The Epstein Files, Orientalism, and the Hypocrisy Behind Islamophobia | Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ، وَمَن وَالاهُ مَا بَعْد

So, may Allah help me, one of those topics again. Has anything interesting happened this week in the news? Any interesting files leaked or anything like that? A lot of people have asked, what is my analysis and opinion? The problem is, this is not a political talk, it's an Islamic masjid. But still, every single incident that happens, we can derive ethical and moral benefit. So, I'm not gonna go too much into the politics. But wallahi, there's so much akhlaq and moral benefit from this fiasco. So, I will avoid mentioning too much details because I don't think this is the place for that. I wish I could, maybe other places. But I do want to mention something that we as Muslims need to understand and appreciate in light of all of this fiasco.

The Legacy of Edward Said's Orientalism

And I wanna begin by going back a few years. I gave a lecture here, I'm sure some of you remember, many of you were not here, about one of the most important books written in the Western Academy about Islam which shaped and was revolutionary about understanding how the West studies Islam. It was written by an Arab Christian, Edward Said, and the name of the book is Orientalism. I have a whole lecture on Epic here, you can see it online.

In a nutshell, what Edward Said demonstrated back in the 1970s was, when the West describes Islam, all of the adjectives they use are actually a cover up for what they themselves are guilty of. And in order to provide a sunscreen, smoke screen, to get out of it, they accuse the other of what they themselves are guilty of. Edward Said wrote this 50 years ago, and that book revolutionized Islamic studies because he proved academically, meticulously, rigorously that Orientalism, the book is called Orientalism. Orientalism was a failed academic enterprise that was a cover up for Western imperialism.

So for example, they accuse the Muslims of being irrational, emotional. They accuse the Muslims of being backward. They accuse the Muslims of being sexually decadent. They accuse the Muslims of being despotic. The reality is, every one of these adjectives and descriptions is more befitting of European history, of Western history than of anything Islam. And he showed this reality over and over again.

Current Events Proving Said's Thesis

Fast forward to this week, and these Epstein files that have been released demonstrates this reality better than any other incident in the last few decades. What is absolutely fascinating is that every one of the accusations the MAGA crowd, the far right, the Islamophobes, every one of the accusations - even this week, our own congressman of this state - he has the audacity to accuse us of what the files themselves demonstrate they are guilty of.

This is why it is important we talk about this in the masjid, because our name, our religion is being dragged in the mud. And the vile, filthy accusations that they give to us - these three million documents, and whatever is hidden is even more - has clearly demonstrated the utter and sheer depravity, the hypocrisy of the very people who are pointing fingers at us.

First Hypocrisy: Exploitation of Women

Where to begin? Number one, they accuse us of exploiting women, misogyny. They accuse us of repressing women. And this entire debacle demonstrates this circle operated at the highest end, trafficking women from across the globe, importing them from all of these exotic countries, and the most powerful and the most richest.

What is shocking is that it is not shocking. What is shocking is that it's so... everybody knows these rich people, their lifestyles. What is shocking is that not a single person amongst these evil men has gone to jail. And who do they jail? Who do they imprison? The ones asking to free Palestine are being rounded up. The ones that have the minorist issues are being thrown into jail.

They accuse us of repressing women. They accuse us of exploiting, of not giving women their dignity. Wallahi, what bigger dignity is there than we prevent wolves like this from taking advantage of women? What bigger karama is there that our sharia prohibits absolutely taking advantage of a vulnerable young lady who probably doesn't understand, doesn't have the wherewithal? She's a young girl, she doesn't know better. The sharia says no, we cannot do this.

And by the way, this is why the awkward reality of even consensual illicit relations - I'm sorry to be explicit but we live in America, we need to understand. Do you know how filthy the industry - I don't want to use the word here - it rhymes with corn, you know that industry. That filthy industry, 7 billion dollars. The website that is - 1 out of 10 young ladies is involved with in this country. And you have the audacity to say we take advantage of women?

You are the biggest exporters of filth, of nudity, of fahisha. And you have the audacity to say we are exploiting women? Your entire circle has been exposed. It's an open ring that all the elites eagerly fly to. The most richest men are saying "When is your party, I want to come and join." لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ.

So number one, the irony, the hypocrisy of the accusation of exploiting women.

Second Hypocrisy: False Accusations Against Our Prophet

Number two, along those lines, once again, the accusation that we are - astaghfirullah - our Prophet... you know the marriage of Aisha, the young age. This term of pedophilia that is being thrown falsely. Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah.

And once again, just like Edward Said said: what you are guilty of, you hide it by throwing at the other person. What you are guilty of, what is your best tactic? You know you're guilty, you accuse the other person so that everybody knows it's not me. Look now, pedophilia? Look now, who is the one guilty?

Wallahi, your blood boil. I cannot even say things that are in that file. I didn't spend too much time, but I couldn't, because I wanted to vomit, audhubillah. Audhubillah, this shaitanic. And it's not one person - thousands of powerful men, politicians of all stripes.

If you want to do fahisha, may Allah forgive you, go find an adult. I'm not an excuse, don't misquote me. But when you take seven years - audhubillah, audhubillah - and you are paying money for this, and people are paying money to you, and now you are secretly videotaping... then you have the audacity to open your mouth about the nobility of our Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم?

Shame on you, shame on you. Nobody has any right to accuse us and our religion of what they themselves are guilty of.

And here right now as we speak, our neighboring country - not neighboring, but across the pond - England, right now, England is immersed in a big controversy. They call it the child grooming, the Muslim grooming gangs or whatever. The same thing, this is a big exaggeration. There are some guilty Muslims, statistically, no more than the Muslim population. It's not a Muslim thing, right?

But the far right, the politicians - one of their senior ministers yesterday tweeted that the Muslim gangs are the biggest threat to our whatever, the Muslim grooming gangs, pedophilia, this and that. And you realize, why are they saying this now? Because their own foreign minister was caught, photographed with a young girl, astaghfirullah, partially naked. This photograph is there.

So can you imagine their own foreign minister is caught, and the next day, what do they say? "You Muslims and you grooming gang." Again, my dear Muslim brothers and sisters, look through this reality. They are the guilty people. They know they're guilty. What are they gonna do? Throw it on us. Pedophilia and what not. Now they have no right. Child marriages, all of this. They have no right to open their mouths about the nobility of the seerah, about what is considered to be completely normal for that time and place, a marriage.

And then you compare this to your gangs. You compare this to luring innocent young girls who don't understand. Yes, a thousand four hundred years ago, a ten year old girl was ready for marriage. She understood what is marriage and she's ready for marriage. That's a different time and place. Yes, these in our times - they have no idea. They're literally being given candy and brought to the New York apartment. They're literally being told "We're gonna pay you for your fun time," and then exploitation happens. And then they're flown to the island.

So please, spare me this hypocrisy. You are the ones who are the real pedophiles. The entire ring is a pedophilic ring. So again, the accusation. Again, coming from where?

Third Hypocrisy: Secret Control and Conspiracy

Number three, I'm pointing out the ironies here, right? Yesterday, our congressman in this state and the guy in Florida and others in this country - what is their accusation? Muslims are infiltrated. Muslims are here to secretly control. Who's secretly controlling? Who is secretly controlling whom?

Allah has demonstrated. Allah has demonstrated truth from reality. Alhamdulillah, we're just innocent coming to pray. There is no cabal. There is no conspiracy. You guys, this conspiracy goes back 20 years. It spans the elites of over 30 countries - billionaires, sports players, politicians. And you dare accuse us of conspiracy and secret control? You dare accuse us of what has been exposed as clear control?

And again, this has to be said from us. A lot of people are talking about the filth, the pedophilia. Very few people are mentioning Israel and Zionism. Even the left wing is... that's taboo.

This person came from nowhere. He was a high school teacher. High school teacher. And all of a sudden he owns an island. He has wealth to the tune of hundreds of millions. Who's financing him? Nobody, everybody knows. It's in the documents. In fact, the documents - literally the emails - he mentions his race, he mentions his religion. His email, people are emailing him "You are a person that is..." you know, they say the word Jewish.

For us, we need to differentiate. We are critical of Zionism. We have to be very careful here, right? We separate between Jewish people who are anti-Zionist - they are our allies - and between Zionism. Our enemy is Zionism, not the Jewish people. We say this all the time.

But in the emails, they say "You are of the elite." Literally there, he's being told this. And he makes fun of the goyim. The goyim is the derogatory term for non-Jewish people. He's making fun of non-Jewish people using a derogatory term. Subhanallah, then you tell us we are here to control?

Allah is gonna display their hypocrisy here, right? Nobody again has the right to accuse innocent Muslims. We have no mass control. We have no ring. We have no... You're the ones who clearly are blackmailing. You are videotaping in order to exert pressure on politicians. So once again, the irony, the hypocrisy.

Fourth Hypocrisy: Claims of Moral Superiority

Number four of this reality that we see: the accusation that Muslims are backward, morally inferior, that you need to get with the program, become enlightened.

Wallahi if this is what your enlightenment teaches you, we have no need of it. If this is what you think is values of humanity, you are worse than animals.

Once again, the reality of ethics, of dignity, of karama - without God, this is what happens. Without God, and this is the inevitable, the inevitable conclusion of taking religion away.

Ya akhi, this country a hundred years ago was a overall moral country. This country a hundred years ago, overall - ninety plus percent of children born within marriage. Within marriage, right?

The Reality of Western Hypocrisy

Fast forward now - I forgot I said eighty, seventy percent... No, not seventy. Sixty something percent born outside of marriage. Sixty something children - percent born outside of marriage in one hundred years.

So again, what they are guilty of, they accuse us of. "Your Sharia is backward. You are not enlightened." And again, look - not one person has gone to jail except the lady. No man. As for the guy who is obviously... obviously they got rid of him. But all the names are mentioned. All the names are there.

We know - I mean it's يقيني (yaqeeni) - that people flew to his island to engage in illicit, filthy, pedophilic activities. The department - our department - knows the names of the people. They are the ones that redacted. Not one trial.

You want to accuse us of being backward and unjust? You have no right to do so. The world has now seen who is backward and unjust.

The Dignity of Islamic Law

Our Sharia teaches dignity, respect, كرامة (karama). Our Sharia - if the Sharia were to be enacted, you would see what happens to these people. You would see what happens. These people would not be walking on the face of this earth for too long if the Sharia were to be enacted against this. We know what the penalty is, and none of us would have any hesitation to execute that penalty.

But because we are following their version, nobody has gone to jail. And in all likelihood, nobody will go to jail. What a shame. What a pathetic realization you have.

They have the video footage - you understand this? They have the video footage. They have another 3 million pages they haven't released. What they have released is already definitive. And yet... and so who goes to jail? Oh, your parking ticket. Oh, your visa expired. The 5-year-old kid that you arrest because you wanted to arrest his father.

The inhumanity, the barbarity. Again, you have no right to open your mouth about anybody else when you are far guilty yourselves of these crimes.

The Satanic Element

Point number six - and this is awkward to state, but the evidence is clear. This isn't just lust. This isn't just فاحشة (fahisha). There is satanic worship involved.

You know, even when I give lectures here about سحر (sihr) and about جن (jinn), I get pushback from many people. "Ya akhi, you are educated! Why are you talking about jinns? Why are you talking about black magic? You have so much IQ, why are you talking as if this..."

Go read the emails now. لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله (La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah). Blood sacrifice - I can't even say some of the things on here. I can't say them because they are so filthy. Involving نجس (najis), calling out to the demon - the name of the demon which is mentioned in the Quran:

The Quran mentions Ba'al, and this guy is worshipping that entity.

My dear brothers and sisters, satanic worship and jinns are real. سحر (Sihr) is real. And this person is involved, and we see this in the emails. And even now that you know what's happening... go back to video footage - he's making comments, making jokes. We now understand.

So actually, yes. Wallahi, because insha'Allah I'm intelligent, I firmly affirm: there is something called سحر (sihr). There is something called black magic. There is something called the reality of جن (jinn). And we see this over here.

Maybe he used that to get these young ladies. Maybe he used that - how did he get that? This is سحر (sihr) that he's using. And wallahi it's hurtful, it's difficult to say, but using something that is considered to be holy like the كسوة (kiswa) of the Ka'bah - this is exactly what satanic worship involves.

Now of course, the كسوة (kiswa) of the Ka'bah for us - it's not like the Quran - but it is still something that can be used in those types of evil rituals. I don't want to be too explicit, but that world of evil شياطين (shayateen) - they like that sacrilege is done. They like it, and we know that.

Why would this person get... Most of us, we love the Ka'bah. We don't have the كسوة (kiswa) of the Ka'bah - 99% of us. This guy gets it? Out of all? الله المستعان (Allah al-musta'an). What can be said about this regard?

The Bigger Picture: Gaza and Global Conspiracy

And then all of this to lead to the conclusion - which is all of these various points are not random. They're not miscellaneous points. The number one accusation for the last 20 years against us has been what? "You guys are terrorists. Violence. You guys want to kill, kill, kill."

And subhanAllah, what was the purpose of this pedophilic, satanic, filthy ring? What was the purpose? We saw the genocide in Gaza. Now we understand why so many powerful people who might have had a conscience did not get involved. Now we understand why the UN, why all countries, why the UK, why so many countries... It didn't make any sense. What is going on? And this country as well - so many politicians who you would have thought they are not ardent Zionists before they came to office. All of a sudden they are now singing the tune.

Once again, how dare you accuse us? We just saw the worst - and I will call it what it is - it is a holocaust. Okay, it is not to the level of 7 million people, but it is still a holocaust. We saw a holocaust take place, and the world that kept on saying "No more, never again" - the world was silent.

And wallahi I swear to you, even I who am very cynical, I was perplexed. Why certain countries? Why the UN is not taking at least a little bit more of a stand? I understand our country - it has its trajectory with Zionism, I get it. But so many other countries...

Now when this has happened, I must say, I must apologize to the uncles when I was a child who would tell me, "There is conspiracy theories. They all control the world." And I, at my smart engineering... "Uncle, what are you talking about?" I say I am sorry. I was wrong. You are right.

There is in fact some conspiracy theories out there. There is a group of Satanist... Illuminati... I mean I am half serious, but there is definitely a cabal of evil people who are willing to do the worst things known to mankind and do it at the behest of the Zionists for a political cause which involves the massacre of over a hundred thousand people in Gaza.

Our Response: Moral Authority

So once again, we have to be clear about this. You have no moral authority. You have no license to open your mouth to criticize us for anything in light of what the facts have proven about not just one person - an industry that transcends religion, transcends ethnicity and color, transcends nation states. People of power from all over the world were involved in something...

Every accusation you gave us, they were involved with it. Lack of dignity, exploiting women, complete فاحشة (fahisha), complete pedophilia, complete... you know, Satanism. And the whole issue of terrorism and violence - what was the goal of it all? To coerce them to become violent.

So this entire fiasco - wallahi it is as if we are being demonstrated... Allah is gifting us in this regard. Who are the real terrorists? Who are the real people that are depraved? Lack humanity? Barbaric? Again, we could not have imagined this reality. Now we have solid proof, and I'm positive even more proof will come out.

A Divine Gift

So for us, actually, it is a divine gift that is coming. And we go back to what I've been saying for two years now - that Allah will bless the sincerity of the people of Gaza, and Allah will gift us. Allah will gift us from places we will not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah, Allah will give him from places he never expected. This is coming to us from places we never expected.

So be cognizant. Be aware. Understand this reality and then utilize it. Do not be defeatist. Do not allow anybody to come and make fun of your religion, much less your Prophet, much less your civil... Do not allow anybody to say anything of those accusations that wallahi we are free of and they are 100% guilty of. And the evidence is clear for all to see.

Gratitude for Our Faith

We thank Allah for a Sharia that dignifies us. We thank Allah for a religion that wallahi we cannot even think of doing something like this. Wallahi, a Muslim with an ounce of إيمان (iman)...

And as for the people who claim to be Muslim whose names are in that file - we know that these are not people of إيمان (iman) and تقوى (taqwa). A Muslim who has an ounce of إيمان (iman) - the thought of something like this cannot even cross our minds. We can think of a million things. We can think of stealing, lying, this and that. But what this guy did... what this guy did... أعوذ بالله (A'udhu billah), أعوذ بالله (A'udhu billah).

No person of even an ounce of إيمان (iman) can think... This can only come from a heart that has no belief in God.

Conclusion

And that's why this entire fiasco, for us, is a divine gift that demonstrates the beauty of our religion and the hypocrisy of those who criticize it.

May Allah grant us the courage to speak the truth. May Allah grant us the wisdom to analyze reality. And may Allah make us positive role models for all of mankind.

وجزاكم الله خيراً (Wa jazakumullahu khairan). السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته (Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh).