MEMRI's Exposure Of Antisemitic Sermons By Imam Abdelmohsen Abouhatab At Philadelphia's Al-Aqsa Islamic Society Prompts Mosque's Apology: 'We Are Shocked And Outraged... [By These] Reprehensible Anti-Jewish Remarks'; Imam Abouhatab Says ' What Was Attributed To Me Is Completely False' And 'Taken Out Of Context'; No Response From Mayor's Office, City And State Officials, Or Local Law Enforcement, Who Have Worked Closely With Mosque

Following MEMRI's March 6, 2019 publication of a report[1] on antisemitic sermons delivered by Imam Abdelmohsen Abouhatab at the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society in Philadelphia, PA between November 2018 and February 2019, Al-Aqsa Islamic Society officials issued an apology.

On March 8, 2019, Board of Trustees secretary Chukri Khorchid and Imam Mohamed Shehata posted on the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society website[2]: "Al Aqsa Islamic Society rejects anti-Semitism in any form. We are shocked and outraged to learn that one of our guest speakers said reprehensible anti-Jewish remarks on the floor of Al Aqsa. This in no way represents our beliefs or policies. We condemn this action and will make sure that this never happens again. We expect that all guest speakers will respect and uphold our policy that hatred against any group of people or religion will not be tolerated."

While the mosque statement noted "We are shocked and outraged to learn that one of our guest speakers" had made these statements, at the conclusion of Abouhatab's January 11, 2019 sermon, as worshipers prepared to leave, a mosque leader, likely Imam Mohamed Shehata himself, took the microphone and said: "On behalf of all of you, I would like to extend our gratitude to Sheikh Abdelmohsen Abouhattab for this good sermon." Similar expressions of gratitude by the same mosque leader were repeated after each of Abouhatab's sermons.

Source: Alaqsaislamicsociety.com, March 9, 2019.

On March 9, Imam Abouhatab issued a "Public Statement" on his website, English and Arabic, denying that his statements were antisemitic, citing Quran verses and stating, in English: "I am not against any religion and what was attributed to me is completely false. I do not promote hate, nor do I insight [sic] violence. The religion of Islam calls me to living peacefully alongside others who share different faiths, and to never transgress against the rights of others, while always speaking the words of truth when need be and under the shade of the law."

He continued: "I firmly stand by my right to express ideas, words, speech, opinion and thoughts as afforded to me and protected by the First amendment of the United States constitution. And I reject any campaign or attempt that depicts me as an extremist or a bigot."[3] Additionally, according to a March 11 media report, he said that his statements had been "taken out of context to accuse me of antisemitism."

Sites.google.com/view/abdelmohsen-abouhatab/home, accessed March 12, 2019.

Media reported that Abouhatab has spoken at several area mosques but is not employed by any of them. He served at Masjid Al-Jamia in West Philadelphia for a decade until he let go about three years ago. The Masjid Al-Jamia director said that during that time Abouhatab did not make "any kind of controversial statements" but was "a little political," which is one reason he is no longer there.[4]

Al-Aqsa Islamic Society Works Closely With Philadelphia Mayors, City  Officials, And Local U.S. Attorney's Office, As Well As Pennsylvania State Officials

As highlighted in the MEMRI report, the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society is known for interfaith activity and for working with Philadelphia mayors Michael Nutter (D) and Jim Kenney (D), the ADL and other Jewish organizations, the FBI, law enforcement, and more, including participation in a November 2018 "Securing Sacred Spaces and Places" summit in Philadelphia hosted by the ADL, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (USAO), and the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC), at which Chukri Korchid spoke.[5]

Over the years, city and state officials have attended events at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society and alongside mosque officials. In 2011, then-Mayor Nutter visited the mosque's Al-Aqsa Islamic Academy and spoke to children there.[6] The mosque was an important campaign stop for mayoral candidate Jim Kenney,[7] who was later elected mayor and attended events there. In 2016, City Councilman David Oh and State Senator Art Haywood went to the mosque for Eid Al-Fitr holiday[8] to sign the Arab American Institute's "Pledge to Combat Bigotry,"[9] in which signatories pledge to refrain from and speak out against bigotry towards Muslims and Arabs; mayoral candidate Kenney signed the pledge at the mosque as well, in July 2015.[10] Also, at a December 8, 2015 press conference following an anti-Muslim incident at the mosque (see original MEMRI report[11]), Al-Aqsa Islamic Society Imam Mohamed Shehata spoke at Philadelphia's City Hall, along with then-mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Vimeo.com/18388586, accessed March 12, 2019.

Left: Mayoral candidate Jim Kenney at campaign stop at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, July 2015 (Phillyvoice.com, December 7, 2015). Right: On July 15, 2015, on Eid Al-Fitr at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, Candidate Kenney signs the Arab American Institute's "Pledge to Combat Bigotry"  (Aaiusa.org, July 31, 2015)

Mayor Jim Kenney attends January 9, 2016 event at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society. (Spiritnews.org, January 13, 2016; Alaqsaislamicsociety.com)

At Al-Aqsa Islamic Society on February 18, 2016, City Councilman David Oh (left) and State Senator Art Haywood (center) signed the Arab American Institute's "Pledge to Combat Bigotry." On right, Imam Shehata. (Phlcouncil.com, February 23, 2016)

December 8, 2015 press conference at City Hall. Left: Then-Mayor Nutter on left, Imam Shehata in center (Phillyvoice.com, December 8, 2015). Right: Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey speaks at the press conference (Witf.org, December 9, 2015).

To date, only the ADL has spoken out about Imam Abouhatab's statements, the mosque's apology, and Abouhatab's subsequent denial. Following Abouhatab's denial, the ADL issued a statement calling it "flying in the face of multiple expert translations" and said he was "shamefully unrepentant for spouting anti-Jewish hate." It added that the organization had conferred with the city's Commission on Human Relations about the incident and that it would continue its interfaith work with Al-Aqsa as the mosque investigates the sermons.[12]

Additionally, as of this writing, the videos of Abouhatab's sermons that MEMRI translated remain on the mosque's YouTube channel.[13]

Media Coverage Of MEMRI Report And Mosque Apology

On March 9, the MEMRI report on Imam Abouhatab's sermons and the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society's apology for them were covered by Philly.com,[14] and on March 10, both were reported on by the Associated Press.[15] NBC10 in Philadelphia reported twice on the MEMRI report and the mosque's apology, and included excerpts from the MEMRI TV clip of Imam Abouhatab's statements.

To view the March 10 NBC report, click here; to view the March 11 NBC report, click here.

The Philadelphia chapter of the ADL also issued a statement condemning Imam Abouhatab's statements. On March 9, it tweeted: "For many years, ADL has worked arm-in-arm with our friends at the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society to fight antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of bigotry in Philadelphia... We are grateful for Al-Aqsa’s rapid and resolute response, and we will continue to serve as a resource to the mosque as they work to combat anti-Semitism,' the ADL statement said. 'As we have often said while standing alongside our Interfaith partners in the wake of acts of bigotry: anti-Semitism and hate have no place in our communities."[16] This statement was covered by Philly.com[17] and by the Associated Press[18] in their stories on the MEMRI report and the mosque apology, and by NBC 10. 

@ADLPhiladelphia, March 9, 2019; NBC 10, March 10 and 11, 2019.

MEMRI Special Dispatch On Imam Abouhatab's Antisemitic Sermons

To read the MEMRI report on Imam Abouhatab's antisemitic sermons, click here; to view the MEMRI TV clip of the sermons, click here or below.