PA Governor Shapiro Awards $5 Million to Philadelphia Mosque Amid Controversy

The media’s darling, Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro makes a surprise move. The media often speculates that Shapiro would have been a much better choice in running against Trump last fall. Whenever his name appears in the press, the prefix usually starts “popular” Josh Shapiro. Now in this eye opening move, he grants big bucks to the fans of Islam, an important decision in his desire to ride the wave to the 2028 Presidential race. What we need in PA is more Muslim schools. Sure. Especially give this money to fund a school in a mosque that is already controversial.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has awarded Philadelphia’s Al-Aqsa Islamic Society a $5 million grant from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, marking the largest grant under the program awarded to a Muslim organization to date.

According to WHYY, Shapiro announced the grant at an iftar dinner on March 25 at the organization, telling a few dozen community members that organizations such as Al-Aqsa “are more important than ever before” as “we’re facing tumult overseas, and we’re facing a lot of rising hate here at home.”

Shapiro said, “So I’m really proud that we’ve been able to work together with your leaders here to invest $5 million in making this place an even greater center of activity in the community.”

Chairman of the board of Al-Aqsa Islamic Society Asif Hussain said that one goal for the funds is to expand the center’s school. The group is looking to add classrooms and teachers to meet local demand, and increase attendance from 300 to 3,000. Source

Here is a portion from the transcript of the video below from the

Pakistani American News:

However, this decision has sparked controversy due to past incidents involving the mosque. In 2020, sermons delivered by guest Imam Abdelmohsen Abouhatab contained antisemitic remarks, referring to Jews as “the vilest of all people” and labeling them “enemies of Allah.” The Al-Aqsa leadership promptly condemned these statements and collaborated with the Anti-Defamation League to address the issue.

Governor Shapiro, who is Jewish, emphasized his commitment to inclusivity and support for the Muslim community during a recent iftar dinner at the mosque. He stated, “I’ve got their back and I’m going to protect them and I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure that their rights are protected here in the commonwealth.”

The best of the swamp.