Sheikh Said Rageah is the Imam and founder of Sakinah Islamic Community Centre in Scarborough, Ontario.
According to his official bio:
“Sheikh Said Rageah was born in Somalia, raised in Saudi Arabia and in the late 90s found his way to North America. He is married and has four daughters and two sons. He enjoys spending quality time with his family. Said Rageah hold B.A. And masters in Sharia. Over the years, he has held several posts including founder of Masjid Huda in Montreal, Masjid Aya in Maryland, Muslim Youth magazine and the Aqsa Association. After serving as an imam in Maryland and Calgary, Saeed moved to Toronto with his family and when he is not discharging his various duties at the Masjid, he travels the globe extensively as a lecturer. Before establishing Sakinah Center, Sheikh Said was serving as an Imam at Abu Huraira Islamic Center. He teaches and travels for Al-Maghrib Institute and he also holds the post of Chairman for the Journey of Faith conference.”
Shaykh Said Rageah – guest speaker at Salaheddin Islamic Centre
On August 3, 2018 Salaheddin Islamic Centre in Scarborough, ON posted on its official Facebook page: “Shaykh Said Rageah just started the first day of three days seminar. A Magnificence Character.”
In recent years Shaykh Said Rageah voiced opined on Israel/Jews, race relations, infidels and conspiracy theories among other issues. Here are excerpts from Rageah’s statements:
Said Rageah: “Hire only Muslims”; “Do business only with Muslims”
The following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Sheikh Said Rageah at Abu Hurairah Centre in Toronto on February 6, 2009:
“With four, five [hundred] thousand Muslims you can create the most powerful lobby in Canada… with that number of Muslims you can create one of the strongest Muslim business in Toronto… If you just put our resources, if we put our resources together, if we can work together as an Ummah [Muslim nation] we can change a lot… As Muslims, we are scattered all over the city. You have people living in Brampton, you have people living in Mississauga, you have people living in Whitby, you have people living in Richmond Hill. Imagine if we all get together in one area. In the City of Edmonton, the Sikh, Sikh, they live in one neighbourhood and nothing can be changed or done without their approval. We here we may as well benefit from the system that they have here. What can you do with unity? A lot. You can change a lot. You can change the foreign policy of this country. You can change how the Muslims think. You can even when need help, when you need help you call Muslim for your need you will help the Muslim community… Brothers in the masjid [Mosque] right now, they are coming up with the magazine or newspaper called Ummah Times. What Ummah Times is that? Ummah Times is advertising all your businesses all the Muslim businesses [are] Ummah. All you need to do – I will never advertise with a kafir [unbeliever, infidel], there you go. I hear some advertisements giving to 680 News $5,000. Before your Muslim brothers $50 and $80 or $100 we think twice before we do it. Unless we work together, the day we need a truck driver we know where to find truck drivers. The day that I need a cab I should have a number of a Muslim cab it’s ok, pick me up. When I want to see a doctor, only Muslim doctor. When I want to hire someone only Muslim worker. Then we can strengthen ourselves. This is the way and this is the only way we can exist in the society, living according to Islam. When the Sharia [Islamic Law], when the government of Toronto, Ontario gave us a break and said: deal your internal affairs based on your Sharia [Islamic Law] we did not go and say: Those few people are Ismailis and Ahmadis, they are not even Muslims. Why would they speak on behalf of Muslims. But, we say no, we keep quiet and see and watch what happens, and then the result was that they said… we will never allow you to rule yourselves, your internal affairs based on the Shariah… My brothers in faith [اخوتي في الله], anything that happens in your Muslim community, in the City of Toronto, anything that can be done, five hundred thousand Muslims that is a great number, large number, you can do a lot, work together. Let’s be an Ummah [nation]… Take your children to Islamic schools. Take your vehicle to Muslim owned business. If you buy a vehicle make sure there is a Muslim business or car dealer that sells cars. If you want to do anything just ask if that individual is a Muslim or not. If he is not, then look for a Muslim, because I’m sure you’ll find a Muslim. I’m sure you’ll find a Muslim in that field… O Allah, Raise the standing of Islam and the Muslims [اللهم اعز الاسلام والمسلمين], and humiliate the disbelievers and the polytheists. [اذل الكفرة والمشركين]”
Said Rageah: “I don’t believe Muslims did Charlie Hebdo attack”
Here is an excerpt from Rageah’s speech (published on January 28, 2015) at Sakinah Community Centre (26:03-27:51):
“The United Nations received 55 thousands images of what happened to some of the Muslims in Syria, but they didn’t do anything about [it]. But one person, three people, eight people, 12 people, all the people die [in Charlie Hebdo attack], you have 50 presidents, 50 coming together, locking arms, marching. Is that for humanity? No (لا). I don’t believe, by the way, for the record, I don’t believe Muslims did that [Charlie Hebdo attack]. It does not make any sense and it is not for you to accuse us. It is not for the Muslims to say: we did it. I don’t believe a bit that Muslims have anything to do with that, because, Glory be to Allah (سبحان الله), September 11 [2001], the building melted, but they found a Saudi passport, Allah willed it (ما شاء الله). What a miracle! You know here [in the case of Charlie Hebdo attack] they kill, you know, people, but miraculously the guys are so intelligent to assassinate 12 people, but he was so dumb to leave his document in the car? Allah willed it (ما شاء الله), May Allah bless you (تبارك الله). I mean, the amateur, you know, thief knows how to clear his mess and it is so unique that the media has files of these people, that the President of the country [France’s François Hollande], 45 minutes, he’s on the scene. He is not afraid that some of these cars are already bombed, you know, you know, is he not afraid? Is does not make any sense. But I dare a Muslim to say: we did it, because we did not.”
Said Rageah: “What happened in September 11 [2001] was not a work of Muslims”
Here is an excerpt from Rageah’s speech at the Islamic Awareness Week in 2008:
“You should stay away from it, you should stay away from it, because if you open that subject it is an argument, it is a crazy argument, and I think that at this point most of the people in the West, in the West, most of them understand that what happened in September 11 [2001] was not a work of Muslims.”
Said Rageah implies Israelis are behind the 9/11 attacks
Responding to a question regarding the claim of responsibility for the 9/11 attacks taken by an Islamic organization, Rageah said:
“Well, in this case, actually, you can always refer them to websites, like which are done and designed by non-Muslim Americans like www.whatreallyhappened.com, [conspiracy website accusing Israelis of 9/11 attacks] the other side, they will explain to them in a way that maybe to hear from you they will not accept it. That what I did with my father in law. My father in law and the brother in law and especially the mother, they think that Muslims are terrorists and this, and when they hear from a non-Muslim explaining the situation that the plane in the Pentagon is not a work of a plane, they’re thus accepting this, but they did not accept this from me, nor from their daughter. they accept it from someone else. So you can always refer that to the websites that they made and the history that they talked about it way before it happened.”
Said Rageah: “Israel in number one in sex slaves”, steals little girls and sells them”
In a lecture delivered in Denmark (posted on YouTube on April 15, 2013) Rageah said:
In Europe… there is something called sex slaves. What did they do? They steal little girls. Glory be to Allah (سبحان الله), You know number one in the world who does that? Number one country in the world? Israel. They are number one in sex slave, which means they gonna steal little girls and they gonna sell them, and these little girls have no hope. Unfortunately, in Canada and in America we have Somali guys do it to Somali sisters… If you ever go to, what would d you call, New York City, and you go to Yahoud [Jewish] area, especially [word in Somali] with the long hair [sidelocks], [word in Somali] the long hair ones, you would see they wash the bed sheet and they put it outside. And you’d say why? Why this [word in Somali]. How come that, you know, black and white, did they just love white? They say this is for the married couple. During the intimacy his skin is not allowed to touch her skin. She is impure. This is what they think. They think she is impure. So if the male wants to have relations with his wife he has to cover her with go’a [word in Somali which means bedding, sheet]. I swear by Allah [والله] that’s what it is, and they have little holes in the sheet [go’a]. You have to cover, they have to cover their wives with the sheets. This is what they consider a religion of freedom.
Said Rageah justifies death penalty in Islamic state for apostates, those who insult Mohammad
In the Q&A session following a lecture entitled “Sharia: Does it Have a Place in The 21st Century” Shaykh Said Rageah said (the video was posted in April 2012):
Said Rageah: “Anybody who insults Mohammad, peace be upon him, Muslims do not tolerate anyone to insult Mohammad, Issa [عيسى] or Jesus, Moses, any of the prophets of God. If you are in a Muslim country and you insult Mohammad or Jesus you receive the same punishment, because both of them are the messengers of God. You cannot discriminate Mohammad or one over other, no, you are not allowed. And these prophets of God we are ordered to honour and respect and protect their honour as long as we live, and Muslims will do this as long as they live. So it’s not only Mohammad, it’s [several words in Somali] all prophets, all the prophets. In Christianity they make fun of Jesus. Right? You know, they make fun of Jesus and all this, and it’s fun for them, they laugh and this is just for fun. If a Christian does that in Saudi Arabia or in a Muslim country he will be in trouble, because this one is a messenger of God and this one is a messenger of God.” [Note: The Muslims scholars unanimously agreed that a Muslim who insults the Prophet becomes an apostate who is to be executed].”
Question: “The one who gets in trouble, what is the penalty?”
Said Rageah: “It depends, it depends if the person knew what he was talking about. If he didn’t know the severity of what he said he could be just ok, just be aware of this, please respect these people. But if in purpose he do[es] this, they go back to the ruler, [it] goes back to the ruler and the judge of that time, but it could also be to the point as far as ‘kill that person’, if he doesn’t repent what he is saying, he doesn’t stop insulting Jesus, Moses or all the prophets of God…”
Question: “The punishment of an apostate (مرتد) is death in Islam. Isn’t that against the freedom of speech?”
Said Rageah: “Islam gives you this, and number one, the ‘murtad’ is someone who apostates from Islam, [he] becomes a Muslim and go[es] back, he doesn’t want to be a Muslim anymore. Now, it doesn’t exist because there is no Islamic Law implementing anywhere in the earth that I’m know of that 100%. Islam tell you [that] before you become a Muslim [that] these are the rules, this is our system, if you’re in [Islam], you’re in for life. You cannot turn back. If I right now, if I work for the government of Canada and then I go and I expose some of the top secrets. What will happen to me? What they try do to me? treason… In anywhere, if you do something like that the punishment, whether it is life in prison or whatever it is, there are punishments. When [it] comes to Islam, I’m telling you, [if] you want to stay non Muslim [so] stay non Muslim, the day you become Muslim then be careful, you cannot go back, it’s your choice. However, as I’ve said, now it doesn’t exist… This guy, this group called Sharif [Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed الشيخ شريف شيخ احمد], the guy who flipped, courts [محاكم] they came up with something and said: ok, we call ourselves courts [Islamic Courts Union – ICU اتحاد المحاكم الإسلامية] and are going to rule Somalia by the Sharia [Islamic Law]. Somalia has no system, no civilization, no oil yet, none of that, right? and all of a sudden they came and saying: you know what? We gonna take over this and we gonna rule everybody based on the Sharia. WOW. America was out of norm. In six months these guys were able to establish peace. In six months. Everything was normal. But America, they have to come and destroy. Why? It is in east Africa. You’re as far away from America, they don’t want you. What happened to democracy? I want democracy for my people. This [is] what they chose, leave them alone. No, no, you’re Muslims, democracy for everyone except for Muslims…”
Said Rageah urges immigrants in Sweden to spread Islam in hosting country
In late 2015 Rageah visited Sweden and met with Muslim youths. Here are excerpts of Rageah’s speech (posted on YouTube on December 8, 2015):
“Why do you think Allah brought you here? Why do you think Allah brought your parents and they brought you here? Do you think because there was a civil war back home and they had nowhere else to go, and now all of the sudden they came to Sweden to this small village that I cannot even pronounce its name? Do you think they came here accidentally? No. It was designed by Almighty Allah. It was designed that you perhaps can be born and raised here, so you can carry the message of Islam to your own community, to the Swedish community, because maybe your father when he is speaking Swedish he has an accent, maybe your mother when she is speaking she has an accent. Maybe they don’t understand the culture of the people. Perhaps Allah brought you here so you can adapt, understand, analyze, read and learn the culture of the people and then in return you come back and give them the light of Islam… Unfortunately a lot of young ladies and a lot of young boys, or young men, they think they were brought here so they can have fun, they can listen to music, they can shovel the snow that their father never have seen before, they can make a snow man in front of their houses, they can slide down the hill. This is not the reason. The reason that Allah brought you here is so you can can carry the message of Islam to the people. Why? Because each one of us, Almighty Allah [said] call to the way of your Lord (ادعوا الى سبيل ربك ). So your responsibility is to call people to Allah.”