PBD Podcast - “The Clash Of The Turbans” - Imam Tawhidi EXPOSES Islam Extremism, Iran’s Regime & War On The West | PBD Podcast | Ep. 706

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

Imam Mohammad Tawhidi joins Patrick Bet-David for a deep, unfiltered conversation on Islam vs Islamism, extremism, immigration, the Muslim Brotherhood, Iran’s regime, and whether Islam can coexist w...ith the West. A serious, respectful clash of ideas.------👞 GET THE NEW FLB 1'S: ⁠https://bit.ly/4mXV9gd⁠Ⓜ️ CONNECT WITH MARTIN ON MINNECT: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/44DEOqL⁠⁠Ⓜ️ CONNECT WITH MILLICENT ON MINNECT: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/48YArI5⁠⁠✝️ FAITH OVER FEAR COLLECTION: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3MIFOUu⁠⁠🎙️ FOLLOW THE PODCAST ON SPOTIFY: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4g57zR2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ⓜ️ CONNECT ON MINNECT: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4kSVkso ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ⓜ️ PBD PODCAST CIRCLES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4mAWQAP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🥃 BOARDROOM CIGAR LOUNGE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4pzLEXj⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👔 BET-DAVID CONSULTING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4lzQph2 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💬 TEXT US: Text “PODCAST” to 310-340-1132 to get the latest updates in real-time!ABOUT US:Patrick Bet-David is the founder and CEO of Valuetainment Media. He is the author of the #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller “Your Next Five Moves” (Simon & Schuster) and a father of 2 boys and 2 girls. He currently resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Khomeini is the Persian Hitler. That's exactly how you need to look at them. Khomeini is the Persian Hitler. A hundred percent. Someone who could execute 30,000 people with no trial? What percentage of Muslims around the world would be seen as extremism? Osama bin Laden, for example, many people do not know he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Qaeda came from the Muslim Brotherhood.
Starting point is 00:00:27 ISIS came from the Muslim Brotherhood. This is the paramilitary wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. But Obama brought to them and made them the face of the Muslim community in America. The Muslim population in America. What is the Obama? That's when they declared victory. They became advisors to the White House. Khamenei is useless.
Starting point is 00:00:50 This guy is a real criminal. Patrick, there needs to be the clash of the turbans. Turbans need to start clashing. Did you ever think you would make it? I said I'm supposed to taste sweetly this life myth for me Adam, what's your point? The future looks bright. The handshake is better than anything I ever signed.
Starting point is 00:01:21 You are one of one? My son's right there. I think I've ever said this before. Today we have a special guest with us. Imam Mohammed Toidi, Tohidi, depending on how you pronounce it. I'm from Iran, Tohidi. And this is a very, very interesting figure. I've been listened to watching for many, many years.
Starting point is 00:01:46 He is the governing member of the Global Imam's Council, advisor to counterterrorism at trends, research, and advisory. Imam Tawidi, it's great to have you on a podcast. Delighted to be here. Thank you for having me. Anytime. Okay, so there's a lot of topics I want to go through. But before we get started, if you don't mind, take a minute and maybe share your background
Starting point is 00:02:09 before we get into the question. So the audience knows. Sure. My name is Muhammad Tawhidi. I'm a third generation Imam. I am an ordained Islamic cleric. I was ordained in the holy city of POM in Iran, which you're familiar with. and I'm an Australian citizen.
Starting point is 00:02:28 I currently reside in North America, and I also have extensive travel in the Middle East with a focus on the UAE. I specialize in Islamic law, and my faith, for those wondering, I am a Orthodox Shia Muslim. Orthodox is not an Islamic term, but it is the closest for the listener
Starting point is 00:02:50 to understand that I am not a reformist in any way. I believe in reform of societies, reform that does not involve change of religion. So I want religion to remain what God revealed it as and not man-made, because man-made is not accepted within Islam. Okay, so the current population of Islam is what? 1.7, 1.8, 1.9 billion. Climbing up to 2 billion. Okay. How many people of the Muslim Islamic community, how many of them view things the way you do.
Starting point is 00:03:31 I've heard you say about this before. It's not a big percentage of people. But for you, a lot of people call you an Imam of Peace. I think your handle is even Imam of Peace. You may even call yourself Imam of Peace, right? And there's always a confusion between, this is the religion of peace, but we saw what happened on 9-11. This is religion of peace, but we saw what happened with Hamas and Israel.
Starting point is 00:03:53 is the religion of peace, but we saw what happened in Australia just recently. This is the religion of peace. But so, but to me, you seem, you seem pretty peaceful. To me, you give me the vibes that you actually are trying to pursue peace. However, of the $1.9 billion, give or take close to $2 billion, how many them think the way you do? Right. So I am a follower of my religion. and to break it down in such a simple way, I don't think it would be fair for the religion itself or for its adherence, or for countries like the UAE, Bahrain, who are working very hard to establish peace and harmony,
Starting point is 00:04:36 or their populations. So the distinction we need to make is between Islam and Islamism. Islam as a religion and Islamism as a contemporary, political ideology that uses Islam to gain power and Islamists are not a monolith so there are Islamists who believe in participating in democratic principles you'll find them running for Congress and you have those who will simply engage in jihad and jihad can be categorized in many, many ways, and I mean violent jihad. I don't mean the struggle of the self against one's desires.
Starting point is 00:05:25 No, I mean going into a society and changing it, going into a community and hijacking their values and then preventing the host community from enjoying those values, free speech, freedom of religion, expression, and so on. So I would advise that we need to separate, we need to draw a fine line. between the Muslim Brotherhood that was in the West first and the Muslims who came afterwards who just want to lead a normal life
Starting point is 00:05:57 so there is no percentage that I can give you because we're not talking about the same issue we're talking about a group of people who have hijacked a religion and those people need to be understood because in in Arabic we say chotab salishton which means you're beside the pot or beside the cup.
Starting point is 00:06:19 We need to stir in the cup in order to get the flavor of the sugar we put in it. So that's exactly what the extremists want to do. The extremist doesn't tell you he's an extremist. And the Islamist doesn't tell you he's an Islamist. They tell you we're Muslim. Osama bin Laden, for example,
Starting point is 00:06:38 many people do not know he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Qaeda came from the Muslim Brotherhood. ISIS came from the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas is the paramilitary wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is not Sunni Islam. This is an organization with its own charter. That's the distinction we need to make.
Starting point is 00:06:59 Otherwise, we will be discussing an issue that is very distant from the disease itself. Okay. So how different do you view the world? So let's put them in a different community. Because I think it's very important to do this. You have those who is the extremist, okay, which you're kind of talking about. Then you have those who came afterwards, not the first Muslim brotherhood. They came.
Starting point is 00:07:29 The other ones that just came to look, like, I just want to live in America. I just want to live in Australia. I just want to live my life and have a regular life. Then you have those who are, like you, you know, claiming, presenting peace as the basis of the way you want to live. Okay. Give me in your, when you're talking to Tommy Robinson, you said, I think there's around 5 million people like me, like you. Then he said, and really, really like me, it's only about 500,000 people that are like me.
Starting point is 00:07:57 You said this to Tommy, I think, seven or eight years ago when you guys did an interview. Okay. But today, if you're able to break it down, I think the extremist is this, the people that are just living in their regular life is this. Or maybe even if you want to add anything else to it as well, how would you break down the sects. Yeah, I think I was very general when speaking to Tommy in that interview. And I believe, I believe I understood the question to be within Australia. So how many like you within Australia? And I still believe those numbers are accurate. I think the majority of Muslims are not only supportive of peace, they lead a peaceful lifestyle. And they,
Starting point is 00:08:46 do not want to see the Muslim Brotherhood or bin Laden or ISIS or Hamas as their representatives. And the evidence of that, I would point to, is the reaction to October 7. How many did we see flood the streets in support of Hamas? How many did we see? I could safely say across the American continent, around about 150,000 would have flooded the streets between Toronto and Montreal and New York, and that continues, but it's the same community. I don't think we saw three million flood the streets, Muslim supporting Hamas. That did not happen. And that turns into a policy question.
Starting point is 00:09:27 Until when is the White House and parliaments around the world going to allow the Muslim Brotherhood to be the face of the Muslim community? Because that's exactly what it is. in Obama's time Care which congratulations to Florida and to Texas I think a very very important move designating care as a terrorist entity
Starting point is 00:09:48 which they're being sued right now by the way I don't know if you saw that if there's anything we could do as experts on Islam and on counterterrorism to support the state of Florida against care and Texas against care
Starting point is 00:10:02 please reach out I'll say this I don't know whether they'll win or lose it does not matter the point we cannot allow them to operate freely. And I do understand there is a lack of Muslim expertise pushing back against care because they're intimidated by them.
Starting point is 00:10:18 They're like a mafia. That's exactly what they are. They're a Muslim mafia. And so congratulations to that. That is a very important distinction because care cannot walk into certain mosques. Please don't think care has the ability to walk into any mosque in America.
Starting point is 00:10:33 No, they'll be kicked out. They have their own mosques. They have their own centers that they, it's like a ghetto. So they're very isolated. But Obama brought to them and made them the face of the Muslim community in America, the Muslim population in America.
Starting point is 00:10:48 But he say Obama. Because that's when they declared victory. They became advisors to the White House. If a president of the United States of America hosts a Ramadan iftar where Muslims break their fast and then he brings a member of the Muslim Brotherhood community
Starting point is 00:11:07 to initiate the call to prayer that is a symbolic victory for the Muslim Brotherhood worldwide that's like infiltration 95% for them. That's how they see it and they simply go back and tell their members it's not just about symbolism
Starting point is 00:11:23 it's more about motivation because the Muslim Brotherhood can go 10 months with no success and all of a sudden Ramadan comes and they're in the White House so it's somewhat validates everything that they have been doing before they came into the White House,
Starting point is 00:11:41 and it will, by extension, validate everything they do afterwards. Okay, so fair, which is celebration, totally get it. That's a big deal. I also think Mondani winning New York City is also a big victory because they're taking over the financial capital of the world. That's a massive validation when Mandani won. But again, let's go back to it. So you're saying when you saw October 7th happen,
Starting point is 00:12:04 how many people did you see worldwide in the streets? Canada, U.S., 150,000, fair. We can debate that number and we can fact-check that number. Worldwide, I think it's more. Okay, so it's a massive number that happened worldwide, but that's not the question I'm asking. I'm going to come back to the comment you made about this, but this is the question I'm asking,
Starting point is 00:12:24 what percentage we've seen the numbers, but according to you, this is your world, your study in anything in every article that comes out, when I was in the insurance space for 20 years, any article that came out on the insurance space, I have to read it because it's my world, so this is your world. What percentage of Muslims around the world would be seen as extremists?
Starting point is 00:12:44 Sunni Shi'ad doesn't matter. What percentage would you say as extremist? I do not believe I could give you a percentage because it would need to be based on studies on this issue. And I am unaware of a study that presents it in this manner. But I can tell you this. the UAE how about we
Starting point is 00:13:06 speak on a very realistic level so I can actually answer your question in a different way I might not be able to give you a percentage but I want to give you an honest answer decisions in the Muslim world happen where they happen in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and they happen in Mecca
Starting point is 00:13:24 and they happen in Abu Dhabi the UAE. They don't happen in Tehran and they don't happen anywhere else this is important The decision makers of the Muslim world, both religion and region, are heading in a direction that is not only about the Abraham Accords, but it's more towards peace, coexistence, harmony, prosperity, building bridges with societies, total rejection of extremism and so on. That is a massive society because it's not only about numbers. If we're talking numbers, then we have to go to Indonesia because they have the largest Muslim population per country. And they're 98%?92%? Some like. They're massive.
Starting point is 00:14:06 So they don't make decisions for the Muslim world. It happens in Saudi Arabia. My message is more than welcome in Saudi Arabia. My message is more than welcome in the UAE. And the same applies to Bahrain. I'm not saying it's not welcome in Indonesia. No, it is. But there are decision makers in the Muslim world. And if the decision makers are heading in a certain direction, that should be able to answer. where the religion is heading in terms of direction and mood and priorities and so on. And we'll also give you a clear understanding of the future of the religion if it is being led by Abu Dhabi, the Abraham Accords, the Abrahamic family house, that sort of narrative and total rejection of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Starting point is 00:14:51 So though I can't give you a percentage of how many Muslims out of the two billion are extremist, how many are fundamentalist, how many are just, Muslim by name how many are practicing how many practice only in Ramadan that's a breakdown that I cannot provide honestly but what I can say is that the decision makers of the Muslim world are heading in a direction that is very positive right and I also believe that they are being supported greatly by the rest of the Muslim world Pakistan for example the Muslims in India for These are massive populations that are in line with what Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are doing. And there are other countries that are not in line, such as the Palestinian territories and others that are obvious.
Starting point is 00:15:40 Okay, so this is, let's use basic simple stats. I've seen all the way up to 20% extremists, which I think that's BS, and I've seen all the way down to 1%, which I also think it's a low number. let's use 5%. Let's use 10%. Pick a number between 5 to 10%. Most numbers you can see will give you a number between 1% to 10%. A lot of studies that are out there.
Starting point is 00:16:06 Per percent is 20 million. Per percent is 20 million, right? So if we go to 5%, that's roughly 100 million, give or take, right? Okay. So now imagine 100 million is a third of America. you know a hundred million at five percent is a third of america a hundred million when you look at
Starting point is 00:16:31 australia australia may be a lot of land but it's not a lot of people right canada may be a lot of land not a lot of people you can maybe a big island you know it's so when you when you then break it down that number and they go into these different countries so now imagine you are the leader of that country you're the president of that country and president Trump comes to you as an advisor, Kirstarmer comes to you as an advisor, Mark Carney comes you as an advisor saying, Imam Tawidi, you sound very reasonable. You sound extremely peaceful. You sound like somebody I can sit down and have a conversation with. We can laugh. We can talk. And I feel the genuineness from you, right? What do I do when I'm dealing with immigration
Starting point is 00:17:21 when I know a hundred million of this sectist religion, Muslim, Islam, is extremists, and they support the violence, a big percentage support, you know, say you put one or three percent support what Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah, you know, I live with Hezbollah in Iran. I was there for 10, 11 years. I've met many, many, many members of Hezbollah because, you know, my sister, my mom, we would walk in the streets and you would see things, and it would pull up and, like, oh, my God, shivering, you're worried about what they're going to do. do next to you. You live in fear. It's not a nice place to be. How do we filter out who we
Starting point is 00:17:57 let in who we don't? Do you use a zero tolerance policy? Don't let anybody in? Do you take the risk with what we took immigration the last four years in America under Biden that people came in and who knows what percent? Because our job is to protect America first, right? What advice would give to them. Your immigration policy needs to be tied to your understanding of sovereignty. So if sovereignty is sacred, then immigration policy needs to be looked at through the same lens. You cannot have a weak, soft immigration policy at all. The UAE is a perfect example, so is Saudi Arabia. How is immigration doing there? It's perfect. 200 nationalities living together. Why? Because there is an excellent, not just good, an excellent vetting system. You cannot be someone
Starting point is 00:18:50 who harbors jihadi ideology and simply apply for a visa to go to a Gulf state. They won't accept you because there is a serious vetting system. And if they figure out that you somehow got through, and by the way, there were some famous people who built a career simply because they were deported out of the UAE during the Arab Spring, the so-called Arab Spring. The policy is beautiful. The minute they figure out they made a mistake because they let someone in who then went online and made a comment or supported a certain narrative that is against national security. Immediately, knock, knock, where's your bags, pack up? DXB, Dubai Airport. Straight out of the country. There is no negotiation when it comes to safety. Why? Because it's a
Starting point is 00:19:40 security decision. So American immigration policy needs to be looked at through a security lens, not a political lens. That's what we're seeing in America. Everything with regards to the border has been a political question, not a security question. In the Middle East, the borders are looked at through the lens of security. That is why there are zero terrorist extremists in Abu Dhabi. That is why there is no one blowing himself up in Riyadh, in Jeddah. That's why. It's very important that we speak in this manner, though it may be foreign to the American listener, but the understanding of national security in the Middle East is very different, because we know these people. The extremists that are migrating to the West are those who were
Starting point is 00:20:36 rejected from our societies. Are those who would be in prison? Muslim Brotherhood communities, you can mention millions of extremists to me. I will not deny that. I'll tell you, you know what? That is exactly right. And if we go to those individuals and we understand their ideology, one way or another, it will take us back to the Muslim Brotherhood,
Starting point is 00:21:00 an organization that is 98 years old who planned this disaster 100 years ago. Patrick, how do I deal with a politician who thinks, four-year terms. How do you discuss immigration with a politician whose mentality ends in four years and who sits with you nine to five? So whatever you tell him, he looks through a, he puts, he fits you in through the nine to five schedule. After five, he's in a bar, he's, you know, he's out of this world. Fighting Islamist extremism is my life. I don't have a nine to five schedule. I can't sit with a lawmaker who before meeting with me is dealing with, I don't know, something with the economy. And then he wants to deal with LGBTQ, with all your respect issues. It's not
Starting point is 00:21:50 about listening to us. It's about listening, following up, and acting upon it, which is why I have a policy between me and myself. If I sit with a lawmaker and I give him advice and he doesn't listen and something goes wrong, I will never speak to them again. There are no second chances because this community we understand. We lived with them. We ran away from them. We can identify them without having to study about it. We know these people. When we say they're a threat, they're a threat on many levels, not just on many levels, not just because they reject America. No, no, no. The whole idea of immigration needs to be revisited simply because not all immigrants are equal. Not all immigrants are equal. And I dare mention someone like Ilhan Omar. I would not see
Starting point is 00:22:38 her as a legitimate immigrant to America. I simply don't. There is a vast difference between her and a Muslim who came from another Muslim country who built an amazing career in America and serves in the military, for example, and defends America. And you will find those Muslims who side against her and her policies. And they're very visible. At Fandual Casino, you get even more ways to play. Dive into new and exciting games. And all of your favorite casino classics, like slots, table games, and arcade games. Get more on Fandual Casino.
Starting point is 00:23:16 Download the app today. Please play responsibly 19 plus and physically located in Ontario. If you have questions or concerned about your gambling or the gambling of someone close to you, please contact Connects Ontario at 1866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. What would happen if she went to UAE or Saudi? What would they do with her? If she said she wants to go be a resident there, would they welcome her? There are laws in place.
Starting point is 00:23:46 If she enters lawfully, I imagine that she, again, I'm not a decision maker here on immigration, but I imagine those who follow the law will be treated by the law. equally, but I doubt for a single second Muslim Brotherhood narrative will be accepted. For a single second, I doubt, you know, alike of a post-by-care could get you deported. There is absolutely zero tolerance to extremism. Absolutely in the UAE. And when I say absolutely, I mean from top down, the youngest UAE's civil. citizen will not accept extremism.
Starting point is 00:24:35 It's that serious. And look, if you're looking for freedom of expression, you'll find it. But freedom of expression does not mean I get to say, I want you beheaded. That's not a view that is considered respectful or an ideology that has a place or should have a place within society. The extremists in America openly say, we are here to bring down democracy. That's exactly what they say. we are here to establish a global caliphate
Starting point is 00:25:03 we want sharia law right try that in Saudi Arabia and see how long you last try that in Abu Dhabi see how long you last the thing with religion is it came to guide so I'm a Muslim I believe that
Starting point is 00:25:20 God sent a religion to guide me religion is not here to rule by the sword religion is a source of spirituality and and taking the human hand by their hand to areas where they can excel in their humanity, in their moral understanding of life in religion, in their relationship between themselves and God,
Starting point is 00:25:47 that's the role of religion. The minute you turn the Quran into a constitution like we have in Iran, where people are being hung and beheaded, that's when you know, okay, So Islam has been used as a constitution so Khamenei can become king of Iran. And that's what he's. He's a king. He's not a cleric. He's not a man of God. Persia was always ruled by kings. And now we have a king with a turban.
Starting point is 00:26:14 That's exactly what he is. Not a man of God. He's a pharaoh. He's a Persian pharaoh. Chameen is a king of Iran. Okay. So why do you say that? Because what? Because he can do anything and everything? And the whole idea of elections in Iran is a farce. It's fake. There are no elections in Iran whatsoever. No Iranian has a voice under the system of willa'a'iqi, which is the guardianship of the jurist. Can I just explain that to the American listener? Now, we're familiar with communism, we're familiar with socialism, democracy.
Starting point is 00:26:54 There's a system in Iran that's not just theocracy. It is the guardianship of the jurist, Willayat al-Fa'i, which means Khamenei or a person in his position before him Khomeini, is the guardian over all Muslims, not just the Shia Muslims, even the Sunnis. He claims he's the guardian over Islam, the Pakistanis, the Malaysians, Indonesians, Saudis, UAE, it's ridiculous. Okay, what does that mean?
Starting point is 00:27:22 It means he has the authority, absolute authority, on behalf of God to do whatever he wants. can look at you and say, Patrick, you and your wife are divorced. And boom, just like that, your marriage is terminated, simply because he said so. So the whole idea that 90 million people are expected to vote for a president, and then the president goes and kisses the hand of Khamene and says, you know what, ignore the people. Whatever you say, I will do. That is the biggest scam in the history of scams that the Iranian people have to live through. And it's not just a disaster, it's something that is somehow tolerated by the international community, especially
Starting point is 00:28:00 the Europeans. They tolerate it. There are no elections in Iran. United Nations, what do you have? You have a president. You have prime minister attend. You have kings attend. Fine. You have chancellors. You have chairman of certain parties attend, like the CCP. Fine. But there is no such thing as a president. And then above him, there is the supreme Islamic leader who rules on behalf of God, who gets to run the country. And he thinks. in his mind run the world the way he wants. That is Islamism. There is no such thing as God speaking to Khahmane
Starting point is 00:28:32 telling him you're my deputy on behalf of the Savior, the Mahdi. So kill as you like, bomb as you like, butcher as you like. There is no such thing in the Quran that says that. What we have is a regime. We don't even have a government in Iran. There is no government and it's very wrong for people to think there is a government system in Iran.
Starting point is 00:28:52 There is no, it's a regime. It's a government. A cult of clerics that govern Iran in the name of God. Why? Because it's the best tool to use against populations in mass. Religion. Because the minute you oppose Khamanai, it's not that you opposed the ruler. No, no, no.
Starting point is 00:29:15 You're certainly not Muslim anymore. How can you oppose the supreme ruler who is the guardian on behalf of God and his savior on planet Earth? so clearly you're not a Muslim clearly you can't be praying because if you pray then you would have had the piety to stand with the regime and if that's the case then you must also eat pork
Starting point is 00:29:37 and slowly slowly they will drive you out of anything called faith and that's when you become a mufssed in the earth execution you're a corruptor on planet earth and so on we need to distinguish between Islam and Islamism because there is a lot there that the Islamist relies upon you
Starting point is 00:29:54 to ignore. The Islamist will not tell you, I am an Islamist and they are Muslims. No, he'll tell you I am Muslim. And they're, again, extremist doesn't tell you he's an extremist and Islamist doesn't tell you he's an Islamist. They're using the religion. Half of them don't even pray. You think Alain Omar can recite the Quran? You think she can open the page and start reading? That's impossible. These people, the majority of care, don't even know the structure on the chronology of the Quran. They don't even know the context behind revelation. These are people who, if they need anything now,
Starting point is 00:30:29 Chad GBT. That's their faith. But governments have allowed them to be the face of the Muslim community in America. In 2009, 2008, late December, 2008, you went back to Gome, right, to go to school there for three years. And Rome... From 2008 until 2013.
Starting point is 00:30:48 Right, but you went back 0.8.09 to go to school there. And you were there for 2013, yes. And GOM is where Chaminé is from, I believe, if I'm not mistaken. Chamini is in Rome. If not, that is where he studied with Ruhuhulah Khomeini back in the days when they were fighting against the Shah in the plans of the first time exile, the second time exile. They've tried multiple different time when Khomeini was kicked out and it went to all over place and eventually at France. When you went to school there, you can break down what the school. structures so the audience can also understand. When you went to school there, at what point
Starting point is 00:31:29 was it when you said, I can't subscribe to this teaching? I've got to get out of here. What caused that? Okay, beautiful question. Now, Khamenei was born in Mashhad. That's Khurasan, the other side of the country. Meshad and Qum are very important. So our listeners, POM is where the holy shrine of Hazrata Maasuma is, the sister of Imam Riza, who is buried in the Meshad. Imam Riza is the eighth successor of the Holy Prophet. So we are 12, 12 verse. We have 12 imams. Number eight is Imam Riza. So that's a holy city of Mashhad. And I was born in the Holy City of Qom. And I went back to study in the Holy City of Qum in December 2008. And I stayed until 2013. Now, Khamenei and Khomeini both studied in the Holy City of Qom. And including
Starting point is 00:32:22 Hassan Nasrullah, the former secretary general of Hezbollah. They all studied in Qom. Now Qom is a seminary that has education that is basic intermediary and somewhat entry level into the advanced studies. People usually finish their studies in Qom and then head over to Najaf in Iraq, which is the main ancient seminary for Shia Muslims in the world. And that's a thousand years old. When it comes to POM, POM was an open society, an open seminary, where you had mosques and Islamic centers and you had a cleric, a senior cleric, who had 20, 30, up to a thousand students sit around him and he would speak about theology, Islamic law, doctrine, ethics, mysticism, you name it. Come the Iranian revolution of 1979, and by the way,
Starting point is 00:33:19 It's not an Iranian revolution. There's nothing Iranian about it. The listeners need to know that Khomeini was an Indian man, right? He's not even Iranian. But it was a Islamist revolution, not an Islamic revolution, an Islamist revolution. Coming to the 1979, Khomeini understood that he had to do something about these clerics. He had to do something about Islamic law that is governing Iran and governing society. So what he did was, is that he turned these.
Starting point is 00:33:49 freestyle education circles and systems into institutions. And he turned a seminary into a university. And he called it Al Mustafa International University. The university which I studied in, and I should say, Patrick, one of the best decisions I made in my life, as I always say, was withdrawing from that university. Why is that?
Starting point is 00:34:12 Because it is the university that is ruled by the IRGC, ruled by the military that is responsible for supporting Hezbollah and Hamas and the Houthis and so on. But we should also mention that it is not a university like the traditional universities that we have. It is the umbrella organization for over 10, 15,000 schools and institutions, educational and seminaries in Iran across the country and now even in the Middle East. And they have deputies everywhere recruiting students. Now, so it's building on Chihabana Ma'allem, on Ma'allem Street. It's not an actual university you can go in and study.
Starting point is 00:35:00 No, it is an administration that sends you off to another university. When you graduate from that university, you get a certificate from Al-Mustava University. So these guys will teach you a revolutionary Islam. How do we export the revolution of Khomeini to Australia, to America, to Canada? How do we bring American citizens? And if I could just ask, could you on Google just put Al-Mahdi? Mahdi school, Qum, with an eye, yeah, school, QU-M, yeah. Okay, that's the first one there.
Starting point is 00:35:39 You see, that is where Americans go to. Click on that first picture for me, please. Okay. So you see on the left side where that white banner is, that's my room. I was in there with 13 students. That's my dormitory. The first level is where you have the classrooms. And that, you see at the bottom there that rails, the blue and white rails at the bottom, that there takes you to the basement. Okay. Beneath there, there are more classrooms that look just the same. So first level, second level, from the top coming down are where students sleep. And then the ground floor is the classrooms, and beneath that is more classrooms. My room is room number 13, no, on the right side, where the banner is. That's where you were at. That's where I was for two years. This is where the British, the Australians, the Westerners, who are taken from the West, are taken here.
Starting point is 00:36:36 Why? To learn Farsi. You learn Farsi, you can understand what Khamenei is saying. He can move you properly. This is the first thing they do. You see those two pictures there? That's the main library that was added in later. Chameen and Khomein at the very top.
Starting point is 00:36:51 That's a library. That was added later. That's higher. Who gets to go there? Anybody can go to that library? Yes, because everyone here is vetted. Everyone here is an asset. So the deputy of Al-Mustafi University, who comes to the West, sees you as an asset.
Starting point is 00:37:09 Okay, Imam Tawidi, Australian passport. You speak English. You speak Arabic. you're somewhat charismatic you're convincing you know what let's take you to Qom and so this is where the brainwashing happened from here they take you to the Friday
Starting point is 00:37:23 sermons of Khamanai this is where they first come in first year is Farsi and second year is they call it Tamhidea which is the basics of Islam then you move on to the university style seminaries right now
Starting point is 00:37:39 here's the issue they say one year but it's never one year We have 12 imams, all of them except one, have funeral days, three days, birthdays, three days, you know, the holidays of the revolution, the victory, this, that, this, that. You're looking at a year and a half to two years here for learning Farsi, and they use that to not just strengthen your language, but for you to be accustomed with this region, this street. Who were some of your classmates? Okay, before we get there. Next door is the Paiagah of the Basij. The besiege, which are the youth corpse of the IRGC, is literally next door to this building.
Starting point is 00:38:20 So my classmates are, I'm going to say this, and I haven't said this before, the clerics who are now running the Al-Quds march, which is the pro-IrGC, Hizbullah March, on the last Friday of Ramadan every single year, running them in New York and in Toronto. They were my classmates. We studied together. Did they get brainwashed? Of course, because everything they do. Look, a cleric needs to talk religion.
Starting point is 00:38:49 How do you know a cleric respects himself when he sticks to what he is meant to be doing? Religion, theology, doctrine, community service. They're all politicized. Political clerics of no value. Their understanding of religion is very shallow, very deep. I mean, it needs to be deep, but it's very shallow. You know, an atheist can take them down easily with two questions
Starting point is 00:39:16 because they haven't been taught the proper foundations of theology and doctrine in Islam. It's always been Khomeini's biography, Chahmane's biography. When he was born, he came out of his mother's womb and there was a scream in the heavens. Ya Ali, have you heard that? Okay, so that's what they're taught. everything revolves around the character of Khamenei as the savior. Did you ever meet him? No, I have not.
Starting point is 00:39:44 Here's the thing. Meet face to face, no. But we were together in a, so when he came to Qom, he came to Qom and we were chosen by a cleric. I'm going to mention his name, Sheikh Adman. I won't mention his first name, but he was the man responsible for the Australian students. He came to me and he said, we're doing two things. We are going the week before Khamani comes to Qum to Tehran, and I still have the entrance ID badge that you wear and you attend.
Starting point is 00:40:19 You're not sitting in the front lines because that's where the IRGC official said. You're sitting towards the center of his sermon. I saw him, and again, to be honest with you, they prepare you for a spiritual event. It's not like the bus drops you off and you enter into a mosque and then there he is. No, no, no. It's not tunnels, but it's alleys that you walk through that are prepared with banners and signs and flags and just symbolism, revolutionary symbolism.
Starting point is 00:40:55 And then you enter and the gods everywhere, the Sepah and they're green and sometimes blue. And then they usher you and, you know, your director of the group, on that day he changes. because his life depends on this. He becomes a different person. He's not the guy that is nice with you. So he's very strict. He takes you in. We sit here and then when you go in,
Starting point is 00:41:18 you see there's an ocean of people. You're not the only one. Not the only group. And before Khamenei comes, you have his henchmen, clerics, who come up on the microphone, who rally up the audience. So by the time Khamenei is coming out,
Starting point is 00:41:34 that's why people are walking. behind him and kissing the place where his feet touch and you know death to america dead to english dead to israel dead to the hypocrites that's that's how it happened they build you up and i'll tell you this as deviant as khamene is and as crooked as his people are they are excellent speakers khamenei is useless the only thing he's good for is he's a really good speaker how many can move a rock when he speaks and I felt that this guy is a real criminal
Starting point is 00:42:09 I'll tell you there's a lot of psychology involved you see where Chamehese sits that's a shipping container he sits in a shipping container so two shipping containers that are stuck together and they weld it together if you want to pull it up pull this up
Starting point is 00:42:26 he's actually in a shipping container and it's bulletproof with shipping Container. Not Khomeini. That's the equivalent of Hitler. It's basic names, Rob. How are you getting this wrong?
Starting point is 00:42:41 Shipping container? Okay, hang on. You see that third picture? The third picture, the third picture. Yeah, that. So that's a shipping container. There's a curtain behind him. Or you can just go back and say, change the two words to Friday sermon.
Starting point is 00:43:03 Yeah. Okay. See that? The first picture, for example. You see that? That's a shipping container that he's in. Or for example, change the last two words. Oh, sorry, sorry, leave them. Add to them the word Qum, QU-M. Because he was in a shipping container and Qom. Of course, with pictures, they won't show it. But where he stands, that third picture on top, the one I pointed to earlier, That one there, for example, behind him is two welded shipping containers that they put him in, and they're covered.
Starting point is 00:43:42 You know, they're not going to have D.HL or anything on them. They're covered up nicely, and because number one, it's security, and no one can get to him except for a guy called Wahid. You want to pull up the name Wahid, just next to Khamenei, put Wahid. This guy? Okay, that guy. That's his number one henchman. He's the real ruler of Iran Not the president
Starting point is 00:44:06 It's this guy To get He's the head of Khamenei's office Khamenei's affairs Waheed There should be a Wikipedia about him He's a right-hand man To Iran's Ali Khan, often known as general
Starting point is 00:44:20 Vahid Yeah, he goes by one name Wahit in the whole country Okay So what were you going with this With who he is Rob can we turn on the AC a little bit Now it's a little bit hot
Starting point is 00:44:31 Wahid is the guy who decides where how many it goes. And we need to understand the makeup of Iran as a country so we can understand how we got to Hezbollah, how we got to Hamas. Because Hamas is for sale. Hamas was paid by Iran. They're Sunni, but the Shia are paid for them. In Iran, I want to be fair to you and to the listeners.
Starting point is 00:44:56 I want to take a step back. Many people say the reason why the Muslim world is successful and they mean the UAE and Saudi Arabia they say is because they pushed Islam to the side not because Islam is good in these countries that's what they say and of course that's that's not right in Iran we have a system where the clerics rule over not only the government but also the hospitals, the technology sector, the education sector. There is no sector in Iran in the intelligence that the clerics are not ruling in. So you cannot have a fully functioning vibrant society when you don't have experts on top.
Starting point is 00:45:53 The UAE what they did was they respected religion. Religion is sacred. It cannot be placed in an intelligence department. or in a hospital so they bring experts to these fields that is the difference my brother that's the difference Iran went down
Starting point is 00:46:10 down this path of destruction because it is run by mullahs it's run by clerics it's not run by experts Chaminay's family I don't know if you've looked at this or not apparently the family's worth $92 billion dollars give or take
Starting point is 00:46:25 if you type in Chahmenei net worth oh yeah 95 to 200 billion dollars on the kind of money they've made so so vahid are you saying Vahid could be the who could he be in the future when Chamehameh is no longer here with us no Vahid is the decision maker he will never be anything no because he wants to be behind the scenes he has to be behind the scenes so he runs Iran in other words he's the guy who runs the country he runs he runs the country have you met him no of course not What do you mean, of course not?
Starting point is 00:47:00 No, I'll tell you this. Can you just type my name in Google, just put Tauhidi, and then no, no, no, no, Tauhidi. Okay, you're going to do that. Okay, wait, and then next to what, just put Hassan and then put Khomeini. And Rob is having a rough day today. Not Khomeini, yeah, Khomeini, there you go. Okay, just go to images. Also, you met with Khomeini's grandson.
Starting point is 00:47:28 I was, you know. That's you and him. You could even consider me somewhat of an advisor to these guys at the time. This isn't home. This is in Tehran. This is in the shrine of Khomeini and his private residence. Now, I want you to take a look at this picture. By the way, Patrick, I'm not being arrogant here,
Starting point is 00:47:46 but I just want you to see what exactly you're looking at so you know who you're doing a podcast with today. How long ago is this? This is 2016. Okay. zoom into the plates i see chai okay what do you see on my plate no no no go go back go back go back okay stay there uh what do you see on on on that on my plate i see tea but i don't know what that other piece is it's an orange okay but what am i missing i'm missing orange peels okay
Starting point is 00:48:21 he has the peels right so he peeled it for you correct I got what you're saying. So the relationship is he was serving you. More like being kind and generous. Respect, in a good way. Kind, yeah. How was he? How was Khomeini's grandson?
Starting point is 00:48:42 This guy doesn't believe in anything. He's an atheist, in my view. I think he, if he could, he would take out Khomeini. Oh, you're kidding? Yeah, no, this guy. And he still lives there. Look, I'm saying this, I know this might bother him but he in no way is a is a cleric in the same manner as how many why do you say that no
Starting point is 00:49:04 this guy's fed up his grandfather made the revolution and he gets no say in governance they give him a mosque here here's your grandpa's grave go clean and serve it yeah he has no say he's a teacher they won't even let him in they say in order for you to become on the expert council of Iran, you know, Majesha Khabragan, you need to take a test and he tells them, I'm the grandson of Khomey. I take a test? I need to be testing you guys. Right? What's his relationship with Vahid? I mean, it has to be diplomatic. Or else? He's a pragmatic guy. He knows. He knows. Look, Khamenei put his own brother, Hadi. Do you want to Google this? Go up to Hadi Hadi Khamenei this is a K-H-A no no
Starting point is 00:50:00 H-A-D-I K-H-A-M-E K-H-A-M-E K-H-A-M-E-N-E-I no K-H-A-M-E-N-E-I there you go no H-A-D-I so H-A-D-I-D-E-I yeah okay this is Khamen is He was under house arrest. Many people don't know this. Why was he on house arrest? Go down, it should say. Opposition. He's a reformist.
Starting point is 00:50:33 So Khamenei got his people to attack his own brother. Right? Some conservatives blamed Khamani for the attack. Right? So this is, Khamenei lives in a world of contradictions. Remember the Ahmadinejad and the green uprisings? Okay. So Musavi is his cousin, is Khamenei is cousin, and he would come out and say Khamenei is corrupt.
Starting point is 00:50:58 His own brother says my brother is corrupt. His uncle says my nephew is corrupt. His sister's husband who fled to France wrote a letter to Khomeini, he said, to Khomeini, sorry. He said, how dare you appoint my wife's brother as the head of Friday prayers in Tehran when he is one, two, three. He accused him of being part of the LGBT community, right, in a letter. And the guy lived in France and then, yeah, he's dead. But the point is, Khomeini is very misunderstood in the West. Misunderstood. Americans don't know who's speaking to their students.
Starting point is 00:51:42 When these uprisings happen in universities and Khamenei puts out a tweet and says, I congratulate the students in America and North America. That's not just foreign interference. Americans don't know what they're looking. This is the Shia Osama bin Laden. That's exactly how you need to look at him. This is the Osama bin Laden with Sunni. He's the Shia version of Osama bin Laden.
Starting point is 00:52:06 And Khomeini is the Persian Hitler. That's exactly how you need to look at them. Khomeini is the Persian Hitler. 100%. Someone who could execute 30,000 people with no trial? I mean, no comparison. You're looking at the Holocaust, 2 million more. But I'm talking about the,
Starting point is 00:52:21 the concept and the will. Okay, you worked for the Shah. What were you, a chef or a driver? Execution. This level of mentality and terrorism, we see in the likes of Hitler. What caused you to leave, though? What caused you to say I'm leaving?
Starting point is 00:52:35 Australia. I did not come to the seminary because I didn't have anything else to do with my life. Many of the people who go there, go there because you're given a stipend, $30 a month. You're given a room, food, right?
Starting point is 00:52:52 And if you memorize the Quran and important books from our corpus, what happens is you get a higher stipend. And of course with religion comes respect. That's why many people choose to go there. I did not do that. I went to study. I went to, because I'm a third generation imam. I went to increase my education, my theological education.
Starting point is 00:53:16 But the minute you tell me, I cannot read certain books and I cannot visit certain scholars. You see, I was a fundamentalist. I am a former extremist. I used to support Khamani. I used to support these criminals. But the thing is, I came from a society that allowed me to read whatever book I wanted to read
Starting point is 00:53:37 and to visit whatever scholar I wanted to visit and sit with. For you to now tell me, I cannot do that. I didn't come from Uzbekistan or Pakistan or Iraq, like other students were. No, I came from the West. You cannot tell me I can't read certain books. So that triggered it for me. In a classroom that happened where they told you can't read those books?
Starting point is 00:53:59 Oh, no, no, no. What would happen is I would naturally see signs of scholars in their offices. Daftara, Ayatollah, so-and-so, and I would go to their office, and they would give me books. So I would take the books back to the dormitory. And before I knew it, my dormitory was broken into. They searched me when I was praying. you know congregational prayers they searched my room
Starting point is 00:54:23 and when I came back I found everything was not how I left it and it bothered me and so I began to understand there's an issue here that I was not aware of and then I started to investigate who the other clerics were
Starting point is 00:54:41 what was their problem with these clerics and I found out you know what you can still be a good Muslim and reject Khamanai because they're a grand ayatollahs who are the grandsons of the prophet who reject him. So I immediately started to visit those guys. And I sat with them and I read their books and I saw, you know, this is exactly what I came here for. Religion.
Starting point is 00:55:06 You had me in a Mustafa university telling me that Tel Aviv needs to be bombed, right? And dead to America and dead to the UK. And the queen is Satan. Right? And America's the big Satan and Israel's a small Satan. I understand your hatred towards them, but that's not what I came here for. I came to study theology. I found it in the offices of the grand Ayatollahs who were opposed to Khahmani. That's when I said, okay, there is more here.
Starting point is 00:55:38 So I picked up the phone to my father. I said, Timirin, tell me. He said, well, I wanted you to understand on your own. He knew. My father was in Iran. We moved from Iran to Australia. How heavy, how high up was your father? You're four generations, so.
Starting point is 00:55:53 I'm third generation. Third generation. Third generation. Okay. How high up was your father? My father is a community cleric. Okay. Community.
Starting point is 00:56:02 I'm not involved in my world at all. But he didn't want to get involved in this type of conversation. But I understood. And when I understood, I said, you know what? I'm not getting involved with these guys anymore. And of course, once they realized that, you are no longer subscribed to their ideology, the first thing that happens is that they cancel your visa, right? Though I was born in Iran, I was there as an Australian citizen. So they
Starting point is 00:56:27 cancel your visa and then you have to figure it out on your own. But my visa still had time. I just did not submit to renew it. I had like eight, nine months left. So what I did was I stayed in Iran and I stayed in another school that was offered, a dormitory that I was offered by these other good clerics. They're all fundamentalist, but they were less corrupt. So their corruption would be financial, wasting money on unnecessary initiatives. It wouldn't be murder and blood and trying to take down the West. None of that. What were they teaching you there? Like if you were to say the core, core teaching, who is the enemy? Who does that? Who did? did you see them sell hate to the most? Who were you supposed to hate and love, you know,
Starting point is 00:57:18 the most? Okay. So you love whoever Khamenei loves and you hate whoever Khamenei hates. It's as simple as that. If that is fixed love, changes, it doesn't matter. Point is, you need to be loving who the state loves. So who did Khamenei hate? Of course America, of course Israel, of course the UK, of course the West in general. I mean, who is order though? Who is at the top? Who is at the top of the hate? Khamenei? America. Number one. Number one, the great Satan. Ahead of Israel. Of course. Okay. So the Madh, Bad, Amrika, that was a regular thing. That happens every single day. You see it once a week after the Friday sermons, but it happens
Starting point is 00:57:59 every single day in every single mosque that is operated by the regime. Dead to America. And I'll tell you this. I saw you ask me a question. when you played my warning in 2009 after the attack in Australia. Do you remember what that question was? Today? No. When I thanked you for playing my clip from 2019. When we set out to create a shoe that blends comfort, function, and luxury, we had the
Starting point is 00:58:32 choice to make it fast, we had the choice to make it cheap. We chose neither. Instead, we chose Tuscanyero. We chose true Italian craftsmanship, each pair touched by 50 skilled hands. We chose patience, spending two years perfecting every detail, and we chose the finest quality at every step. Introducing the Future Looks Bright Collection, not rushed, not disposable, not ordinary, rather intentional, luxurious, timeless. What was the question? The question was, if you're criticizing these guys, then why he's still Muslim?
Starting point is 00:59:15 Do you remember that question? He said, well, one could ask him why he's still a Muslim. And I really think we cannot not answer that question. It's very important. Because it ties into the tens of millions of Iranians who don't say that to America, who don't attend these mosques, who don't attend these rallies. What you're seeing is a few months. million, fine. 20 million, 30 million. How many millions love Khamenei? 30? Fine. No problem. I'll be
Starting point is 00:59:45 generous in my numbers here. But at least half the population is either not practicing or they hate him. Why is that the case? Why are they still Muslim? It's not enough though. Yeah, but why are they still Muslim? I don't know if they're Muslim like, let me give you an idea. I think you said something very powerful today. You said, so to an average Christian, they think every Muslims read every the Quran cover to cover okay so think about it to the average Christian what do they think oh you're a Muslim you've read the Quran you've studied the Quran you know everything in the Quran and you said what you said you think Ilhan Omar knows what's in the Quran she knows she's a chat she BT Quran
Starting point is 01:00:28 person right is who she's okay so what do you call those I think there's a big percentage of Muslims that are Muslim because it's who their father was it's who their mother was. It's traditionally Muslim. It's not Muslim because they studied all the religions and they chose Muslim. It's because they're traditionally there. Now, for you, third generation, you listen, that's a tradition. I had a guy here who was the fourth generation of Teamster Union from the union that Jimmy Hoffa came from. But he's a fourth generation. Guess what his son is probably going to do. Union. Why? That tradition. However, you're talking, different Muslims, you know, what about these guys, and what about those guys, and what about these guys?
Starting point is 01:01:14 They all follow the same book. So if you're seeing what's going on, if it's a hundred million around the world that are extremists, and the middle ones that are good, they're just living their lives, I don't know if they're practicing. I don't know if I would say 50%, I don't know if I would even say 70% of Muslims practice Muslim. their religion. I would say they're just kind of living their lives and they're not the fanatical. That's not who I'm worried about.
Starting point is 01:01:45 That's not who the Westerns or the conservative or certain ideology is worried about. It's the 100 million that fully are the extremist that see the West as the enemy. Agreed. More than 100 million. More. But could we go on Google
Starting point is 01:02:01 and just Google for me in the shade of the Quran. There we go. Now, that is the Quran of the extremists. This is my Quran. This is mine. That is their Quran. What's the difference? Exactly. It's a highly influential commentary of Quran. By who? By Sayyat Utop, one of the founders of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood have their own Quran, Patrick. They don't follow this Quran. And the reason I didn't bring it with me is because it is 30 volumes. Is that English? That is English. May I? You will. Definitely. Of course. Yeah. It's English. I bought in English so you
Starting point is 01:02:50 can touch the text because only Muslims can touch the Arabic text. So I have to clarify this because there are Muslim viewers who will think that Tahiti gave Patrick a Arabic Quran. So it's in English. Continue, I'm listening. Okay. This here is the first time in history that a Quran is interpreted by a man who says I will interpret it based on my own views based on my own understanding because how does Quranic interpretation happen I need you with me tell me how does it happen it happens when the verses are measured against other verses or against other teachings of the prophet okay or through scholarly consensus or either through quayas, which is
Starting point is 01:03:37 analogy, or through rational approaches. When it comes to the Quran of the Muslim Brotherhood, it is the first time in history that a guy says, I will interpret it the way I want to interpret it.
Starting point is 01:03:52 And I do not care what the Quran says in other places, and I do not care what it says, what the Prophet says, this is unacceptable. That is the Quran of the Muslim Brotherhood. Okay. ask me your question no but to me you know it's kind of like saying you know Joseph Smith came out and he came out with the book of Moroni and he said Jesus after he died he resurrected and went to
Starting point is 01:04:21 Vermont and he found six tablets and that's how the Mormonism and the Latter-day Saints started and they went from Vermont to I'm going to miss some of this stuff from Vermont to Chicago everywhere they went to get kicked out and his father had some issues and eventually they end up in you know i think gets killed it gets killed in one of these places and then they end up in uh uh utah and that's where they build their thing so they have the bible and they have the book of moroni right the book of mormon translation is translation okay but if you go to the og of prophet mohammed let's go to that to you who was prophet mohammed forget the translation the the face of Muslim is Prophet Muhammad. Is that fair?
Starting point is 01:05:05 The face of Islam. The Islam is Prophet Muhammad. Correct. Who is Prophet Muhammad to you? You seem like a very reasonable guy. Correct. Who is he to you? The messenger of God. He's the messenger of God. Correct. Okay. Tell me, you know, to you what you admire about him the most. Everything.
Starting point is 01:05:27 Please unpack that. Okay. The Muhammad that the West has been introduced to is not our Muhammad, the Muhammad of the Quran. Very important. And please, Patrick, ask me any question. And if you feel I haven't answered you, please go back and make sure that you're satisfied with my answer. I'm not here to evade anything. So please.
Starting point is 01:05:55 Just so I know, you don't give me that vibe at all. So you don't even have to explain yourself. Thank you. Thank you. Arabia needed monotheism. This was a society that was worshipping dates and stones and burying their daughters alive, worshipping idols. The tradition of Abraham was corrupted in Arabia. We call this the time of ignorance, Zaman al-Jahiliya.
Starting point is 01:06:23 God sent a man, we believe, in the same way he sent Moses and Jesus. his name is Muhammad he sent him to Arabia not to start a new religion but to continue the religion of previous prophets Moses being you know the final Jewish prophet and Jesus being the the messenger for the Christians now you may believe him to be the son of God I see him as a prophet of God but what we agree upon is that he was a messenger of God. What he came with came from God. Came from the, you call him the father, I call him Allah.
Starting point is 01:07:07 The Prophet Muhammad, you may read the Quran that he came down with. And we say he came with, but it was revealed to him. So it did not come down as a tablet. It came down as verse by verse or certain verses together. His focus in Arabia was monotheism. Who is God? who is our creator and our responsibility towards him that's it that is the main fundamental pillar of the message of the prophet do not worship idols do not worship idols that you create with your own
Starting point is 01:07:40 hands and when you get hungry you eat to them out of dates and so on do not have sexual relations with your parents do not kill your parents do not murder the innocent for example respect the basic noahide laws this is exactly what our prophet advocated for then there is a development of a religion that is where it gets more interesting because it all goes back to those people following the prophet Muhammad the prophet Muhammad was born in 570 he passed away in 632 he was a prophet for 23 years in 23 years all of his battles were defensive
Starting point is 01:08:29 and you can look this up as I'm speaking they were all defensive and we can speak about treatment of Christians of Jews of any group ask me any question I'll tell you this but before we do so
Starting point is 01:08:42 I want to just point to a book that I think is valuable just for context by John Tolan the faces of Muhammad Right. So this book shows you that the West itself, in this book, the author Mr. Tolan, speaks about the faces of Muhammad in the West. Muhammad during the medieval era, how did the Western world view him? Muhammad during the Reformation era.
Starting point is 01:09:14 Muhammad during the Enlightenment era. So when you ask me about my prophet, This question is coming from the developments and the events happening in our time. Muhammad was never looked at in a single way by the West. He was looked at as Muhammad the businessman, Muhammad the poet, Muhammad the warrior, Muhammad the father, the father of orphans, Muhammad the statesman, right? So when I speak about the Prophet Muhammad, I'll tell you this,
Starting point is 01:09:48 He was a man sent by God to Arabia to guide them to towards monotheism and ethics. That's it. That is who he was. That's what his mission was. And that is exactly what the Quran focuses on. But yes, it's a book that speaks to a developing community. There's going to be conflict. There's going to be war.
Starting point is 01:10:11 And there's going to be peace. There's going to be a lot of difficult conversations to be had. And we should not shy away from them. What's the most difficult part of the Quran that you had to accept? No, I accept it all with no difficulty. None of it. No, because there's no question you can ask me that I do not have a rational answer for. The most basic one I'll go to that you've probably been asked a million times that you know of.
Starting point is 01:10:34 So Aisha, how do you process that? Aisha was not married to the Prophet at a young age. She was an adult. And I've heard you say this before. She was an adult. Do you know how many people who are... Islam Muslim scholars who do the complete opposite, who don't even debate it. Right.
Starting point is 01:10:55 But you debate it. They're preachers. They're not imams. They are preachers. The son of an imam is not an imam. Just because your dad has a mosque and leads prayers and gives you the microphone to speak. It does not make you a theologian. If the average person goes and checks to see...
Starting point is 01:11:10 By the way, let's do this. Let me ask the question in a different way. If he did marry Aishat 6, if he did consummate, at night would you still be a Muslim the thing is he would never do that no but here's a different question I'm asking right he would never do that I'm not asking that question if your prophet if this is an if it's a key word if he did marry a six year old if he did consummate which means you know have sex with somebody at night that some people would you know define that as rape they wouldn't even consider that as sex if he did would you still be a would you still see yourself
Starting point is 01:11:45 as a Muslim yourself. Patrick, I'm not running away from the question. I swear on my life and on my mother's life. I'm telling you, when you say prophet, to me, it means an infallible being that does not make a mistake or make error. It doesn't make sense. Then let me ask a question in a different way, okay? You're born into a family that is non-religious at all.
Starting point is 01:12:15 you have to find your own way it's not third generation imam they're not muslim but it's not atheists maybe it's agnostic you go pick and choose and find your own not not not christian not presbyterian not jehovah not nothing right i would eventually end up as muslim and as you say that you say that you say that you know uh uh you know i understand saying that you know i would also say i would end up being a Christian, myself, and I would say that, but neither one of us know that for a fact. We can play that and say yes, but I get the positioning of you having faith in what you're saying. If we put something on a board, facts of each religion out there, let's name one of them the religion of whatever. But the founder of that religion, who was admired by a couple
Starting point is 01:13:09 billion people if it was factually proven that he married someone at six and they had sex at nine would you ever consider that religion if i didn't say muslim i said if it was proven that the founder had done that would you ever accept that religion no of course not you wouldn't no okay beautiful but but again the prophet for us when you say mohammed you know what i process an infallible human being that does not make mistakes at all or any error so So it's impossible that he would make such a decision. And plus, the issue of Aisha, you have to weigh it against the society and the dates around her. She was born after her sister, Asma, and she died before Asma.
Starting point is 01:13:56 And I have it in a study which I can definitely send you. She was either 18, from 18 to 21 years old. There is no Muslim consensus that Aisha was three or six. six or nine or 15. There are more popular opinions because there is a state behind the publications promoting them. Yes, that I accept. But again, with all your respect, if you put a book in front of me, a history book, and you tell me this book was authored by a very respected man,
Starting point is 01:14:30 you know what I'll tell you? I'll tell you with all your respect, Brother Patrick, I know you gave me a book. You put a book in front of me, but God gave me a brain. and I can do mathematics, and I can understand exactly when she was born, where she was. It's not hard to work it out. Well, 18 to 21. Okay. Final verdict.
Starting point is 01:14:50 According to your opinion is 18 to 21, right? According to your opinion. But I have Islamic sources for it. But those are also sources. But they are. So the two sources are debating each other. Again, a source is measured and is judged based on the author and based on the credibility. of the source. So when you're telling me that she was, it's narrated that she's six
Starting point is 01:15:15 or nine, I understand where that comes from. And I can also tell you that book is banned in certain countries. So that's the same book for, and I don't want to mention, I don't want to offend X percent of Muslims by saying this. But I'll tell you this, if a book is rejected, because it was relied upon by ISIS, it should also be rejected if it tells you that Aisha was and that my prophet was a rapist. You reject the book in its totality. Do you know, so what is the worst rumor ever made about you? Worst rumor about me?
Starting point is 01:15:51 What is the worst rumor ever made about you? Worst rumor ever made about you? That, it's almost like it's insane. No, but the, you know, I would weigh worse by the, the value of the source of the rumor. So if there's someone important. Yeah, but this is, this is, you have to realize when, when people make rumors about Clinton and they'll say he went to Epstein Island.
Starting point is 01:16:25 And, you know, he raped somebody. He did this. He did that. Okay. And then there is a moment where he's holding up a check of $850,000, another woman that got $850,000 that they settled. And his Epstein pictures are coming up. Okay. How come these rumors are not there of Jimmy Carter? How come these rumors are not there? For Jimmy Carter, the rumors were very different. With George Bush Sr., the rumors were director of CIA, John F. Kennedy, where was he the day
Starting point is 01:16:57 John F. Kennedy got assassinated? Okay. The rumors of everybody's different. Can you imagine you are the prophet of a denomination of a religion where the main source Muslims have to overcome the objection is the fact that your prophet married a six-year-old and consummated at nine years old. That's not one person spreaded. This isn't President Trump saying Obama was born in Kenya and, you know, here go show your birth certificate. And the day the White House released the birth certificate. My graphic designer said, this is a BS birth certificate. And Obama, this is a fake birth certificate. We're looking at it, right? This is not that. This is something that's been around for a long time. So it's not like it's a one person that's against Muslims
Starting point is 01:17:49 that is saying the founder was six, you know, married a six-year-old, nine-year-old. That's everywhere. Now, let me ask you the second one. The second one is, what is your impression of what happens? If I am a Muslim and I die and I go to heaven, are there 72 virgins waiting for me? Where are you at with that? Two questions, Patrick, that need unpacking. Oh, do it. Go for it. Okay.
Starting point is 01:18:12 Firstly, with regards to rumors, I gather you're a proud Christian. I am. Okay. What's the rumor about Mary? Peace be upon her. Okay. The mother of Jesus. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:18:25 What do our Jewish brothers in Abrahamic faith think of? Mary. Not the same. Okay. And it's not nice either. It's not nice either, no. Does it bring you value that Christianity is part of an Abrahamic lineage from Abraham, well, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, this tradition all the way down to Jesus that the Bible refers to? Of course, you have something to stand on, theologically. I understand the whole concept or faith that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Son of God. I understand. And that being above everything I just mentioned. I understand that. But the rumor about Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is a very serious one. And it still stands according to the Abrahamic faith of Judaism,
Starting point is 01:19:25 which both your prophets and my prophets come from your prophet was Jesus Christ was Jewish at the end of the day for us he's a prophet of the Israelites and all of God's prophets for us were Israelites we don't have female prophets by the way obviously but the prophet Muhammad is the only Arab non-Israelite prophet. Do you know that that rumor still stands in the tradition of every single Jew? And that rumor stands in the seminaries? You know how that rumor was neutralized, at least in the Abrahamic household of ours? This book. The Quran did the greatest service to Christianity. Christianity. The Quran that I believe in, this is the same Quran. When you say people follow a book, this is the same book. That if I were to open the very heart of this book, now give or take a few pages here and there, because of course you're dealing with a publication that puts a license and a contents page, right? This we call it Kalbalt Quran. heart of the Quran here so the viewers can see it the first chapter in the
Starting point is 01:21:00 heart of the Quran is Surat Miriam the chapter of Mary and it begins by narrating the miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ Islam is the only religion that told our Jewish brothers and sisters that Mary gave birth to Jesus without us husband. This is the same book, by the way. You point to a religion for me that did this service to Christianity and to Jesus Christ and to Mary other than Islam. You didn't answer the question. No, but I'm getting there. No, I'm getting there. So I, so you have to realize I was an atheist for 25 years of my life. Right. And what you just said right there was one the reasons why I had had a hard time being a Christian. Because for me it was, that was an era
Starting point is 01:21:53 of naivete. How hard is it for somebody to convince the people that I was a virgin and I'm pregnant? And I haven't had sex with anybody. How did I get pregnant? For somebody to believe that who's a logical person, who's a math guy, which is me. I'm not a Christian 25 years. I'm an atheist. You couldn't get me to go into a church. I thought it was for the people the week. So a lot of these things you're saying, logically, I was the guy that you were talking about. And I'm not even a Jew. I was just an atheist. I'm like, no, the life I lived living in Iran, seeing all the bombing, seen in Hezbollah, seeing what Saddam Hussein was doing, seeing what Khomeini was doing, seeing what happened to a once great nation where anybody from around the world would come to
Starting point is 01:22:43 vacate an Iran vacation for Iran? No. So I came from that, but you haven't answered the question yet. The question is about the prophet, you know, the criticism of him when you read the stories about his wives, when you read the stories about Aisha, specific to Aisha, I ask you two things. It was Aisha and it was the 72 virgins when I died. Yes, okay. So 72 virgins is real. That's in Islam. It's in the concept of it. I think that's a little weird. The concept of it. The concept of is in the Quran. But again, allow me to unpack. Please.
Starting point is 01:23:23 So when you read these things in the Quran, please, Patrick, please, let's not forget the type of community, these statements were being issued to. We're not talking about Oxford graduates or Harvard graduates. This was a primitive society in need of guidance. And therefore, in their mentality, there was. certain things they consider to be worthwhile and rewards. And unfortunately, one of them, again, is women, right? So the word 70 in Islam and in Arabic tradition, in Arabic literature in general, means a lot.
Starting point is 01:24:03 It does not mean exactly 72. You'll have preachers, again, I'm speaking about preachers. Preachers who say every one of these virgins comes with 100 maids. So we're not going to stop counting. And every maid has a secondary mate. So what is this? At the end of the day, there is a solid Abrahamic tradition that is focused on purity and piety. And then you have the development of a religion.
Starting point is 01:24:34 And there are conversations between the religious hierarchy and the adherence of that religion. We have traditions, for example, where our process. was sitting down and people would come and ask him the same question. And he would answer in a different way. He wouldn't misguide people, but he would give the same answer in a different way. And the companions would say, why would you answer them differently? He says because the first one was a farmer. If I give him examples using trees and fruits, he would understand.
Starting point is 01:25:11 And the second guy was a businessman. If I speak to him in real estate, he'll understand better. It's more about being relatable. So number one, the idea of 72 virgins is not a pillar in Islam, meaning that if you don't believe in it, you cannot be a full Muslim. No, it is there in the Quran, part of a conversation between the religion and the developing society with a reminder that you're talking about a society, Patrick. Can I just ask my brother here, can you just go to the, go to Google,
Starting point is 01:25:45 Go to Google. Patrick, first thing, I should have said this first. I congratulate you on your clarity, really. I haven't done podcasts in America for seven years, maybe eight years. Yes, I don't. I get invites. I get invites. I can open my phone and show you the type of people. I can only imagine.
Starting point is 01:26:04 Right? But if I don't listen to a podcast myself and I don't respect the interviewer, I don't. When I listen to you on other shows, I'll get to you now. When I listen to you interviewing other people, you know, when you're listening to someone and in your mind, you have something to say about it. You're that guy. You always say exactly what I'm thinking. And I congratulate your clarity on many of these issues, but please, this is good. I want to continue.
Starting point is 01:26:32 Go there and put a Quranic verse, enter the home from its door. Okay, click on that, go down, there's a first link. Right, Surat al-Baghara, 189. Wait, okay, there we go. Chapter 2, verse 189. You want to highlight that, please? The second sentence, okay. Do you see that, Patrick?
Starting point is 01:27:04 I'm going to go to the end of that verse there. Righteousness is not in entering your houses from the back doors. Rather, righteousness is to be mindful of Allah So enter your homes through their proper doors. Patrick, tell me, why is it that archangel Gabriel? This is again, I'm speaking about the Islamic tradition. Archangel Gabriel, who carried each and every one of these verses down onto the Prophet Muhammad. And in the Quran we are told, when revelation comes down, the prophet, his temperature goes up, right?
Starting point is 01:27:39 It's something heavy that's being bestowed upon him. He's receiving a message from God. He begins to sweat. He's in fear. Now, the prophet has to go through that entire process. For then a verse to tell him, please tell your guys, tell the believers. He's speaking to the Muslims,
Starting point is 01:27:58 the new, the first Muslim community in Mecca. Enter your home from the front door. What were you doing? What were you doing? Do you see, that's the level of intellect. We need to be mindful. of. These are people who were not accustomed to anything logical that you and I have, you know, when you meet someone basic common sense and basic logic, that does not exist. And you can't
Starting point is 01:28:26 expect it from someone who buries his daughter alive. You can't. Someone who thinks burying daughters alive is a shame. That's the level of mentality our prophet had to deal with. Patrick, Jesus Christ, came to a civilization. He came to a civilization where they were Roman. and the Jewish civilization alone is huge that's why he didn't have to go through what our Prophet went through our Prophet was dealing with people who don't get it
Starting point is 01:28:53 the struggle was real I'm telling you you're not dealing with a single situation this is the type of people he has to tell them when you go home please use the front door like Revelation needs to take place because they were digging holes from the back of their homes and entering from the back after completing pilgrimage
Starting point is 01:29:09 but why would you have a front door if you don't use it You're saying the following of Prophet Muhammad during the time that he was and where he was, there wasn't a level of advancement. So it was a higher level of naivete with the people versus Jesus came to a place where there was already an established society? Is that what you're saying? Beautifully said. Okay.
Starting point is 01:29:30 So then help me correlate those two together because one would say that's even a bigger opportunity to manipulate and deceive and persuade a more. naive audience then you would a more educated audience which would be tougher to do so no but they had their own traditions and they had they had their own gods as I said they worship their own idols they had everything in place there was a functioning tribal society who were they who were they idolizing before Prophet Muhammad the idols a lot do you want to pull that up just put the idol of lat lat last ozla ozra al ozza ozah Yeah, no, no.
Starting point is 01:30:16 Latt with a T, yep, and Uzzah. U-Z-A. U-S-Z-A. U-D-Z-A. U-D-Z, double Z, double Z, no, no, U-Z-Z-A. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:30:34 There you go, Al-Uza. He's one of the three chief gathers of religious, pre-Islamic, and she was worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs and the Alat and Manat, a stone cube of Nakhla, near Mecca was held sacred as part of her call. She mentioned in Quran 5319 as being one of the goddess on people worship. So he comes in, he comes in a time where the level of night, it is high, but prior to that, they had some traditions.
Starting point is 01:31:03 Just like Abraham. Abraham had to deal with the Nimrod and the idol worshipping. But go back to that Wikipedia page, please. I want you to click on right there where your mouse is you see pre-Islamic Qarish click on that okay that is the chief Arabian tribe that ruled Mecca it's called Qarish
Starting point is 01:31:25 and our prophet was from Qarish so he came not only to a society he was rebelling against his own people they were the establishment you see that so many people think that our prophet
Starting point is 01:31:41 came against Jews and Christians, that's tribal alliances we'll get to later on. But the establishment itself was the Prophet's family. The so-called conquest of Mecca, where the Prophet came in and took Mecca, he was simply coming back home. So by law, if the chiefs of, by tribal law, by international law, if the owners of the land submit to you, and by tribal law and Islamically, all laws submit that the Prophet,
Starting point is 01:32:11 Mecca without a single drop of blood being shed, right? He took over Mecca. So he came back home. He's from Quraysh. He came to guide Quraysh. And Quraysh opposed them and tried to murder him. So upon return, what he did was, without spilling a single drop of blood, he entered Mecca, which is today the holiest site for Muslims.
Starting point is 01:32:34 And there are reasons why Mecca is the holiest site for Muslims. It's not just the location where God, placed his home. I don't know if we're aware of that. Can you just click on Mecca, the first line right there, beautiful? Okay, click on that black cube there, the picture. So we Muslims believe that Adam, our father Adam, the father of humanity, because again, Muslims believe there were humans before Adam. So he was a prophet, prophet to who? There must have been a nation that he came to guide. The point is, the Prophet Adam, so we refer to him as Prophet Adam, Adam, came to Arabia and created the base for this Kaaba, for the house of God.
Starting point is 01:33:20 And then Abraham came and built it. And ever since then, it has undergone renovations. So floods would take place, for example, the flood of Noah, we believe. And then there's this theological question as to why the flood of Noah would even disrupt the structure of the Kaaba. And that's because it was full of idols at the time. It wasn't as sacred as it is after it was purified by the Prophet. So this was full of idols. Inside it were idols, where that door is, above it and around it.
Starting point is 01:33:52 We're full of idols. So I think we came down a different path. But going back, I still want you to know, the Prophet came to an established community that had amazing poets, had mathematicians. But when we say ignorant, they were ignorant of things. things to do with religion, with God, and they were firm in their belief of idols, and they had some terrible, terrible traditions, such as burying their women alive. And to be honest, when you said what's the issue that you struggle with a lot in Islam, I thought you were going to ask me about the wife beating verse. I really thought so, but then you took it another path.
Starting point is 01:34:32 But we can discuss that too. But when it comes to the community, please keep in mind the community. was not a highly developed community at the time. Okay. So what happens if, by the way, just so you know, for me, you know, sometimes people see and they're wondering, Patrick's an Islamophobic is this, he's that. My chef, that's been with my family for three years,
Starting point is 01:34:57 who's with us in our house, is a Muslim chef from Turkey. And he still is a Muslim. He's not converted to Christianity. He's a Muslim himself. He cooks for us. I had an assistant guy named Houtan, who was a Muslim.
Starting point is 01:35:10 who was with me for one year, one of the nicest guys I met in my life. But then I got hundreds of stories on the other side as well, of what happened that I've personally witnessed. So I want you to know I've met many, many peaceful people like you who are Muslim, who are incredible human beings to have dinner with, have conversations with, and a major respect to those guys. This is not a blanket statement on everybody. A part of my challenge is trying to see if the two kings,
Starting point is 01:35:40 co-exist. Because if you can't coexist, then don't force it to coexist. Let them individually build their own societies and see what can happen. Let me go to my next question here with you. And I know how you are. So you're probably going to want to comment on that as well. And you can go forward. I'm really interested in hearing both your answers on both topics. But let's just say you leave today. Okay. We finish the podcast. I tell you, my mom respectfully I don't think you're 100% there
Starting point is 01:36:14 I think you need to consider you know becoming a Christian and you say 100% no way you know even if I came from that agnostic
Starting point is 01:36:28 family I would still end up being where I'm at right now you said that earlier about 30 minutes ago but say something happens you have a miracle that happens something happens you go to sleep tonight you have a you know a dream it's a dream you're actually sitting not having a conversation
Starting point is 01:36:46 with Jesus and anything that you're seeing all of a sudden next day you know what I'm going to become a Christian if that were to happen what happens to you dreams are not
Starting point is 01:37:02 evidence or proof for us no for the Forget about the dream. You read the Bible. You had a moment. You pray. Which I have. And you pray. And you decide you want to become a Christian. Your choice. What happens to you? I already believe in Jesus Christ as a prophet of God. No, but you leave. You denounce as being a Muslim and you become a Christian. Okay. Let me answer you. Please. But please allow me to answer you. No problem. Okay. I haven't interrupted you. So you go ahead. No. Believe me, it's a real pleasure sitting with you. Patrick. Not only are you respectful. You come from a region where you understand exactly what I'm saying. And I love the fact that the viewers will know that if I am in any way not being direct, you would have the knowledge to say, hang on, right? So I appreciate that. These questions don't apply to me, Patrick. This question doesn't apply to me. And the question that you asked when you played my when I was warning the West you said well someone can say why is he still a Muslim that doesn't apply to me either why because that would be asking me to let go of what is mine I didn't say leave a religion that I adhere to or believe in
Starting point is 01:38:29 I'm not speaking about belief here this is not an issue of faith I will not let go what is mine. I repeat for you, it is mine. What does that mean? It means I am a Muslim who is Arab who comes from the tribe of Tai, Thai being one of the most prominent Ta'iya, the prominent tribes in Arabia. And God sent a prophet, you know how in Judaism God sends prophets from the Israelites for the Israelites. So God sent a prophet to us who spoke our language. And God sent down his book in my language. The Quran says inside that we created it or we made it an Arabic Quran in order for you to understand, meaning that its original language was not Arabic. It was made Arabic for us. If God in Islam wants to speak to the Somali community, he speaks to them
Starting point is 01:39:41 in Arabic. They can translate it all they like, but this is the language of Islam, Arabic. God doesn't have a language, but God spoke to us in Arabic, in my language, in my mother tongue. And he sent a prophet to us. He didn't put us in a different continent and then a prophet came to us from a different continent like Islam moved and people converted after we. receiving its message in Malaysia and Indonesia and and the Indian subcontinent. This is mine. My ancestors are the companions of the prophet. Adi bin Hatam Tai gave two eyes for the prophet in defending him.
Starting point is 01:40:22 I am not a convert that came, walked into this religion 50 or 20 years ago. My DNA is as old as this religion. When the prophet first came to Arabia, we believed in him. we stood by him and we did everything he said. This religion is where it is today because of us and people like me. The Arab Muslims, the children of the companions of the Prophet, the children of the family of the Prophet, those who intermarried with the Prophet, those who took his message and defended him and spread his message for him.
Starting point is 01:40:57 That's us. That is why Islam is run out of Mecca. That is why it's run out of Saudi Arabia and out of the UAE. Because we are the first generation Muslims who the prophet would receive message from God and handed over to our people, my forefathers, to be suggesting that I leave, it's mine. Why would I let go of it? Chamini needs to leave the religion, not me, Khomeini needs to leave the religion, Elhan Omar needs to leave the religion, the Muslim Brotherhood needs to leave my religion, it belongs to me.
Starting point is 01:41:32 Patrick, if you have 10 homes as an example and someone decides to squat in your home and then society tells you, well, you have many homes one of them is called Bahrain, one is called Oman, one is called naming Muslim countries why don't you leave? You're going to say what? I understand
Starting point is 01:41:57 but it's mine. That's how I feel Patrick, when I see these extremist Islam, it's not my opinion versus theirs or theirs versus mine. It is them who have crossed the line into my faith and have hijacked it and with money and influence have come here first and have become the face of my religion. That's how I feel. So please, it's not us versus them. It's them thieves who need to leave. Chahmane needs to swap his turban for a crown
Starting point is 01:42:30 representing my God and my prophet with his turban that turban curses him daily if he wears it saying it's a symbol of religion and piety that turban curses Chamanai daily and my turban is on it that I am wearing it that's the difference I'm a theologian right I'm a cleric
Starting point is 01:42:49 I'm not a politician I speak to you in this manner so when I speak about my religion I am speaking about something that is my not something that I subscribed to or heard about or I was born with no it's it belongs to us I was born with it I will carry it till the day I die that's the difference Patrick I wish you knew I wish you knew how much I respect people who have the ability to be reasonable and have reasonable conversation and they have conviction we don't have to agree on things I have
Starting point is 01:43:26 tremendous respect for your ability to be reasonable and have the conviction that you have and the pride of where you are and saying it's not me that needs to leave as they need to leave. But that still doesn't answer my question. Okay. There was a beautiful seven minutes
Starting point is 01:43:42 you went on. I'm sorry. I didn't know. No, no, I love it and I would have let you go 30 more minutes. I don't want you to take it as if time is limited, although we are coming to the end. I'd like to go a few more minutes with you. is if you were to leave. And let's change the question.
Starting point is 01:44:05 You have a very persuasive way of delivering your message. You have a following. You have tens, if not hundreds of millions of online views. You have millions of followers. People follow you and what you have to say. Say you influence somebody. You'll never meet this person. But he follows your teaching the way you suggest what books, what sect, what scripture to go through and the way you deliver the message.
Starting point is 01:44:33 That person has been a follower of you and the way you teach the religion of Islam, the way you go through it, last 10 years. And that person chooses to leave what happens to them. That person says, I no longer want to be a Muslim. Like apostasy? Yes. They're free to leave. According to who? According to Islam, there is no law that is agreed upon that says they need to be killed.
Starting point is 01:44:59 Okay. So then what is, how do you, and I'm trying to see if you've ever done anything, because I don't know if you have or haven't. How do you view some of these social media influencers that are out there debating the religion of Islam? How do you view? Some of these guys get a lot of views. You said it, influences. They're not scholars. So give me some names.
Starting point is 01:45:23 Like who would you see and say this is a valid person that they, you've called a lot of people out. There isn't anybody bigger to call out the Chaminé today. You've called that Chaminéi. Chameh is not big. You've called that Vahid. You've called the Khomeini. You've called out, you've called a lot of people. They are midgets in the region.
Starting point is 01:45:40 They may be midgets in their region, but there are giants with the amount of money and influence that they haven't controlled that they have. So you can, you can say that, but they have control. And guess what? as amazing as the Shah of Iran was he was able to only control that beautiful place for 37 years these guys have been able to control it for 46 years 46 years because of the West because of America that's a different conversation we can get to get to that as well but I want I want to get to the question when you see some of these influencers who would you say reasonable just a you know social media guy not a real guy this guy's a real guy who would you say
Starting point is 01:46:20 And have you debated any of these guys? I'm not a debater. I sometimes things happen. And you find yourself in front of someone talking. I'm not a debater. But you have to realize the young, the youth is consuming their content around the world. And it's just going to get bigger. And that's depicting what you believe in.
Starting point is 01:46:49 Right. If there is one man that I would direct people to listen to or read his words and read about him, it would be Sheikh Zaid, the founder of the UAE. It would be that man, the father of the current president. Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahian. Please pull him up. That man. that man took the UAE from a regular Arab state that could go anywhere anywhere other states went and he turned it into a beacon of hope and never once did he violate Islam or his principles or his morals.
Starting point is 01:47:36 This is what a Muslim leader looks like. Why is it Patrick that when the leader of ISIS, for example, speaks. People say, look, a Muslim leader. Why is when Khamani speaks, he's a Muslim leader? But when this man speaks, no one says Muslim leader.
Starting point is 01:47:56 No, he is a Muslim leader. This is a legend who passed away. And may God have mercy on his soul. This man is the reason why we have the Abrahamic family house today. He's the reason why Christians have the biggest parish in the UAE. He's the reason why there's coexistence.
Starting point is 01:48:13 You know, he's the reason why the Pope gets up from the Vatican and visits Abu Dhabi to sign the Abu Dhabi document on human fraternity. He's the reason behind it. There's an archive of books and text and speeches of this man that if every Arab state had a ruler like him, it would be heaven on earth. I say that. And I chose this man because he has passed away and no one can accuse me of trying to get closer to a current ruler. He has passed away and he left behind a
Starting point is 01:48:50 legacy that is Islamic that makes Islam look exactly how our prophet wanted it to be. When did he pass away? He passed away. 2004. Yeah. 2004.
Starting point is 01:49:07 So you know that amazing mosque grand, Sheikh Zaid, Mosque and Abu Dhabi that world leaders go to? He's buried just outside the courtyard. It's a fascinating place to visit and see I mean he didn't get He started the mosque The construction of the mosque
Starting point is 01:49:23 But he didn't get the opportunity to pray Yeah It's the grand mosque of Abu Yeah that one there Shehzad grand mosque If you want to click on that in bold That is the mosque These
Starting point is 01:49:37 That one there It's a fascinating place That's it that's where That's Abu Dhabi That's Dubai. Yeah. This is what Islam looks like. No extremist preachers.
Starting point is 01:49:50 I've been there. Yeah. No terror cells. No Muslim Brotherhood nonsense. Yeah. Right? And Patrick, I know we're limited on time, but I can't end without showing this to you. I'm not selling anything.
Starting point is 01:50:05 This is important. This is the cancer that has infiltrated America. This is from our organization, trends research and advisory. the CEO sends you his regards. This here is for you. This is about the International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood. It shows you how they started 98 years ago in Egypt, an infiltrated society. This here is their organizational structure. Tell me how we're doing with time. And this, by the way, is their path to a caliphate globally. This is what the UAE It's putting forward to warn, and by the way, this is a few volumes out of, I think, 30 volumes, the project is. It's like 15 volumes out and translated into 16 languages. This is their path to a caliphate, the Muslim Brotherhood cancer, and they need to be called out. You know, we can speak about Islam all day.
Starting point is 01:51:06 We can speak theology. We can speak about conversions, no problem. But when I walk out of the studio, this is the cancer that we have to face. Which one should I read first? The one you're holding. This guy? Okay. Just so you know what book my son is reading right now? My son is reading the Koran right now.
Starting point is 01:51:23 I have my oldest son read Communist Manifesto at the Shrug, the Bible, the Quran. He's going to read about all these guys to learn for himself and get questions. I can tell you for me I'm going to go through this book and read it myself. But, you know, I can talk to you for six. more hours. You don't have 50 more questions for you, but we can't do an eight-hour podcast. Go for it. Well, I didn't give you this in the start, but I came here with something for you. Because if I hand this over to you in the beginning, then it could be bribery. You might be nice to me throughout the whole conversation. That's fair. So at the end, this, my brother, is a hundred
Starting point is 01:52:06 reals. Oh, you got to be kidding. From the time of the Shah. It is rare uncirculated. I've had it with me for nearly 15 years and I said you know this needs to go to brother Patrick you're amazing because I feel you would appreciate are you kidding me like you mind if I show to him please do yeah this is this is the kind of stuff that just uh means the world to me gifts like this this is the kind of stuff that you'll never be able to buy from me never for the rest of my life we'll be able to buy this from me this goes in the safe you're amazing I appreciate this gift and and I have to have to tell you you know I think uh there are some podcast that you do
Starting point is 01:52:45 were at the end you know I'll walk away like I'm going to go out lunch right now with a guy and I'm going to say you know who won today I think the audience won today I think the audience won today because the audience is kind of going to watch this and they're going to say there's some things I really like what you know the mom had to say he made a very good point
Starting point is 01:53:05 there and there's something that's I was actually interesting question Pat asking what you have to say here but either way we're getting smarter and the basis that I like about this a lot of times people will say well come you know you come bring me on bring me on if you can respect i'll bring anybody on and you've been nothing more respectful from the beginning to the end um i respect that a lot and i look forward to us having many many more conversations like this again the two of us together anytime you need to get a hold of me you can get a hold of me anytime
Starting point is 01:53:35 this has been a pleasure sitting on you're talking to you thank you very much patrick i would I'd like to end with a very brief statement that we are all different people and we don't have to be the same. We're different. We were created differently, but we find ourselves in the same region, speaking the same language, eating the same food, going the same places. And I think allowing the extremists to operate with no criticism and without shedding light on their cancer that they bring to society. is wrong. And with what we did today, we were able to not only highlight that, but also give you an understanding into what is in my mind and also what made me who I am today. There's a lot of things that we did not discuss, which we will leave for future interactions.
Starting point is 01:54:30 But I want to say one thing. The truth is worth it, Patrick. The truth is worth it. It's worth losing friends over it. It's worth being controversial over it it's worth the challenge this could have gone in many different ways patrick could have you know people were telling me be careful you never know how this would go but i'll tell you this the truth is worth getting in front of millions of people and saying this religion is here to serve and guide in its principle in its origins was heading in a certain way that is about belief in one God, harmony, and coexistence between all people and that it was hijacked by the extremists. That needs to be said. And it needs to be said by someone
Starting point is 01:55:26 like me. What do you do with the 100 million of them? The 100 million, believe it or not, are governed, we're going to go with 100 million. Regardless of how many they are, they're always governed by a small number on top. If the small number on top are dealt with, then you will find the hundred million dispersing, like every other society. There are religions that no longer exist, languages that no longer exist. Why? Because their scholars passed away. What should happen to those guys? We have a few more minutes? Yes. Patrick, there needs to be the clash of the turbines. Turbans need to start clashing. Not physically. verbally. There needs to be presence online on TV of imams who reject the Muslim
Starting point is 01:56:19 brotherhood, say Osama Biladan does not represent us, he would be executed in Saudi Arabia had he been caught and the people doing that would be Muslim for killing so many Americans. There needs to be imams who come out and speak in English. Unfortunately, there's a language barrier. I understand. I'm not the only one who speaks in this manner. There or those in Farsi, which you are familiar with, and those in the Arabic world as well. I need to mention Pierce Morgan. After October 7, people were turning to the Muslim world, and they want to see the face of the Muslim community. And I'm really sorry to say this.
Starting point is 01:56:59 The people that Pierce Morgan had on his show were not imams. they were preachers or academics and they were anti-Semites at the same time you know Gaza who you're referring to you know it's not about defamation I don't want to dirty my mouth with their names
Starting point is 01:57:20 people like followers of Hezbo Tahrir okay they should not be the face of Islam what but it's important for you to qualify because I think you know if you don't Don't assume everybody that is non-Muslim, that's a Christian or Jew or something else,
Starting point is 01:57:42 that they know everything about the different sex that you're seeing, especially the naive in the middle that will see. So you just said someone's name. It's an organization. Can you talk to us about that organization and what they're teaching is? Hasb ut-Tahrir is an organization that its logo, just put it up, please, pull it up. Hezbo Tahrir, T-A-H-R-I-R-I-R. Okay, you see that logo?
Starting point is 01:58:09 Yes. Planet Earth, just click on that logo for me, please. Look at that. That's their logo. The banner of Al-Qaeda appears through planet Earth. They want global caliphate. These guys exist everywhere. So one of the guests, a medical doctor from the UK,
Starting point is 01:58:24 that peers had on after October 7, because that's when people want to hear from Muslims. right was from this organization and again i'm not blaming peers in any way i'm answering your question i'm saying such platforms need to bring in muslims who have clarity of mind and thought and have depth in their understanding of religion of the koran and can answer questions right not muslims who just want to uh speak about gaza and the palestinian cause which is neither here nor there. You know, the Palestinian cause is not central to Islam or to the region.
Starting point is 01:59:06 It's another issue like we're dealing with every other issue. Would UN Muhammad Hijab agree on a lot of things? Of course not. Definitely not. I'd be damned if he approved of anything I said. I'd bury myself alive if he agreed with me. Why do you say that? That's a disgrace.
Starting point is 01:59:27 Why do you say that? An absolute disgrace. Hijat? Him and his community. Are they part of that community or not? Correct. Okay, so the community you were talking about? The Muslim Brotherhood in general is not a monolith.
Starting point is 01:59:43 It comes in many faces. The academic face, it comes in the long beard, no mustache appearances. They come in different forms. But if you, look, if you ask me, about him it's the same as though telling me if a deputy of Khamanai in America agreed with you. How would you feel?
Starting point is 02:00:07 No, these are people I do not categorize as peaceful people. People who want to coexist with Christians and Jews at all. This is not a community that is the face of Islam at all. Our Father Abraham wants us to live together.
Starting point is 02:00:24 That's what I'm getting at. What does Abraham want? When we say we are an Abrahamic family. What does that mean? It means our father Abraham wants us to coexist, live in harmony, live together, not spill each other's blood. Whoever does not champion coexistence in harmony and peace, and I don't like the word tolerance, but I understand that, you know, I'm tolerating you.
Starting point is 02:00:50 No, acceptance of one another. You're a human. I accept you on that level as a human without the need to change you. So then I can accept you. No, I accept you the way you are. And that religion is here to guide. You have yours, I have mine. And mine looks very much like yours.
Starting point is 02:01:08 And yours looks very much like the Torah. Why? Because the one God spoke to Moses, spoke to Jesus, spoke to the Prophet Muhammad. It's the same source of information. No one copied anyone. No one plagiarized anything from anyone. But this is Islam, monotheism, an Arabic characteristics for an Arabic society. A lot of blood was spilt for people to then realize we need peace and coexistence.
Starting point is 02:01:37 I believe in the professional way, diplomacy, interfaith, dialogue, research, studies, that's the path I take. I don't take the path of stripping your shirt in public, which is what these people do and chanting and screaming and yelling. There's a foolish childish. What are you going to change? in the world. No, I believe in professional discourse, which is why we have the amount of followers that we have. People listen to us. And which is why the extremists hate us the most because of the impact we have on people in society. Yeah. The other doctor that you were talking about, what upset you about the doctor? What did she say? What did he say, can'ta? Is that the
Starting point is 02:02:26 No, no. If you want to put up medical doctor, yeah. Pierre, who's a medical doctor? But what did he say? I'll tell you, wait, I think if you go on images. Waheed? I think it's him. I think. Yeah, this handsome chap. Now, this is Hizb ut Tahrir. Hizb al-Tahrir tells you, like, Peers needs to know, this guy would, Hesb al-Tahrir enters a society in order to bring it down.
Starting point is 02:02:54 they want a global caliphate if they if they rule they would execute the king if they rule they will execute the king and execute non-Muslims and even Muslims like me would be third class not even second class
Starting point is 02:03:10 if not total outright apostasy beheading has but Tahir is cancer they are Muslim Brotherhood on steroids the Muslim Brotherhood is more pragmatic they'll participate in elections you know they'll Like in Morocco, for example, they'll show respect to the king.
Starting point is 02:03:29 But when Gen Z uprising starts, they start funding them. So Muslim Brotherhood is more strategic. Hasb ut-Tahrir outright tells you we don't believe in your courts. We don't believe in your incorporation systems. We will operate without incorporation. There is no legal status and there's nothing you can do about it. This guy cannot be, and by the way, peers did not agree with him on anything. Pears was really good.
Starting point is 02:03:50 My issue is, by the way, look, look. Look at the hat that he's wearing, the red. That is the Muslim Brotherhood cap. If you go to Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, that's the cap they wear. He's coming to studio telling you he's an extremist. And then you expect him to condemn Hamas. Of course, he's not going to do it, which he never did. But my issue with peers is that there needs to be proper imams from the UK who are platformed in an equal amount
Starting point is 02:04:24 or bring them face to face, as I said, clash of the turbans, excuse me. Let them clash. Let the British and let the Americans see the clash within the Muslim community. Let them see it. Because if they don't see it, they only see this guy. Are you proposing you're open to the idea or you don't want to have anything to do with it? No, Pierce invited me. But he invited me at a time, or his producer did, invited me at a time where,
Starting point is 02:04:54 people were eager to get on screen to capitalize on the suffering of the Palestinians. And I prefer a more civilized, calm discussion with the host alone. And I prefer it in person. And I also appreciate being asked relevant questions like you asked me today. These are the questions Americans think of when they see someone who looks like me. you asked me about imam of peace when i was first called imam of peace i adopted it patrick why because unfortunately if you if you don't put yourself in a box they will put you in a box that's the main reason why that that is my handle well well well well well well i'm sure
Starting point is 02:05:42 many and uh it was a pleasure having you on god bless you thank you for the gift god bless you as well. Thank you. Safe travels. And is there anywhere you want people to go to learn more about you? Where would you like them to go? Just, I'm on Twitter. I mean, at Imam of Peace. There you go. Rob, if we can put that handle below so the audience can go find them. And I appreciate the gifts and the books. Folks, God bless. Have a good one. Take you everybody. Bye bye, bye, bye. God bless. Bye. and luxury. We had the choice to make it fast. We had the choice to make it cheap. We chose neither. Instead, we chose Tuscanyere. We chose true Italian craftsmanship, each pair touched by 50 skilled hands. We chose patience, spending two years perfecting every detail, and we chose the
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