
JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The campaign of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump released the official schedule for the inauguration celebrations, which will last for three days in Washington, D.C. In addition to the galas, the traditional military exhibition, a performance by country music star Carrie Underwood, and million-dollar tickets for a “Candlelight Dinner” with the president and his wife, for the first time in a presidential inauguration ceremony, a Muslim imam will give a blessing alongside the priest and rabbi.
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Trump has made a controversial choice, tapping Imam Husham Al-Husainy from Dearborn, Michigan, a spokesman for the Iraqi-American community, who has made several anti-Israel and even extreme statements. During a television debate with a Christian priest, for example, Al-Husainy claimed he foresaw “good news” from the Quran that “soon there will be an attack against Israel and Muslims will take control of Jerusalem.” He also stated that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization, including during a primetime interview on Fox News’s Hannity.
In 2007, Hannity invited the imam to his show due to his remarks that U.S. forces in Iraq were “oppressors and conquerors.” Hannity pressured Al-Husainy to “admit that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization,” but the imam responded, “That’s your explanation. Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization.” He added, “I have nothing to do with this. There is a Biblical meaning to Hezbollah. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, it means the people of God.” During the interview, Hannity repeatedly pressed Al-Husseini on whether Hezbollah is not a foreign terrorist organization, as defined by the U.S. “No,” Al-Husainy finally concluded.
A year earlier, Al-Husainy participated in a “Pro-Hezbollah rally” in Dearborn, where he took the stage with a picture of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. He “wished death” to the Saudis for their intervention in Yemen, calling them “agents of the Jews,” whose “Zionist planes are raining death” on the country’s residents. In another post on one of his Facebook pages, he mourned the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian Quds Force commander.
The Middle East Forum, a conservative organization focused on radical Islam issues, described Al-Hussainy as “an extreme anti-Semitic imam, pro-Hezbollah Shiite, with a significant history of extremism.”
During the recent election, Trump tried to convince Arab-Americans to vote for him, relying on prominent figures such as Al-Husainy whose large community is located in Michigan, the largest Muslim population in the U.S. “I just want to see the world more stable and for Trump to end the war in Gaza,” said Al-Husainy a week before the election. “I find that he is closer to the true Biblical logic.” Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate since 2000 to win a majority of votes in Dearborn, which has an Arab majority.
Amidst this, the city earned the dubious nickname “America’s jihad capital.” According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by terrorism expert Steven Stalinsky, “Almost immediately after October 7, and long before Israel began its ground operation in Gaza, residents celebrated the horrific events of that day with pro-Hamas rallies and marches across Dearborn.” Stalinsky also claimed, “It is estimated that most of the 28 terrorist groups identified by the State Department were represented in Michigan. Many residents of Dearborn, past and present, have been convicted of terrorism-related offenses in recent years.”
Rabbi Ari Berman, President of Yeshiva University in New York, will also give a blessing at the inauguration. Berman has previously criticized the Capitol Hill riot, stating, “My heart broke today when I saw the attempt to tear apart our democratic fabric. Such acts of violence have no place in our country.”
Berman is the first American-Israeli to speak at a U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony. “I will also pray for the safety and swift return of the hostages still held in Gaza,” he said. “I am inspired by the words of the prophet Jeremiah, who walked the streets of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel, thousands of years ago and proclaimed, ‘Blessed is the one who trusts in Him.'” He added, “I pray that we all unite around core values of life and liberty, service and sacrifice, and especially faith and morality—values that George Washington called ‘the necessary supports’ of American prosperity.”
Here we go, as predicted. Which one of his “trusted advisors” recommended having this Islamic Terrorist speak? Maybe there’s an oil deal soon?
Trump doesn’t care if he is an anti-Semite. He associates with anti-Semites all the time. For example, his friends Kanye West and Nick Fuentes. As long as it benefits him, he is OK with it. To Trump, it’s all about Trump.
I voted for Trump as he was the best choice of the two. But he is a businessman, politician and deal maker, as are many people on his team, and they will court the Arab/Moslem vote to the greatest extent possible. I believe that He’ll support Israel and the Jewish people, but will continue to try to reach out to the moslems. It’s somewhat disappointing but it’s reality
CCEPT IT. You’ve been duped. He cares about no one but himself. He hates you, he hates everyone that isn’t a rich billionaire, or an attractive adult star.
I blame Joe Biden.