The Libyan imam Abu Ramadan, who preaches in a Biel mosque, is facing a trial. According to a survey by the weekly newspaper “Biel Bienne”, many practising Muslims who pray regularly in the Ar’Rahman mosque distance themselves from the controversial imam: “With his sermons, he has harmed the whole community and put all believers under general suspicion,” said one regular.
In a five-year-old report, the Libyan preacher is accused of having given hate speech against Jews, Christians and Shiites. The quote in Arabic that caused a stir read: “Oh Allah, I ask you to destroy the enemies of our religion, to destroy the Jews, the Christians, the Hindus, the Russians and the Shiites. God, I ask you to destroy them all and restore Islam to its former glory.
The Imam claimed that his Arabic quotes had been mistranslated: “I never said that. The translator is a liar,” he said. Abu Ramadan, who was charged with inciting racial hatred, is still a member of the mosque, which is housed in a former factory in the popular Madretsch district.
“We don’t have a problem, we are decent people, we don’t sell drugs,” said the imam’s son, whom lematin.ch encountered when he went to the mosque with his father last week. The two men said they wanted to go to pray ” usually, calmly”. When they arrived at the mosque, they did not want to comment further, but were rather annoyed at being photographed.
“There are two clans: Those who still support Abu Ramadan and the others who boycott him,” a Muslim told “Biel Bienne”. “He is arrogant and sometimes even aggressive,” said a practising Muslim. “A Muslim woman in charge of deradicalising young people said: “This imam serves the community and is always ready to settle disputes.”
Ar’Rahman mosque leaders said he no longer had the right to deliver sermons there. The preacher, whose civil name is Salah ben Salmen, is accused of drawing 600,000 francs in social assistance in thirteen years in Nidau without making any effort to integrate. “We can’t cut off a refugee’s social welfare, even if we condemn his statements,” explained a person in charge.
The political refugee from Libya had illegally returned to his home country several times. During the investigation, he did not cooperate with the prosecution authorities: He refused to answer questions about his income. If convicted, he faces the loss of his C permit and deportation.
Last year, journalist and Bernese MP Mohamed Hamdaoui (Le Centre) called on the Bernese government to intervene and muzzle the preacher. An investigation by “Matin Dimanche” showed at the time that Imam Abu Ramadan continued to denigrate non-Muslims and justify stonings.
MP Mohamed Hamdaoui asked: “How many more unlawful sermons can this person preach before he is prosecuted and punished?”
What Mohamed Hamdaoui proposed was the closure of the mosque attended by Nicolas Blancho, who had become president of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS) association. It should be noted that not only is the mosque still open, but its worst preacher is still preaching there.
What frightens moderate Muslims is that, apart from the old hands, the majority of worshippers are young illegal immigrants without papers or jobs who are easily indoctrinated. This is where Abu Ramadan came in: at the end of his sermon, he offered support in exchange for five prayers. Perhaps this was the beginning of a downward spiral that led to a supposedly humanitarian trip to Syria.
Abu Ramadan entered Switzerland in 1998 and was granted refugee status three years later. With a C permit, he is insured under the social security system (AHV). In 2017, the State Secretariat for Migration decided to “revoke the asylum of the alleged imam” and to withdraw his refugee status. The reasoning: “He has travelled to his country of origin several times and is said to possess a Libyan passport”.
In his neighbourhood, which borders a motorway, Abu Ramadan is better known as Mustafa. The imam’s lack of integration is reflected in his rudimentary French and his non-existent Swiss German, as lematin.ch was able to verify last week. He greets his neighbours with “Salam Alaykoum”. Abu Ramadan speaks in Arabic, but his four children were enrolled in French language school, which enabled them to get professional training.
https://www.lematin.ch/story/limam-controverse-frequente-toujours-sa-mosquee-337663833015 / https://lesobservateurs.ch/2022/02/16/limam-controverse-frequente-toujours-sa-mosquee/