Rabat – The Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, has announced the immediate suspension of Imam Youssef Msibih following his controversial meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem.
Reports identified the suspended cleric as a Moroccan-Dutch imam, who was suspended from his duties after he joined a delegation of European Muslim leaders who met with Herzog on July 7.
The European Leadership Network, an NGO that advocates for ties between Europe and Israel, organized the event.
The visit sparked outrage and frustration among pro-Palestinians, who demanded an explanation from the mosque.
In response, the mosque issued a statement in which it stressed that “there is no place for the imam within the mosque.”
The mosque’s “board bears no responsibility whatsoever for his statements or actions outside the mosque,” the statement added, noting that there is no longer any formal or substantive ties between the imam and the Bilal Alkmaar Mosque.
Emphasizing that the case of the imam has already been addressed, the mosque emphasized that the suspended cleric acted in a personal capacity.
“His actions are entirely separate from the vision of the mosque,” the statement said, urging everyone not to place pressure on or interfere with the mosque’s board, or its volunteers and members.
The statement highlighted that the mosque promotes peace, adding that the deliberate spreading of rumors and false information could have serious consequences.
It also warned that it explicitly reserves the right to take appropriate legal action in cases of defamation, slander, or incitement against individuals or groups who endanger the peace, dignity, or safety of the mosque or its community.