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Ads circulated by Philadelphia-area religious institutions are promoting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s upcoming participation in a Thanksgiving interfaith event this Tuesday featuring extreme anti-Israel Imam Basheer Bilaal. This controversial gathering, hosted by the Old York Road Temple Beth Am Jewish center, comes on the heels of Shapiro’s $5 million grant to a mosque with a documented record of anti-Semitism – raising serious questions about his judgment and the message he is sending through his radical Muslim alliances.
Who Is Basheer Bilaal?
Basheer Bilaal is the resident imam of the Muslim Society of Delaware Valley (MSDV), which oversees the Islamic Cultural Center of Willow Grove (ICCWG) and the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia (MYCP). [According to Temple Beth Am, MSDV Director of Operations Teresa Hadjali will also be partaking in the Thanksgiving interfaith.]
Following the October 7 massacre in Israel, Bilaal has been a featured speaker at multiple anti-Israel and anti-American events. One such event – a large anti-Israel rally titled ‘End the Siege on Gaza’ – took place on December 10, 2023, outside the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. The watchdog group Canary Mission described it as a “pro-Hamas rally,” noting participants chanted for Israel’s destruction and voiced support for “resistance,” a euphemism for Hamas-linked terrorism.
At the rally, Bilaal accused world leaders, including Americans, of “contributing to this genocide and occupation campaign.” He prayed for Allah to “liberate the lands of Jerusalem… Gaza and Philistine” and to “bring an end to the modern-day Pharaohs.”
The event also featured Linda Sarsour, known for repeating anti-Semitic tropes, including accusations of Jewish dual loyalty and “Jewish media”; Mohammad Elshinawy, who has labeled AIPAC “the bribery commission for the genocide project”; and Susan Abulhawa, who urged the crowd to “take to the streets” and “be prepared to get arrested.”
Days later, on December 14, 2023, Bilaal delivered the keynote address at a Gaza fundraiser titled ‘Gala for Gaza’. After citing inflated casualty figures, he accused “the Zionist lobby” of lying about the number of Gazans killed, calling Gaza “the greatest graveyard for children in the world.”
The gala was sponsored by Human Appeal, an international Muslim charity with alleged “close links” to Hamas.
ICCWG and Its Network of Fanatics
The Islamic Cultural Center of Willow Grove (ICCWG), part of Bilaal’s MSDV, has its own troubling associations. Although its website claims a vision of “integrity” and “betterment of society,” ICCWG regularly hosts speakers and groups tied to jihadist ideologies, including:
- Sami Hamdi, a London-based lecturer who praised the October 7 Hamas massacre as “unprecedented” and later encouraged Muslims to “celebrate the victory.”
- Kamran Riaz, who – according to StopAntisemitism – denies the mass rapes and atrocities of October 7, believes Israel is behind the 9/11 attacks, and refers to Zionism as “bloodthirsty” and a “bastardized ideology.”
- CAIR, an organization with financial and foundational ties to Hamas that was recently designated a terrorist organization by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Shapiro Delivers Proclamation and $5 Million to Anti-Semitic Mosque
This is not the first time Governor Shapiro has been criticized for aligning himself with extremist Muslim institutions. In March 2025, he attended a Ramadan iftar at the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society (AAIS) in Philadelphia, delivering a signed proclamation for Arab American Heritage Month and announcing a $5 million state grant for the mosque.
Shapiro posted on X: “The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Philly is a wonderful gathering place for the community – and this week, I joined them to break fast and announce that they’re receiving the largest grant the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has ever given to a Muslim organization in our history.”
The grant drew immediate criticism, as AAIS has a clear history of anti-Semitism. In February 2019, Imam Abdelmohsen Abouhatab, during a sermon at AAIS, told the congregation, “The Jews are the vilest people in terms of their moral values, their nature,” and railed against “Jewish media,” calling it “nefarious.” According to MEMRI – which translated the sermon – Abouhatab “delivered several antisemitic sermons” at AAIS.
The mosque also openly rejects Israel’s existence. In March 2024, AAIS’s Facebook profile picture featured a map of Israel draped entirely in a Palestinian flag.
Daniel Greenfield, CEO of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, suggested that the $5 million grant might have been “political payback” for praise Shapiro received from AAIS spokesman Marwan Kreidie, when Shapiro was being considered as Kamala Harris’s vice-presidential pick in 2024. Shapiro was ultimately removed from consideration, reportedly due to his past pro-Israel positions, which he attempted to distance himself from following condemnation from groups like CAIR.
Shapiro’s Engagement with Emgage
In March 2022, Shapiro spoke at a “meet and greet” sponsored by Emgage, an Islamist political advocacy group with a troubling history of extremist ties.
Emgage’s former South Florida Director, Syed Ammar Ahmed, once joked that he “should have threatened to blow up” a school after a debate there. The organization’s founder, Khurrum Wahid, has represented numerous convicted terrorists and was reportedly placed on a federal terrorist watch list himself in 2011. Emgage is a member of the South Florida Muslim Federation (SFMF), a coalition of radical Muslim groups that organizes annual pro-Hamas conferences.
In 2023, Shapiro reappointed Emgage Senior Advisor Salima Suswell to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women.
Pattern of Islamist Outreach
Governor Shapiro’s pattern of Islamist outreach – his involvement in events with radical imams, his empowerment of extremist-linked organizations, and his multimillion-dollar grant to a mosque with a record of anti-Jewish rhetoric – raises legitimate concerns about the alliances he is building and the values they represent.
At a time when antisemitism is surging across the country, Pennsylvania’s Jewish governor should be modeling moral clarity, not embracing figures and institutions that promote hatred toward America, Israel and the Jewish people. Whether out of political calculation or deeply flawed judgment, Shapiro’s choices send a troubling message about where he stands and whom he is willing to legitimize.
Beila Rabinowitz, Director of Militant Islam Monitor, contributed to this report.
