Mohamad Al-Khaled Samha

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Mohamad Al-Khaled Samha (Arabic: محمد الخالد سمحة‎) (b. 1958, Syria) is a Danish imam more commonly known as Abu Bashar[1].

Samha started an Islamic information and advice center in his home in Vollsmose, Odense.[1]

Samha worked together with Christian priests to put up a display on religions in the municipality building[1]. He also participated in a conference between Christian and Muslim leaders in Denmark[2]

Samha worked as prison imam at state prison in Nyborg until he was fired in July 2006. According to sources at the prison he called for Jihad in his Friday sermon.[3] Answering to the story in the Folketing, Justice minister Lene Espersen said he was fired due to cutbacks at the prison.[4]

Samha was one of the imams who traveled to the Middle East with the Akkari-Laban dossier during the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. He was part of the first delegation of imams which went to Egypt December 3–December 11, 2005.

Samha knew the Vollsmose terrorists, who lived in his area, though he mentioned in interviews he knew them only as neighbors[5][6] After their arrest, he confirmed for news reporters that the suspects were Muslim.

Youssef Mohamad El Hajdib, one of the suspects arrested in the 2006 German train bombing, had Samha's phone number saved on his phone.[7] Samha denied knowing El Hajdib and said that many young men have his phone number.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c (Danish) We must work together if we want to save the youth in Vollsmose, from Ugeavisen Odense , 17 January 2001
  2. ^ (Danish) Historisk møde mellem kristne og muslimske ledere på Nyborg Strand
  3. ^ (Danish) Imam fyret fra Nyborg Statsfængsel
  4. ^ (Danish) 2006-07 - Svar på § 20-spørgsmål: Om årsagen til fyringen af fængselsimam Abu Bashar.
  5. ^ Two of Seven Terror Suspects Jailed in Denmark
  6. ^ (Danish) Imam Abu Bashar: De bliver løsladt
  7. ^ 9 arrested by Denmark in reported terror plot, International Herald Tribune, September 5, 2006
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