sites where we can look it up to verify! Frankly it looks like you are a self-hating Jew if you would side with Gov Shapiro on this. You and he never learned the lessons of history. England, Neville Chamberlain, tried appeasing Hitler and it didn’t work. Appeasement never works. You can’t appease someone or a group that openly says their goal is your elimination! Also while we live in America, “Separation of Church and State” is not and never was in the Constitution. Also apparently you have not read the news reports that there are Islamic “no-go” parts of Michigan, where they implement Sharia Law and even the Dearborn PD will not enter, as well as in some boroughs of NYC where the muslims have their own police department. So much for your knowledge of both history AND Current Events, Judah.
I really doubt that Germans view the AfD as “neo-Nazi” and I suspect would be insulted to be cavalierly associated with the Nazis. To the extreme Left, anything remotely leaning toward the Center is automatically a “Neo-Nazi” The “go-to” label that avoids actually thinking about and analyzing any other position on issues. As far as “separation of church and state.” I want people to consider that money is fungible. The 5 million from the state now frees up 5 million that would have to be raised by member contributions, and which can now be used for religious purposes. In a way, the 5 million can be considered an indirect subsidy of the mosque’s primary functions. This is how HAMAS and other organizations are funded by “charitable” NGOs. I am puzzled by the naiveite of the commentor “being afraid of pushing Christianity into the public schools of America” does he think that radical Muslims do not want to incorporate Islamic teachings into the public schools? Of course, Christianity has shown it is an easy target for bigotry and hate. It has become the “go-to” religion to disparage in political arguments, particulary by the Left.
” Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, has classified the party as a “suspected extremist” organisation” – Given Musk and his history with Apartheid and Hitler salutes, I was wrong. AfD are not Nazi’s they are Facists. Oh wait….Nazism and Facism are the same thing.
No, Nazis and Fascists are not the same thing. Perhaps political science was an early morning class for you, anyway, I suggest you blow the dust off your textbooks and reread the chapters on Nazi and Fascist philosophies and forms of government.
You should have Googled it. But don’t worry I did and guess what Nazi’s are just an ideology within Facsim.
Exalts nation and race – Check
Autocratic leader – Check
Severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition Check
“Fascism : a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition”
Nazism – “: the body of political and economic doctrines held and put into effect by the Nazis in Germany from 1933 to 1945 including the totalitarian principle of government, predominance of especially Germanic groups assumed to be racially superior, and supremacy of the führer”
I guess our illustrious governor and wannabe U.S. president isn’t aware of what happened in Philly in 2019: If not, he SHOULD be!!!
BTW, it goes without saying that the vast majority of Muslims might not agree with these behaviors, but Shapiro certainly should be aware of what he’s up against.
Take a look and remember that these are CHILDREN!!! Shameful!
https://www.memri.org/tv/children-philadelphia-palestine-ummah-day-sacrifice-aqsa-chop-off-heads-eternal-torture
On April 22, 2019, the Muslim American Society Islamic Center in Philadelphia (MAS Philly) uploaded a video of an “Ummah Day” celebration to its Facebook page in which young children wearing Palestinian scarves sang: “Glorious steeds call us and lead us [to] the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The blood of martyrs protects us… Take us, oh ships… until we reach our shores and crush the treacherous ones… Flow, oh rivers of martyrs!” A young girl read a poem praising martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Palestine, and she asked: “Will [Jerusalem] be a hotbed for cowards?” Another young girl read: “We will defend [Palestine] with our bodies… We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque… We will subject them to eternal torture.” MAS Philly belongs to the Muslim American Society (MAS), which has 42 chapters in the United States and one in the United Kingdom. MAS’ website says that its mission is to “move people to strive for God-consciousness, liberty and justice, and to convey Islam with utmost clarity,” and that its vision is “a virtuous and just American society.”
Governor Shapiro, who wants desperately to become elected U.S. president in 2028 should never reward haters like he has in this case. I wonder if he’s aware of a situation that happened in Philly in 2019. While I very much doubt that it describes the thoughts of the majority of Muslims that want to live in peace, it is nevertheless disturbing. The article, which was published in April of 2019 is entitled “Children in Philadelphia Muslim Society: We Will Sacrifice Ourselves for Al-Aqsa; Will Chop off Their Heads, Subject Them to Eternal Torture” Google it!
An excerpt from that article states:
“On April 22, 2019, the Muslim American Society Islamic Center in Philadelphia (MAS Philly) uploaded a video of an “Ummah Day” celebration to its Facebook page in which young children wearing Palestinian scarves sang: “Glorious steeds call us and lead us [to] the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The blood of martyrs protects us… Take us, oh ships… until we reach our shores and crush the treacherous ones… Flow, oh rivers of martyrs!” A young girl read a poem praising martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Palestine, and she asked: “Will [Jerusalem] be a hotbed for cowards?” Another young girl read: “We will defend [Palestine] with our bodies… We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque… We will subject them to eternal torture.” MAS Philly belongs to the Muslim American Society (MAS), which has 42 chapters in the United States and one in the United Kingdom. MAS’ website says that its mission is to “move people to strive for God-consciousness, liberty and justice, and to convey Islam with utmost clarity,” and that its vision is “a virtuous and just American society.”