Imam preaches reconciliation between Jews and Muslims in Hajj speech

An imam who is known for his attempts to encourage reconciliation between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity has delivered the main address during the Hajj held in one of the most significant mosques in Mecca.

Sheikh Dr. Mohammad al-Issa has vocally condemned the “unconscionable crimes” that were committed against Jewish people during the Holocaust, visited the death camp at Auschwitz with a group of fellow Muslims, and publicly expressed his outrage about antisemitism.

Although the Sheikh did not say anything specific about antisemitism during this address, he did say that truly following Islam involved “avoiding all that leads to dissent, animosity, or division; and instead, ensuring that our interactions are dominated by harmony and compassion.”

The sermon follows the Sheikh’s invitation to speak to students from the Orthodox Jewish higher education institution Yeshiva University in 2020, where he said that he is “proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish and Christian brothers and sisters to build understanding, respect, love and inter-religious harmony.”

On another occasion, he said that “We may have differences, but we must have love for one another and come together.”

Sheikh al-Issa has proved controversial in Saudi Arabia, as well as Pakistan and Afghanistan, because some clerics disapprove of his attitude towards Jews, which they claim makes him “impure”.

Saudis from the younger generation, however, apparently applauded the move on Twitter, saying that this was “the right path” to take.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.