Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim

I have been writing quite a bit about the controversial sermon posted online by the head imam at the Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim (also known as the West Coast Islamic Society Mosque). There is some additional information regarding the imam, Moustafa Kamel, and the mosque, which I am linking below.

This should not be construed as accusing Kamel of being a terrorist supporter or the mosque being a nest of terrorists.

In May 2015, two men, Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi, were arrested by the FBI for conspiring to provide aid to ISIS. Both men reportedly worshipped at the Al Ansar mosque. In December of 2015, Kemal, who immigrated from Egypt circa 2002, was interviewed by the media and complained about the FBI, as well as then-President Obama's initiative to counter extremism in the mosques in general. Another mosque official, identified in the article as Taher Herzallaj, offered a curious explanation of the motives of the above two men who had been arrested the previous May: 

“They have not said anything here about attacking America or being a threat to U.S. national security,” he said. “My guess is they were trying to join ISIS to do something for Syria,” he added, using another acronym for Islamic State.

Herzallaj added: “There is no trust of the FBI here. They spy on us. We feel like we are always under surveillance. And out of all the hundreds of mass shootings, I don’t see Obama talking to the Christian communities about them. It’s insulting he would say that.”

There is more on this from a 2015 report done by the Israel-based International Institute for Counter-Terrorism outlining Islamic radicalization in California (pp 47-48).

As stated above, none of this suggests that Kemal and/or his mosque are guilty of anything in connection with the 2015 arrests. (As for that distrust of the FBI, many in this country share that distrust but mostly for other reasons.) It is the mosque's position that the two men were radicalized online-not at the mosque. That may be the case, but whether fairly or unfairly, questions are always raised when these arrests occur as to what influences may or may not have been present in the mosque and the contents of the sermons given in that mosque.

Especially in light of this month's revelation of Kamel's online sermon posted on February 1, 2023.