As a Pakistani teenager growing up in London, I bore witness to the radicalization of Muslims in the UK. In 1997, after escaping the Jihadi proselytizers in Saudi Arabia, I moved to the USA to live my life as a free American. Once here, I bore witness to the most egregious attack on America by al-Qaeda. As al-Qaeda is motivated by the same ideology as the Muslim Brotherhood, I have no choice but to reclaim my religion from Islamists.

The biggest threat to America’s national security is Islamism, which is not the same as Islam. In the late 1940s, a Lenin and Trotsky-like figure, the “scholar” Sayyid Qutb, rose to prominence in Egypt. Qutb brought Islamism to America after receiving a scholarship to study in Colorado from 1948 to 1950. Instead of learning about democracy, he wrote a thesis and foundational paper on jihadi Islam, “Al-Adala al-Ijtima’iyya,” calling for all Muslims to globalize jihad. Of course, this manifested itself in the September 11 attacks led by al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

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Islamists yearn for “sharia” to be the established constitution of the entire world. Qutb preached that Muslims who live in the West have a moral obligation to establish sharia as the law of the land. He stated that “a Muslim has no country except that part of the earth where sharia of God is established.”

Since September 11, Islamists have strengthened their foothold in America, threatening to undermine our national identity and the future of moderate Muslims in America. Like a Trojan Horse, its organizations appear benign but harbor destructive intentions. The toxic ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and Sayyid Qutb has burrowed into America with the help of various proxy groups.

One of these Islamist groups is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), led by its chief, Nihad Awad. CAIR has disguised its existence as an advocate for civil rights for American Muslims. But beneath that veneer, CAIR espouses toxic anti-Semitism, corroding the very principles of mutual respect and coexistence that America was built upon. Publicly available information shows that its leadership has dehumanized Jews by minimizing and even justifying Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, and encouraging Muslims not to socialize with “Zionists.”

Many imams in America also peddle this propaganda, and some even outright support Hamas. A Maryland imam stated that the October 7 attack was a “great victory“ and compared it to the Viet Cong’s victory in the Tet Offensive. A Muslim professor in Kansas City called the attack “amazing” and “a miracle” and later said it was “…just a drill for what is going to come next.” And a San Francisco area Islamic scholar denied the attack ever happened, calling it a “big lie.”

Other imams propagate blood libels against the Jewish people. One imam in Dearborn, Michigan, accused Israelis of skinning Palestinians and harvesting their organs. A North Miami, Florida, imam accused Israel of organ trafficking and being “the brothers of apes and pigs.” An imam in Orlando, Florida, accused the Jews of resembling Satan, treachery, and poisoning the Muslim community. An American Islamic scholar accused Israel of creating COVID, World War I, and World War II, and of currently creating disorder in the world through the manipulation of bankers. Another Orlando imam claimed that Israel’s counter-attack against Hamas following October 7 was a planned genocide.

And others are actively calling for the genocide of Jews. An imam in Madison, Wisconsin, stated that Jews “…will all most definitely be killed...” by Muslims. An imam in Lafayette, Louisiana, called for Allah to “annihilate the Jews and their helpers…kill them one by one…“ And an imam in Warren, Michigan, proclaimed that “[o]ne day will come, and we will slaughter you [Jews] like a sheep.”

As American Muslims, we should speak up when those within our community call for hatred and separation. If Islamism is unchallenged, the future of our country is at stake. As a patriotic American and a devout Muslim, I call on Muslim leaders to hold CAIR accountable both for its abuses and for its failure to call out the most extreme members of the Muslim community. I also call on the Trump administration to investigate CAIR.

As an immigrant to this country, I pray for my children’s future, and as a grandmother, I want my grandkids to inherit this country: a safe haven that I chose to live in, built on liberty, respect, and solidarity, that we all must tirelessly protect for posterity.

Anila Ali is an author, a faith leader, and a retired California public school teacher.