Muslim preacher says hats off to Americans who defied Trump’s ban

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Kurdish Islamic preacher has praised Americans who stood against the US ban on travel for citizens of seven predominantly countries. The preacher took his hat off during Friday prayer, reading to his congregants a verse from Quran, “Is the reward for good [anything] but good?” urging Muslims to respond kind.

 

Dr. Othman Halabjayi, a preacher at a mosque in Erbil and a university assistant professor, described US President Donald Trump’s ban as an “ugly, strange, and filthy decision.”

 

He also gave the example of a city in Finland that hosted thousands of Muslims and provided for them a place of worship so that they were equal with the city’s Christians and Jews.

 

“We should thank those Jews and Christians. As it is their tradition, they take their hats off when they see a kind attitude. Thereby, on this occasion, we take the turban and hat of the Prophet off, peace be upon him, as a show of respect for this kind attitude,” he said. The Islamic turban has symbolic importance; the prophet of Islam Muhammad is said to have worn it during his time.

 

Trump signed an executive order which bans citizens of Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen from traveling to the US for 90 days. The order has since been overturned by a US judge, with the Trump administration challenging the court ruling and calling for it to be resumed with immediate effect, citing security concerns. 

 

Americans came out in the thousands to denounce the order, saying “We all are Americans, and we are one nation,” Halabjayi said.

 

“Is the reward for good [anything] but good?” he read a verse from Quran, which urges Muslims to act kindly toward people who treat them with respect.