Michigan-Based Jihadi Preacher Lambasts Muslim Americans For Electing A President Who 'Took Al-Aqsa From Muslims'; Canada-Based, Egyptian-Born Cleric: Iran's Betrayal Of Hamas 'Confirmed Beyond Doubt'

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In the aftermath of the Hamas October 7, 2023, attack against Israel, and Israel's response a day later, declaring war on Hamas and armed Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip. The country is backed by the U.S. administration's unconditional verbal and military support. Jihadi clerics based in the U.S. and Canada published their opinions on American Muslims' support for President Joseph Biden; the purpose of Hamas's attack, and whether it was worth carrying out in light of the vast devastation and humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip.   

Michigan-Based Preacher Musa Abdullah Jibril

On January 18, 2024, "The Light of Truth" Telegram channel, which is affiliated with Michigan-based pro-ISIS preacher Musa Ahmad Jibril, and the cleric's father, Musa Abdullah Jibril, shared a commentary by the latter titled: "Judgement Belongs To None But Allah!" The speech criticized Muslims who participate in democratic elections, accusing them of ignorance and shortsightedness, and rejecting the excuses put forth to justify participation as acts of apostasy.[1]

Jibril considers democracy to be a system of kufr [unbelief]. He urges democracy advocates to stop encouraging others to take part in elections while "camouflaging" the evilness of the system. He believes Muslims should be allowed "to wake up and take heed" of the issue.

"Propelling" President Biden Into White House Yielded Opposite Of Muslim "Expectations"  

To corroborate his argument, Jibril cited the example of President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. He argued that Muslims in the U.S. sacrificed their religion and disregarded the laws of Allah, under the "false" pretext of the need to choose the "lesser of two evils," and helped elect a candidate they hoped would aid the Muslims locally and globally.  

The result of Muslim Americans' participation in the election and their "trust in other than Allah" came contrary to their expectations, he contended, adding: "The world never saw a more destructive man towards the Ummah [nation of Islam]! He made the whole world fight Islam and the Muslims, resulting in devastation and continuous conflict. He waged war on two Muslim countries, absolutely annihilated every reminiscence of those countries and the Muslim brethren there."

President Biden Has Been "Waging A Global War On Islam And Muslims For The Past 20 Years"

Jibril went on to elaborate on what he called President Biden's efforts "to try and eradicate Islam," accusing him of waging a global war on Islam and Muslims for the past 20 years by "inflaming extreme anti-Muslim hatred worldwide" and "even turning Muslims against each other."

For Muslims to heed the "warning," Jibril urged them to turn to Allah alone and to His shari'a for justice. He continued, telling Muslims to refuse to be fooled yet again by "hireling scholars," who preach for a continuing involvement in acts of polytheism, misguiding Muslims towards voting in another election.

"Muslim Americans Are To Blame For The Spilling Of Muslim Blood In Gaza"

In the aftermath of the Hamas-Israel war and the U.S. support of the Israeli war effort, Jibril held that all those who voted in the past elections are responsible for the spilling of Muslim blood in Gaza: "We find no excuse for your ignorance and idiocy! You are all responsible. Rather than seeking to justify your actions or pointing fingers at others, it's crucial to acknowledge and take responsibility for your own transgressions."

Jibril went on to blame Muslim Americans for the decisions made by a "retard" president they "propelled into office," saying that the man they helped elect, soon after his election, "wreaked havoc upon sacred lands, annihilated our blessed land, and took Al-Aqsa from Muslims."

"We witnessed another Crusader attack. Crimes committed that history never witnessed before! He demolished, destroyed, and annihilated. Widespread devastation ensued—unstoppable by the populace," he added.

"In Islam There Is No Democracy, It Is All Kufr"

There is no democracy in Islam, notes Jibril: "It is a system of unbelief that does not ensure justice." The entire concept of democracy leads to unbelief and "nothing good came out of it through history," Jibril said, adding that "sovereignty belongs exclusively to Allah alone, the only judge and only ruler."

He went on to advise people with authority among Muslims to stop "driving the masses towards decay, unbelief, and corruption by following democracy," stating that those who encourage participation in democratic elections "seem to have no sense of extent of the harm caused as a consequence of their actions."

Canada-Based Tariq Abdulhaleem: Iran And Proxies' Betrayal Of Hamas Is The "Only Factor" To Judge The Success Or Failure Of The October 7 Attack

On January 18, 2024, jihadi cleric Abdulhaleem posted a commentary discussing the motives behind the October 7 attack by Hamas. In earlier commentaries, he accused Hamas of being an Iran-backed group which cannot be trusted with the affairs of Muslims in the Gaza Strip.[2]

There are two opposing opinions about Hamas and its attack, according to Abdulhaleem. On the one hand, there are those who believe that Hamas conducted "a heroic act by all standards," in terms of helping uncover the silence over the "crimes of the occupation during the eight decades." He continued, saying that the "resisting of [luxury] hotels will be of no use," as well as the argument that the price Gaza and the West Bank are paying today is "to some extent a fair price for supporting the cause."

On the other hand, he contends, there are those who believe that the whole operation was a terrible strategic mistake, for which the Hamas leadership must be held accountable by death. These people argue that the outcome is not proportional to a tenth of the sacrifices made: the spiraling death toll, the displacement of two million Gazans without shelter or food, and the fall of many of the resistance tunnels falling into the hands of an "enemy backed by the entire world's weapons reserve."

The people who uphold the second opinion, he added, understand that the "grave mistake occurred when the resistance believed the promises" of the Iran-led Shi'ite axis of resistance. That group, he stressed, "misled" Hamas into a trap that benefited the axis by keeping Israel distracted from an attempt to strike them.

Weighing in on the issue, Abdulhaleem said that his "only comment" is that Iran and its proxies' betrayal of Hamas and the Palestinian resistance "is confirmed beyond a doubt," and that the resistance fell into their trap. That remains the first and main factor by which Muslims should judge the October 7 attack.[3]