Sharia-apologist and Islamist activist Linda Sarsour is a controversial figure in her own right. But who is Linda Sarsour’s mentor?
By: Alex Vanness, The Clarion Project
Last year, Linda Sarsour addressed the 54th ISNA Convention. Sarsour, who is one of the most prominent Muslim activists in America, was widely criticized for calling on Muslims to wage “jihad” against President Trump.
However, the most controversial remarks in her 22-minute speech came within the first two minutes when she gave a shout-out to her “favorite person in this room,” radical imam Siraj Wahhaj, who Sarsour called her “mentor, motivator and encourager.”
Recently, police raided an extremist Islamist compound in New Mexico where compound leaders were training children to become school shooters. One of the leaders of this terrorist camp was none other than Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, son of Siraj Wahhaj. Siraj Ibn Wahhaj also kidnapped his own physically disabled child – the child was later found dead due to being deprived of his medicine and an exorcism ritual. Siraj Ibn Wahhaj attributed his son’s condition to demonic possession.
Ibn Wahhaj’s compound was not a complete aberration; there are other cultish Islamist encampments in the U.S. In January 2018, Clarion Project reported on FBI documents confirming Jamaat ul-Fuqra is training members in dozens of isolated communes across America and Canada.
Fuqra, which now goes by the name of the Muslims of the Americas (MOA) among other titles, is a cultish Islamist group with a history of crime and terrorism. Fuqra conducts basic paramilitary training in their camps in America (as well as elsewhere).
Wahhaj, Sr. is no stranger to Fuqra/MOA. A number of former congregants at Wahhaj’s Al-Taqwa mosque are involved with MOA, including Ali Abdelaziz and Clement Rodney Hampton-El.
After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Wahhaj gave a sermon asking the question, “Who are the real terrorists?” He named three entities: The U.S. government, big business and the media.
Wahhaj served as a character witness for the “Blind Sheikh,” Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was found guilty of masterminding terrorist plots against the United States, including his role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Sarsour’s mentor called for armed Jihad
In 1992, Wahhaj gave a sermon in which he advocated for armed jihad in streets for the benefit of Islam. Is it a stretch to hypothesize that Ibn Wahhaj’s actions were in some way influenced by his father and MOA members at his mosque?
Sarsour has been a steadfast “mentee” of Siraj Wahhaj. This is not to suggest that one day we’ll find Sarsour running a compound in New Mexico, but Sarsour has a long history of distasteful views and associations with extremist figures.
In 2017, for example, she attended a summit run by the radical left-wing group Jewish Voice for Peace, where she sat alongside the convicted Palestinian terrorist, Rasmea Odeh, and gave her a warm embrace. While speaking, Sarsour said she was “honored and privileged to be here in this space, and honored to be on this stage with Rasmea.”
Sarsour has also called for people to show solidarity with Muhammad Allan, a member of the terror group Islamic Jihad. Allan has a history of recruiting suicide bombers.
Sarsour also associates with the organization Al-Awda and its co-founder (an open and unapologetic Hezbollah supporter) Abbas Hamideh. Sarsour has attended numerous rallies sponsored by Al-Awda, promoted and solicited donations for their events, and spoken at their rallies.
Community leaders and imams are supposed to set a good example for their flocks. Imam Siraj Wahhaj and his mentee, Linda Sarsour, are examples of a failure of leadership. Muslims deserve better than these two.