An imam? Someone who had dedicated his life to understanding Islam properly? How could such a person possibly turn to jihad terrorism? Doesn’t he know Islam is a religion of peace? Surely the imam Pope Francis is on his way to Prague now, so that he can explain to the imam Samer Shehadeh how he is misunderstanding his peaceful religion.
It is good that the Muslim community in Czechia expelled him, but it raises other questions: why don’t we see more Muslim communities expelling jihadis? Did the Muslim community report him as well? Did the Muslim community expel him because they disagreed with his understanding of Islam, or because they thought his preaching was imprudent and over-hasty, and would prefer to bide their time?
“Ex-Prague Imam Samer Shehadeh in custody for allegedly promoting terrorism,” by Brian Kenety, Radio Praha, November 9, 2018 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
A former Prague-based Islamic cleric, who faces charges of supporting terrorism, has given up his right to lodge a complaint against his detention and so will remain in custody pending a trial, along with two other suspects.
Imam Samer Shehadeh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on charges of supporting, promoting and financing terrorism. According to media reports, the other suspects are Shehadeh’s brother Omar and his brother’s wife.
The Czech intelligence services began investigating Imam Shehadeh in 2016. While in Prague, he had allegedly tried to radicalise Muslims and told them attending a Christian mass in a show of solidarity with people of different faiths would amount to a betrayal of Islam.
Recordings of Imam Shehadeh preaching elsewhere indicate that he was more radical than the Czech Muslim community, which expelled him, may have suspected at the time….