Imam says he was forced to resign because he agrees with Trump on Muslim immigration

A political conflict is playing out within the walls
of the Muslim community in Southeast Texas. A
man who was the leader of Muslims in the area
said Thursday the conflict has resulted in his
removal.
"Don't get me involved in any political
games in the name of religion. I am not
here a political man," Dr. Nidal Alsayyed
said. But it's political motivations he said
have forced him to resign as Imam.
Dr. Al Sayyed told KFDM News he was forced to
resign as religious director of the Islamic Society
of the Triplex after making
comments last Monday in which he agrees with
Donald Trump's statements that the U.S. should
temporarily stop accepting any new Muslim
immigrants into the country.
While the religious leader said he expected the
call to resign eventually, he said it was sped up
by politics.
"I think any future candidates, presidents
who do not support the fact that we need
to be more safe and more cautious about
whom to bring into this country, whether a
Muslim or not," Dr. Alsayyed said.
His comments he said had nothing to do with
politics, but the former Imam said Trump's
comments are in line with the Islamic religion.
"The text of the holy Qur'an says the loss
of one life is equivalent to killing the whole
mankind," he said.
His viewpoint, in part, shifting after lingering
questions about the backgrounds of the couple
responsible for the mass shooting in San
Bernardino.
"But the way it happens when you see this
mass shooting and you see some people
coming with such a very peaceful
background and all of the sudden the
intelligences themselves, the agencies are
not able to figure out what's happening,
why all of a sudden this guy or this girl or
that lady open fire and kill 15 people,
because American Muslims are not doing
their job in the country. So we need to stop,
we need to stop taking new ones until we
fix the existing situation," Dr. Alsayyed
said.
The religious leader said there is a problem with
some American Muslims seeing a conflict between
following their religious beliefs and their
patriotism to the U.S., and an issue
differentiating the religious community and its
political role. He said the two should not mix.
"I came to know this morning from some
close contacts and friends over 102 Imams,
religious people in Houston, were fired and
forced to be basically leave their jobs, leave
their mosques only because they did not
get along with the political agenda for their
board members," he said.
Dr. Alsayyed said he took the position to help
young people understand Islam, and it's the youth
where Islamic leaders should focus their attention.
"Nobody is investing a dollar to basically
raise the understanding what does it take
for a Muslim to live in the United States,"
he said.
KFDM News spoke with a board member of the
Islamic Society of the Triplex. He said the board
is deliberating and will issue an official statement
soon in response to the comments from Dr.
Alsayyed, but the Islamic Society of the Triplex
does take issue with the statements made by the
former Imam.