By: Hal C Clarke

A Brooklyn Muslim cleric, who once collaborated with New York City Mayor Eric Adams on a campaign to combat hate, is now promoting it by calling for the annihilation of Israel, The New York Post has exclusively reported.

This shocking revelation comes as the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to escalate. Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr, an imam at the Bay Ridge mosque, used a Friday service earlier this month to call upon Allah to “liberate Palestine from the occupiers and the plunderers.” Al-Barr’s inflammatory sermon, delivered in Arabic on August 12 at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge’s Masjid ibn Umair, included a chilling plea: “Oh Allah, annihilate those who occupied their lands, and those who betrayed and deserted them, and those who spilled their blood.”

The NY Post revealed that this sermon was posted online by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a think tank known for its monitoring of Middle Eastern media. The organization’s board of advisors includes notable figures such as human rights activist Natan Sharansky and lawyer and former diplomat Stuart Eizenstat.

Al-Barr, who is also referred to as “Elbar,” praised the efforts of Hamas fighters in Gaza, claiming they have achieved more than Arab armies did in the wars of 1967 and 1973. Yigal Carmon, the president and founder of MEMRI, told The NY Post that Al-Barr’s comments glorified a terrorist organization and ignored the fact that Hamas uses civilians as human shields. Carmon pointed out the chilling irony of this support coming from the heart of New York City, a place far removed from the violence.

The NY Post also highlighted that Al-Barr’s past connection with Mayor Adams raises concerns. Back in April 2017, Adams, then Brooklyn Borough President, teamed up with the Bay Ridge mosque and other local leaders in a campaign to combat hate against the Muslim community. During that time, Adams declared, “Any attack on one religious life is an attack on all religious ways of life,” emphasizing Brooklyn’s inclusive stance.

It remains unclear whether Adams has had any recent contact with Al-Barr. When approached for a comment, a spokesperson for the mayor stated, “The mayor has been abundantly clear that hate has no place in our city, whether it be antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other form of bigotry. Our houses of worship are places where people go to heal and connect spiritually and should never be a place to attack others or call for violence.”

In a related incident, another imam from a Bronx mosque used his platform to lash out against “Zionist Hollywood” and Christians, accusing them of recruiting LGBTQ worshippers to fill emptying congregations. The NY Post reported that this imam claimed Christians were bringing LGBTQ members into their churches because regular congregants were leaving, suggesting that Muslims are the true “best of nations,” and criticizing Jews for their alleged jealousy and hostility.

The NY Post exclusively reported that this sermon was delivered at the Bronx Muslim Center, a part of the Muslim American Society, during a livestreamed service in July. The imam’s vitriol did not stop at religious differences; he also warned against the influence of the “Zionist-owned” entertainment industry in Hollywood, advising against taking children to Disney parks due to what he described as their “Satanic” influences.