Overview
Abu Usamah at-Thahabi is an American-born British cleric. He reportedly preaches hateful messages, including calling for gays to be thrown off mountains, praising Osama bin Laden, and calling women inherently “deficient.”“‘Anti-gay’ cleric talk cancelled,” BBC News, November 25, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8377437.stm. He is a convert to Islam“Radical cleric praises bin Laden,” Daily Mail (London), February 4, 2007, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-433871/Radical-cleric-praises-bin-Laden.html. who studied at Medinah University in Saudi Arabia.“Britain’s new preachers of hate,” Mirror (London), last updated February 4, 2012, http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-new-preachers-of-hate-446268.
At-Thahabi has served as the chief cleric of the Green Lane mosque in Birmingham, England.“‘Anti-gay’ cleric talk cancelled,” BBC News, November 25, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8377437.stm. In 2012, accusations surfaced that at-Thahabi had sexually harassed women at the mosque.Sunday Mercury, “Birmingham mosque cleric accused of sexual harassment,” Birmingham Mail, October 24, 2012, http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-mosque-cleric-accused-of-sexual-231250. In 2007, the British documentary “Undercover Mosque” recorded at-Thahabi praising bin Laden and calling for gay men to be thrown off mountains, though at-Thahabi has said his comments were taken out of context.“‘Anti-gay’ cleric talk cancelled,” BBC News, November 25, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8377437.stm;
“American-Born Imam Spews Message of Hate in England,” Fox News, January 18, 2007, http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/01/18/american-born-imam-spews-message-hate-in-england.html. In February 2007, at-Thahabi reportedly said Osama bin Laden was “better than a million George Bushes and a thousand Tony Blairs.” He also reportedly referred to non-Muslims as “pathological liars,”“Radical cleric praises bin Laden,” Daily Mail (London), February 4, 2007, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-433871/Radical-cleric-praises-bin-Laden.html. and called for the crucifixion of kuffar (non-believers).“American-Born Imam Spews Message of Hate in England,” Fox News, January 18, 2007, http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/01/18/american-born-imam-spews-message-hate-in-england.html.
According to the documentary, Green Lane mosque’s website features a secret chatroom, known only to members, where videos of at-Thahabi’s more extreme sermons are posted. In this chatroom, at-Thahabi has reportedly called for the creation of an Islamic state and the deaths of those who leave Islam.“American-Born Imam Spews Message of Hate in England,” Fox News, January 18, 2007, http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/01/18/american-born-imam-spews-message-hate-in-england.html.
At-Thahabi previously worked at the Islamic Center in Peoria, Illinois, where he occasionally made anti-Semitic remarks, according to mosque members. In December 2001, U.S. federal agents raided the mosque and arrested Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a Qatari student at Bradley University, accused of opening fake bank accounts and repeatedly calling a phone linked to suspected al-Qaeda financier Mustafa al-Hawsawi in Dubai.“American-Born Imam Spews Message of Hate in England,” Fox News, January 18, 2007, http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/01/18/american-born-imam-spews-message-hate-in-england.html.
At-Thahabi continues to lecture on Islam throughout Great Britain, and his speeches appear on YouTube.“The universality of Islam - Abu Usama Adh Dhahabi,” YouTube, posted by Brunel University Islamic Society, last updated January 9, 2011, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL09105FEF6EAFCBB1. Some of his scheduled appearances at British universities have been canceled due to protests and threats.“‘Anti-gay’ cleric talk cancelled,” BBC News, November 25, 2009, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8377437.stm.
Associated Groups
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Position(s):
- Propagandist
History
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers.