Atlanta Imam Warns Muslims to Prepare for ‘Active Resistance’ Amid Governor Race
Atlanta Imam urges Muslims to prepare for potential ‘active resistance’ in the U.S. as Keisha Lance Bottoms endorses for governor.
2 min read
An Atlanta imam who warned Muslims to prepare for potential ‘active resistance’ in the United States has joined a list of community leaders endorsing Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor. The endorsement comes as Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, faces off against Republican healthcare executive Rick Jackson in the race for Georgia’s governorship.
Imam Warns of ‘Active Resistance’
In an October 20, 2023 sermon at the Community Masjid of Atlanta, Imam Nadim Ali warned Muslims to prepare ‘mentally, physically and spiritually’ for the possibility of engaging in ‘active resistance.’ Ali, who is also among the endorsers for Bottoms, expressed hope that if ‘people are inclined towards peace,’ Muslims ‘can be peaceful,’ but cautioned against being ‘caught sleeping on the job.’
‘Allah knows best where we will be in the next few years. Because the way this country is going, there will possibly be certain times where we will have to basically engage in active resistance,’ Ali said. ‘We don’t hope for it, but we need to be not only mentally, but physically and spiritually prepared for it.’
Ali’s remarks, delivered shortly after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, urged listeners to ‘look at how the people are fighting’ in Algeria and Palestine. He added that Muslims should not be harassed for ‘showing solidarity’ with the Palestinian resistance.
Community Leaders Endorse Bottoms
Ali’s endorsement is part of a broader effort by 13 other community leaders and four Muslim organizations to support Bottoms in her gubernatorial campaign. The announcement followed a summer meeting with the candidate that discussed ‘issues important to Muslim residents’ arranged by the Georgia Muslim Civic Table.
Another name on the endorsement list, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, serves as national deputy director of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). However, the endorsement announcement lists Mitchell individually, without mentioning CAIR or CAIR-Georgia as endorsing organizations.
Poll Shows Tight Race
A University of Georgia and Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, released October 20, shows Republican Rick Jackson leading Bottoms 46% to 45%, with 8% of likely Georgia voters undecided. The poll, which surveyed 1,000 likely voters, reported a margin of error of 3.1%.
The poll found Bottoms leading with independents 43% to 38%, while 18% remain undecided. This tight race highlights the growing political significance of the Muslim community in Georgia’s upcoming election.
Source: PJ Media
