New Jersey imam: Muslims should reject freedom of speech, religion, press

A New Jersey-based imam told fellow Muslims in a lecture that they must reject the "worldview" of Western democratic nations, which embraces freedom of speech, religion and the press.

Imam Mateen Khan was speaking at the Muslim Center of Middlesex County in New Jersey on Dec. 30, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute.

Khan said liberals want Muslims to exercise freedom of speech to insult their prophet, Muhammad. And he claimed that some Israeli psychologists says the Zionists convinced the Europeans to hate the Arabs and Palestinians instead of the Jews.

"When we talk about liberalism we are talking about a political and moral philosophy," he said.

"It is a world view, it is how you think. So generally, they support the concept of civil rights, democracy, secularism, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press," said Khan.

"Now I know most of us are listening to these words and thinking: 'What's wrong with that?' We will get there," the imam promised.

Muslims in the West, he said, are in "a cultural war."

"They want you to take on the philosophy of liberalism, and in doing that, you will leave the philosophy that Islam brings with it," said Khan.

The West, he said, insists people should be "free to say whatever we want, so you need to let us curse the Prophet Muhammad, because if you don't, then you are backwards – you are not liberal, and you are not meant for the 21st century."

Turning to "the Jews," he said that historically they were hated in Europe and "blamed for all kinds of problems."

But they convinced the Europeans to believe they were "one of them" and "the Semites that you dislike are the Palestinians."

Jihad Watch Director Robert Spencer asked: Does Mateen Khan believe in violent jihad, and that non-Muslims should be subjugated under Islamic law as dhimmis, and that Sharia should ultimately replace the U.S. Constitution? What do you think?"