jerusalem old city police
© Ammar Awad / ReutersA Palestinian argues with an Israeli border police officer during scuffles that erupted after Palestinians held prayers just outside Jerusalem's Old City in protest over the installation of metal detectors placed at an entrance to the Old City's compound July 17, 2017
A Californian imam called on Allah to "annihilate" Jews "down to the very last one," urging for the Al-Aqsa mosque in Temple Mount in Jerusalem to be freed from their "filth." His comments came amid violence at the holy site between Israeli police and Palestinians.

Sheikh Ammar Shahin delivered his Friday sermon at the Islamic Center of Davis, where he serves as imam, some 20km from Sacramento, the capital of California, according to a statement from the center.

In the video, the imam called on Allah to "liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews" and to "destroy those who closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

Shahin's hour-long speech in both English and Arabic was mostly dedicated to the dispute over the Jerusalem holy site. Israeli authorities earlier limited access to the compound housing the Al-Aqsa, one of Islam's holiest sites.

The move sparked protests in Jerusalem and across the West Bank which repeatedly turned violent.

Israel also introduced metal detectors outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque after a fatal attack on police officers. Following numerous protests by the Palestinians, it has agreed to remove the detectors.

"Oh Allah, count them all and annihilate them down to the very last one. Do not spare any of them," Shahin said in the video.

In his speech, the imam also quoted a Hadith (sacred text of the words and stories of the Prophet Muhammad) saying that Judgement Day will come after the Muslims fight the Jews in a final battle.

Shahin's sermon sparked controversy on social media, with some people saying that he "preaches violence."

Others even called his sermon "a crime," calling for his questioning and arrest.

What he preaches is far from being a "religion of peace," people wrote.

Some also asked US President Donald Trump to investigate the speech.


Comment: If societies decide to treat such statements as crimes, that's their decision to make. But in the name of fairness and goodness, just make sure to catch all the Jews and Christians that preach their own versions of the same twisted worldview. What this imam is preaching is certainly far from being a "religion of peace", just as looneybin rabbis in West Bank, and looneybin pastors in the States do not preach religions of peace.