Anaheim Mosque Controversy: Letter to Anaheim City Officials

     Hat tip RAIR Foundation USA

    This past week, the RAIR Foundation USA blog cross-posted my article on my efforts to inform the Orange County Register of the reported anti-Jewish remarks contained in a sermon posted online on February 1, 2023 by head imam Moustafa Kamel of the Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim, California. RAIR posted the contact information of the Anaheim mayor and city council members asking readers to contact them to register their concern over the story.

     Today I have sent emails to all of the referenced officials. If you the reader wants to do the same, the contact information is below. Please be respectful.

February 27, 2023       

Dear Council Member,

     My name is Gary Fouse, and I am a resident of Orange Country. Earlier this month, I came across a story with an accompanying video from MEMRI-TV, a pro-Israel news outlet based in New York. The article concerned the head imam of the West Coast Islamic Society Mosque, aka Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim. In an online sermon posted on his YouTube account on February 1, 2023, imam Moustafa Kamel reportedly made several violent and hateful references toward Jews including the wish that they be "annihilated". Kamel also reportedly quoted an old hadith (the reported sayings of the Prophet Mohammad), which states, "On the Day of Judgment, Jews and Muslims will fight, and the Jews will hide behind trees and rocks, and the trees and rocks will call out: 'O Muslim. there is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him." The above statements were in Arabic, which MEMRI-TV translated into English subtitles. (I do not know Arabic, so I cannot personally vouch for the translation.)

      I passed on this news to the Orange Country Register. Rather than relate the story all over again, I refer you to this article which I posted on my blog, Fousesquawk). 

https://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2023/02/is-orange-country-register-hiding-from.html

     I am passing this on for whatever action you deem appropriate. I would hope that you would want to look into it, and, if appropriate, make some sort of public statement. Perhaps, the imam should be asked to give an explanation of his remarks on the video. Obviously, I am concerned that this type of rhetoric is allegedly coming from an Anaheim mosque. I also find it curious the Register has apparently decided the story is not newsworthy, or they simply don't want to touch it. I should note that during the same period, the Register did see fit (rightfully) to print a story about a high school teacher in Northern California (East Bay) who was making anti-Semitic comments in class and giving the Hitler salute.

    This is not designed to attack the Muslim community as a whole or those who attend this mosque, and who might decide, if they are aware of these statements allegedly made, to find another mosque. But hate is hate, and it must be exposed and countered no matter who the targets or perpetrators might be. 

      I thank you for your attention.

    Gary Fouse

 

1.    Mayor  Ashleigh Aitken (Democrat) (714) 765-5247 Email:  aaitken@anaheim.net 

2.   City Council Member Jose Diaz (Democrat) – Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: jodiaz@anaheim.net

3.   City Council Member Carlos Leon (Democrat)- Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: cleon@anaheim.net

4.   City Council Member Norma Campos Kurtz (Democrat) – Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: nkurtz@anaheim.net

5.   City Council Member Stephen Faessel (Democrat): Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: sfaessel@anaheim.net

6.   City Council Member Natalie Meeks (Democrat): Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: nmeeks@anaheim.net