Hussam Ayloush's Tribute to Siraj Wahhaj

                                                        
Siraj Wahhaj                                                                                            Hussam Ayloush

"One of the most prominent and respected religious leaders in America"

-Hussam Ayloush, November 16, 2013 in Riverside referring to New York imam Siraj Wahhaj


On November 16, the director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR)  for Southern California, Hussam Ayloush, spoke before the Universalist Unitarian Church in Riverside, California on the on-going crisis in Syria. During the question and answer session, he was asked by a member of the audience (me) about the fact that the previous week during the annual CAIR conference in Anaheim, one of the featured speakers was Imam Siraj Wahhaj from New York. Wahhaj has referred to the US on video tape as a "garbage can", has repeatedly called for an Islamic takeover of the US, and was a character witness for the so-called "Blind Sheikh", Omar Abdel Rahman, currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in a plot to blow up New York City.

In his response to the questioner (me), Ayloush called Wahhaj, "one of the most prominent and respected religious leaders in America" and accused the questioner (me) of being a bigoted Islamophobe. The exchange can be viewed here  at the 2:50 mark of the 4th video.

Here is what the questioner was referring to. First, the statement of Wahhaj that America is a garbage can.

As stated by the questioner in Riverside, Wahhaj testified as a character witness for Abdel Rahman at his trial. The transcript can be viewed here.(Hat tip Investigative Project on Terrorism)

Not only did Wahhaj testify as a character witness for Abdel Rahman, he himself was listed as an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the case (number 158). (Hat tip Peter Lance.com)

And if you are looking for quotes of Wahhaj advocating an Islamic takeover of America, you don't have far to look (Hat tip Clarion Project).

http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/popular-muslim-iman-working-towards-sharia-america

“Islam is better than democracy. Allah will cause his deen [Islam as a complete way of life], Islam to prevail over every kind of system, and you know what? It will happen.”

"If only Muslims were clever politically, they could take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate. If we were united and strong, we’d elect our own emir and give allegiance to him. Take my word, if eight million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us.”

“We don’t need to arm the people with 9mms and Uzis. You need to arm them with righteousness first. And once you arm them with righteousness first, then you can arm them.”

This, Ladies and Gentleman, is Siraj Wahhaj, the man whom CAIR's Hussam Ayloush described in Riverside on November 20 as, "one of the most prominent and respected religious leaders in the US."

No doubt.