Shamsud-Din Jabbar and Where He Worshiped

 Hat tip Memri TV and The Religion of Peace

If there is still anybody out there searching for the motive as to why Shamsud Din Jabbar drove his vehicle into a crowd of people in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, all doubt should have been removed with the news of his final postings shortly before he committed his act of terrorism.  Jabbar, who converted to Islam several years ago, spoke of his intention to target "disbelievers" (non-Muslims).

And where did he get that hatred toward non-Muslims? A look at the mosque(s)where he was known to worship would be instructive. The Masjid al Bilal Mosque in Houston has had its share of controversy in recent years due to the intemperate language of certain imams.

First, let's take a look at the statement that the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH), which oversees the al-Bilal Mosque, issued in the aftermath of the attack.

Fair enough. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has also issued a statement condemning the act as well as Deash (ISIS).  What else can they say? Obviously, they cannot defend the action as an act of jihad (which it was).

However, it is noted that the above ISGH statement doesn't mention the fact that the attacker was a Muslim, nor the fact that he had attended the al-Bilal  Mosque in Houston, just around the corner from where he lived. And while the above statement encourages its members to report information to law enforcement, at the same time,  ISGH is advising its members to refer any FBI inquiries to ISGH or CAIR (Hat tip JNS).

“If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond,” the post added. “If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH. It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts. Please stay safe.”

Turning back to the al-Bilal Mosque, there have been several disturbing reports about this mosque and its imams in recent years.

In the wake of the attack, Daily Mail (UK) ran an article on one of the al Bilal mosque's imams, Zoubir Bouchikhi of Algeria. He reportedly once described non-Muslims as "lower than animals", among many other things ((See MEMRI TV video in the above link). He has since been deported back to Algeria (2011), reportedly for immigration violations.

Well, that was in 2011, and perhaps, before Jabbar started attending that mosque (I don't know). Yet, as recently as August 2024, MEMRI TV reported that an imam at al Bilal Mosque named Mohammed ElFarooqui was making all sorts of derogatory comments about Jews in his sermons, referring to them as "monkeys, rats, and pigs" (see video in the above link).

In addition, MEMRI TV reports that back in November 2023, another imam at al-Bilal, Eiad Souman, also went on a rant about Jews in a sermon at that mosque (see video) in the above link).

In addition, Middle East Forum writes that yet another imam associated with a 2nd mosque under the umbrella of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, the Masjid Abubakr Mosque, a gentleman named Furqan Sayed, has been invited to address some sort of Harris County (where Houston is located) governing body. The Abubakr Mosque has a long history of association with Islamist organizations. And this invitation is in the wake of the New Orleans attack. The article states that Jabbar also attended this mosque.

I cannot state with certainty whether Jabbar ever heard any of these imams give a sermon or was ever influenced by them. It seems more solidly established that he had an association with the al-Bilal Mosque as opposed to the Abubakr Mosque. Both are under the umbrella of the ISGH. But given the fact that Jabbar was radicalized, it is reasonable to question the influence that the mosque(s) he attended contributed to that radicalization and desire to kill the "disbelievers". In light of these reports, the words of the ISGH in the above statement hardly seem credible.

I want to reiterate in closing that this post is not meant to characterize all Muslims, especially those who worship at al-Bilal Mosque or any of the ISGH mosques in the Houston area, as being potential terrorists or sympathizers. As always, we must not blame or punish innocent Muslims. At the same time, we must not shrink from pointing the finger at individuals, institutions,  or groups that propagate hate and encourage murder and other forms of violence. Given all the above information, it is entirely legitimate and appropriate for law enforcement to investigate the question of whether the New Orleans attacker was inspired or influenced in any way by the mosque(s) he attended.