Good Riddance for Britain, but Bad News for Florida: The Radical Teachings of Sheikh Abu Usamah At-Thahabi
Florida’s New Imam: A Legacy of Radical Rhetoric and Division
January 9, 2025Anna StanleyFocus on Western Islamism
Sheikh Abu Usamah At-Thahabi, one of Britain’s most controversial hate preachers, has returned to the United States, to assume the position of imam at Masjid As-Sunnah in Kissimmee, Florida. This development marks a double-edged sword—a relief for the U.K. but a troubling prospect for America.
For years, At-Thahabi’s extremist rhetoric poisoned public discourse in the U.K. While serving as imam at Birmingham’s Green Lane Masjid, he gained infamy for his inflammatory sermons, many of which were documented in the 2007 British TV series Undercover Mosque on Channel 4. These sermons included calls to kill homosexuals, statements glorifying Osama bin Laden, and encouragement for Muslims to hate non-believers.
At-Thahabi’s claim that “It takes two witnesses of a woman to equal the one witness of a man” exemplifies his regressive views. This mindset extends to homophobic sermons, as reflected in his chilling statement: “If I were to call homosexuals perverted, dirty, filthy dogs who should be murdered, that’s my freedom of speech, isn’t it?” he once declared.
https://www.meforum.org/fwi/fwi-news/good-riddance-to-britain-but-bad-news-for-florida-the-radical-teachings-of-sheikh-abu-usamah-at-thahabi
