Warith Deen Umar
Encyclopedia
Warith Deen Umar is a New York area imam
and resident of Bethlehem, New York
. He was formerly the head Muslim chaplain of the New York State Department of Correctional Services
, until his retirement in the year 2000.
Umar is a former convict.
He drew public attention in 2009 when he gave a speech at the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America
in which he asserted that the Holocaust
happened to the Jews "because they were serially disobedient to Allah." He went on to allege that a group of Jews close to President Barack Obama
"control the world." The ISNA immediately condemned the tenor of the comments.
At one time Umar was employed as the Administrative Chaplain for the State of New York Department of Corrections. Umar was charged to have denied prisoners access to "mainstream" imams and religious instructional and devotional materials, and he was charged to have attempted to incite prisoners against America. Umar was consequently banned from ever entering a New York State prison.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
and resident of Bethlehem, New York
Bethlehem, New York
Bethlehem is a town in Albany County, New York, USA. The population was 33,656 at the 2010 census. The town is south of Albany. Bethlehem includes the following hamlets: Delmar, Elsmere, Slingerlands, Glenmont, Selkirk, South and North Bethlehem. U.S. Route 9W passes through the town...
. He was formerly the head Muslim chaplain of the New York State Department of Correctional Services
New York State Department of Correctional Services
The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision or NYSDOCCS is the agency of New York State responsible for the care, confinement, and rehabilitation of approximately 63,000 inmates at 71 correctional facilities funded by the State of New York. The department employs...
, until his retirement in the year 2000.
Umar is a former convict.
He drew public attention in 2009 when he gave a speech at the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
in which he asserted that the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
happened to the Jews "because they were serially disobedient to Allah." He went on to allege that a group of Jews close to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
"control the world." The ISNA immediately condemned the tenor of the comments.
At one time Umar was employed as the Administrative Chaplain for the State of New York Department of Corrections. Umar was charged to have denied prisoners access to "mainstream" imams and religious instructional and devotional materials, and he was charged to have attempted to incite prisoners against America. Umar was consequently banned from ever entering a New York State prison.