The anti-Defamation league welcomed the apology of the Californian Imam who during the course of his sermon a week ago called to 'liberate Al-Aqsa from Jewish filth' and 'destroy those who closed the mosque'
“I said things that were hurtful to Jews. This was unacceptable,” said the Imam, Ammar Shahin of Davis, California, at a press conference Friday, “I am deeply sorry for the pain I have caused. The last thing that I would do is intentionally hurt anyone, Muslim, Jewish or otherwise. It is not in my heart.”
Seth Brysk, Director of ADL’s San Francisco Office, issued the following statement:
We welcome Imam Shahin’s apology and his clear recognition that hateful words have consequences. This is an important first step, but it is only the beginning of a journey that he needs to make in restoring confidence in his religious leadership and his understanding of the roots of anti-Semitism.
We hope that the imam will continue to learn from others about why his words were so dangerous. We further hope that he will be able to use his leadership role to speak out against anti-Semitism and work with others in the community to build bridges of mutual understanding and respect.