Funding to a mosque in Kristianstad has been suspended after its imam urged Muslims to hate non-Muslims and spread antisemitic messages. The decision follows the circulation of videos of sermons from the mosque, which have sparked strong reactions.
In a YouTube video recorded last month, the imam of the al Nour mosque in the Swedish city of Kristianstad, Moustafa Alsayed, can be heard preaching about war, revenge, and how Muslims today should act.
The imam emphasizes the importance of religious conflict and calls for hostility toward other groups. In his sermon, Alsayed speaks of “blood, death, and expulsion” as he states that Muslims have a duty to kill their opponents.
– We are preparing for revenge, God willing. We will take revenge for our martyrs with our own hands, Alsayed says in the video.
– We will give them blood. We will give them death and expulsion as they gave us.
The imam also stresses that this desire to harm non-Muslims must be passed on to future generations.
– We must remember, carry this in our souls, and teach our children that we will take revenge.
“Christians are closer to good than Jews”
In a sermon from September last year, Moustafa Alsayed emphasized that Muslims have a duty to believe in magic because the Quran states that magic exists, but that Muslims are not allowed to practice it.
– Magic exists; it is real knowledge, like mathematics and other sciences, and God has forbidden it. Demons teach humans magic, Alsayed said in his sermon.
– Those who practice magic the most today are Jews. That is no secret, the imam continued.
A few months later, Alsayed returned to the subject of Jews and black magic in another sermon, claiming that Jews are subject to “God’s wrath” because “the Jews know that the Prophet Muhammad is a messenger from God but defy him.” At the same time, Christians are described as “misguided.”
– Christians are ignorant; ignorance and delusion dominate them, but they are closer to good than the Jews.
Refuses to retract statements – “has evidence”
Despite strong criticism, the imam has refused to withdraw his statements, instead claiming he has evidence to support them.
– I have evidence for it, he told the newspaper Expressen.
The statements have been widely circulated and have contributed to an intense debate about religious extremism and values in Sweden.
The imam himself says he sees no problem with hating Jews and Christians, whom he says he hates “in the same way that Sweden Democrats hate Left Party supporters,” while continuing to live in Sweden.
– The Prophet hates the Jews in the sense I am speaking about, but he traded with them, Alsayed told an Expressen reporter.
– Hate does not necessarily mean being aggressive toward someone. For example: you do not wear a hijab—that is something I hate about you. But I can still cooperate and talk with you.
At the same time, the imam is clear that he opposes integration.
– If integration means that I should dissolve, then no—I do not want that kind of integration.
Strong political reactions
Several politicians have reacted strongly to the imam’s statements.
– This is hatred, not faith, and it has no place in Swedish democracy, wrote Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson in a post on X.
– This is a type of diversity Sweden has absolutely nothing to gain from. He simply should not feel welcome or encouraged to operate in Sweden, said Carl-Oskar Bohlin (M), Minister for Civil Defence.
Lawen Redar, integration policy spokesperson for the Social Democrats, also stated that the messages are incompatible with Swedish values and that religious communities spreading such rhetoric should not receive public funding.
– I believe this does not belong in Sweden. That religious leaders in our country express themselves in anti-democratic and hostile ways toward Jews. On the contrary, we need to bring together all positive forces to strengthen social cohesion, Redar said.
Reactions on social media
Reactions have also been strong on social media, where criticism largely centers on the statements being perceived as incitement to hatred and division.
In a Facebook post, a user under the name NiMa wrote:
– If we last year, last month, last week or yesterday had said that ‘the mosque in Kristianstad harbors antisemites and haters of the West and should not receive a single krona in funding,’ some of your fellow citizens would have accused us of ‘Islamophobia’ and complained: ‘What proof do you have?’, as if ordinary people have time to investigate such things. We would have said: ‘I don’t have proof, but I know.’ Your fellow citizens would have thought we were aggressive, intolerant, and stupid. But today…
– Idiots. You can listen to us and save a lot of time and money. Or you can dismiss us, bow to all kinds of filth and scum, and end up with the proof later—when the damage is already done.
Funding withdrawn
The Islamic umbrella organization FiFS (United Islamic Associations in Sweden) announced on Thursday afternoon that it is halting all financial support to the mosque and launching an investigation into possible expulsion. It has also decided to remove Alsayed from all positions within the organization.
The move is seen as a direct response to the content of the sermons and the criticism that followed.
– These statements do not represent our religious community or our member organizations in general, whose work is characterized by responsibility, respect, and peaceful coexistence. We have appointed a crisis management committee which considers this to constitute a breach at the highest level, FiFS said in a press release.
Growing debate
The incident has once again raised questions about the boundary between freedom of religion and hate speech, as well as how public funds should be allocated to religious communities.
The case of the hate-preaching imam in Kristianstad is now expected to have further political and legal consequences. At the same time, it has reignited debate about which ideologies are compatible with Swedish values—and what is expected of those who live in Sweden.