Citizens encouraged to be 'in the know' about their neighborhood mosque

Citizens encouraged to be 'in the know' about their neighborhood mosque

One of America's leading experts on the Muslim religion says it's very important for members of a community to be well informed about what is going on in local mosques, to make sure they aren't promoting Islamic supremacy. Robert Spencer believes that more than 80 percent of U.S. mosques are teaching the idea that ultimately there ought to be Islamic rule.

Recently security officials from six European countries and the United States met in Venice, Italy, to support a plan aimed at mapping out mosques on the continent in order to identify imams who preach radical Islam that promotes terrorism. Italy's foreign minister told reporters that Europe has suffered from the "misuse of mosques, which instead of being places of worship are used for other ends."

Spencer is director of Jihad Watch, a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center in Los Angeles. He says even in the U.S. people need to know what is being taught at mosques in their communities.

"Take Muhammad Hisham Kabbani," says Spencer. "In 1999 [he] testified before a State Department open forum that 80 percent of American mosques were controlled by extremists." He adds: "Nothing has ever been brought forward since then to refute that."

Spencer urges citizens to make every effort to block the construction of any mosques that support terrorism. "If it can be established that the mosque has ties to extremist groups, then they ought not be allowed to build it," he suggests; "and this is something that Americans have not taken advantage of."

The Jihad Watch leader suggests that in communities where a mosque exists, those local citizens find out who is funding the mosque, who is running it, and who is speaking there, as well as the backgrounds of those individuals. Spencer says in some cases concerned citizens must do whatever they can to prevent radical mosques from even being built in their communities. He is praising the efforts of several Christians in Pompano Beach, Florida, who have sued to prevent a proposed mosque from being constructed there.