A Muslim sheikh who has called for jihad against the Islamic State says he knows he has become a target of the radical group as a result.
"Not that I just feel, I know that's their mission because if you look at what's happening even with ISIS and al-Qaida, two hardcore groups here, they're against each other," sheikh Shafayat Mohamed told "The Hard Line" host Ed Berliner Monday on
Newsmax TV. "So a liberal and moderate like me, it's definite that they will be against me. "
When asked if that is why Muslims don't speak out against ISIS, Mohamed replied:
"That's exactly why. Most Muslims are afraid of that backlash from these terrorists, but with the present times, we are really in a very, very serious situation because on one hand you have non-Muslims, I mean I don't want to generalize, but non-Muslims who don't understand Islam and the Quran and the true message who would want to attack all Muslims or would paint a brush over all Muslims for terrorism. "
Watch Newsmax TV on
DirectTV Ch. 349, DISH Ch. 223 and Verizon FiOS Ch. 115. Get Newsmax TV on your cable system –
Click Here Now
And on the other hand, Mohamed says, are the "criminals" of ISIS, who must be stopped. Hence his call for jihad.
"It is necessary. It's mandatory at this time because of all the problems that are happening around," he says. "And the poor refugees, they are caught in between. My reason for calling this is to save innocent lives and to set back a place for these refugees to stay at home and be comfortable [rather] than to crave this additional political social human chaos of them being in the middle.
"We can solve all the problems by fighting against ISIS and getting back these refugees in their homes in Syria and in Iraq."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.