Canadian Imam Younus Kathrada in a recent sermon compared wishing people a Merry Christmas to congratulating murderers and pedophiles, as he called on Allah (God) to “humiliate the infidels” and “annihilate the heretics and atheists.”
In a speech delivered at the Muslim Youth of Victoria Islamic Center on Friday, radical Islamic scholar Younus Kathrada addressed the topic of holiday greetings toward non-Muslims during the Christmas season.
“Yeah, it’s Christmas season, and so many people ask: ‘Why should I not congratulate the people on this occasion?’” he told his audience.
The Islamic cleric concluded, “there is no such thing as an innocent congratulation,” before comparing such greetings to congratulating criminals and deviants.
“Would you congratulate a fornicator? Would you congratulate a murderer? Obviously not,” he said. “Would you congratulate a pedophile? Obviously not.”
“So how then can you congratulate people for insulting Allah (God)?” he asked.
Deeming the act “a major sin,” the South African-born sheikh claimed that by doing so, one is lacking love for God.
“Where is your love for your creator when you approve of people insulting Allah?” he asked.
“It is a major sin and it is disbelief,” he added.
He signed off by calling on Allah to “give strength to Islam and the Muslims, humiliate the infidels and polytheists, destroy the enemies of (our) religion, and annihilate the heretics and atheists.”
“Oh Allah, support those who wage jihad (holy war) for your sake everywhere,” he added.
Kathrada made similar remarks in 2018 when he said wishing non-Muslims a Merry Christmas is a far graver sin than murder, adultery, lying, and any other major sins.
“If a person were to do all of those major sins, they are nothing compared to the sin of congratulating and greeting the non-Muslims on their false festivals,” he said, adding that Muslims should be offended by those who worship Jesus.
These are not the only occasions of Kathrada expressing radical and hateful rhetoric.
In August, he attacked Jews and Christians as “our enemies,” accusing them of funding a failed war against Islam while calling on fellow Canadians to support the Taliban and its efforts to impose Islamic sharia law — which includes death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality — in Afghanistan.
In June, he justified hatred toward Jews for their “injustice” toward others and rejection of Islam and its prophets, while claiming a mosque is no place for those unable or unwilling to hate.
In October of 2020, he vilified French schoolteacher Samuel Paty who was murdered by a Muslim youth for showing Charlie Hebdo cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammed to his class.
After referring to Paty as “cursed,” “evil-spirited,” and a “filthy excuse for a human-being,” Kathrada implored Allah to annihilate those who slander Mohammed.
On September 11 of last year, Kathrada stated that disrespect of Mohammed is worse than police killings of black citizens in the U.S.
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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