and they said why do you want to go back
to Iraq I said I'm not done killing
Moses two tours in Somalia Bosnia
Afghanistan in Iraq yeah you know I
wouldn't have been called a terrorist
which is what I would have been yeah
because I'm white because I don't have
religious affiliation as far as Islam
now if I would have been a Muslim and
did something like that to a supermarket
we know how that goes yeah that story is
easily predicted oh yeah so so but she
goes what do you mean I said they're all
Muslim like it didn't matter they're the
other yeah they're the other because she
knows I hate Muslims yeah I'm reading
the Quran what is going on right the
famous saying that usually always said
by a bigot is that I don't want my
family around those people yeah I would
be considered a criminal I knew that but
I saw it as doing one last thing for my
country and I knew I would end up in
federal prison I knew I would end up
with the needle mom I knew that and
that's why I felt if I got rid of this
hatred I would die because it's the only
thing keeping me alive so literally this
and I was like BAM I want to see what
they got to say about this so didn't
explained it and it was in historical
passage that was I decided without
telling anybody I'm gonna go visit these
people mmm I'm gonna give them a chance
to prove me wrong I mean I was raised
with Christian values I should say my my
mom was fairly religious and in
Christianity so you would have been
napping in my life at least America was
my religion eight weeks later from the
first day I stepped foot in that in that
Islamic center I took my Shahada this
this is the people welcome to the Dean
show and we got an exciting episode as
always I don't think just looking at
your resume that we could have found
someone who was more Americans I mean we
wished I'm American right background
Bosnian you were in Desert Storm Desert
Shield you were deployed all over the
place you spent marine corps who are you
serving your country American is
American Pie Mary goodbye yes I guess
I'd be on these show Richard McKinney
thank you thank you for having me how
are you I'm great
did I hit that right Desert Storm Desert
Shield you were like just doesn't shield
into the storm actually started in
Panama on 89 Panama just cause yeah
shield storm two tours in Somalia Bosnia
Afghanistan in Iraq yeah that's I mean
that's it was like country and loyalty
and patriotism at the max oh yeah
America at that point my life at least
America was my religion you know how's
everything to me I mean everything yeah
and we say God Bless America because you
want the best may God guide America make
all Americans may God Almighty bestow
His mercy on all human beings and and
this is something that's so important
because we're mentioning this but some
people attribute this loyalty to hating
another group of people so you went
above and beyond and now it wasn't
channeled to the right direction you're
like let me be a little bit more loyal
and I'm gonna go blow up some Moslems
well yeah to be honest with you sales
wounded in Iraq yeah and when did it
wounded in Iraq you got even so now
you've got even worse scars right right
yeah so when that happened they decided
to medically retire me but I wasn't done
they came to visit me in the hospital
and they started talking about our
Menaul these benefits and this than the
other sitting in and I'm going back to
Iraq and they looked at me kind of weird
you know and they said why do you want
to go back to Iraq I said I'm not done
killing Muslims American sniper know is
that you know that was not me know
it's not you American sniper on the
deuteron I don't have patience knife
okay you heard of America's yeah
absolutely
so say that again so you're like I want
to go back because I'm not done killing
Muslims Wow yeah even in Bosnia I
remember we were there and we got called
in for an operation to do some security
they had like a international CSI team
basically they had gotten information
located a mass grave 200 plus maybe I
don't know some odd bodies men women
children some clothes some not and but
at that point they were all skeletons
and they were going through doing there
you know criminal findings whatever it
is they do
okay and I remember being the leader of
that team I was in the center all my
boys were out doing security and I was
in the center by the Humvee and lady
come up to me and she goes isn't it just
terrible what human beings do to each
other sometimes I says I had a cigarette
and I just took a puff and I said not
really she goes what do you mean I said
they're all Muslim like it didn't matter
they're the other yeah they're the other
so even though we were there more or
less to keep the peace to make sure that
the war didn't start up again and
Muslims weren't being persecuted and
killed and you know all that you know I
did what the at that point I was in the
army and I said what they told me to do
you know I didn't have to like it so you
know this is this the this hatred
started to infest me and build and I've
actually compared it to an organ in our
body we don't ever want to lose an organ
who will die right and that's why I felt
if I got rid of this hatred I would die
because it's the only thing keeping me
alive so literally this was fueling you
your life you felt your heart was hate
hey so you could be feeling it with love
and understanding and you know other
beautiful things but
were fueling it with something so toxic
hate and it was just keeping you like
you say alive alive Wow so so you're in
wait so you're in the Marines or army
well I joined the Marine Corps retired
from the Army I still claim the Marine
Corps because they're the Marines
yeah and I'll always be a Marine but
after my second tour in Somalia I
decided that it was time for me to make
a break and try to be a civilian and at
25 I had no idea what I was gonna do
with my life I didn't graduate high
school I got a GED when I was stationed
in Japan a reason I didn't graduate high
school I was a teenager Runaways
involved in drugs I I got expelled from
my last high school simply because I was
selling drugs so because of all that I
just the military is my life but now I
had to put that on the back burner
because it was starting to affect me
emotionally and when I got out I tried
to get work but I didn't have any skills
so I decided I'm gonna go into the army
and that was it there's an environment
there few of this kind of hate did you
feel that this condition you like where
did this come from was it the
environment of being in the military
before the military did you have this
hatred towards Muslims oh no even why
even even after 9/11 I didn't have a
hatred towards Muslims it's just
something and it's something that
happened and I think when it really took
off was when they told me you're done
you've got to get out you're done so I
got out that was because of your injury
and Jeff what has got shot I've blown up
blown up well that's what I tell people
I don't really know I I don't remember
any of it I was on the second floor of a
building in Ramadi in oh six and I was
looking out on the street to the
security teams and make sure there
wasn't anything going out because we was
gonna leave this building they want to
walk my guys into a firefight
so it's last thing I remember woke up in
the hospital the guys who came to visit
me in the hospital says dang Sarge only
thing missing from you was a cape cuz
you flew straight across the street
I don't remember miss my backup broke my
shoulder you know you got blown up yeah
yeah you're flying you're blowing
blowing somewhere yeah thank god you're
still here hamdulillah we gotta get you
I'm gonna get him on the Joe Rogan show
and and and and hook up with they got
the David gig ins and the Jocko what
szeliga choco choco who will ik we gotta
hook you heard a jackal will ik David
Giga these are all military men and
they're doing some good they got some
inspirational motivational material
that's out there but you're at another
level man this is another level because
you really you know now with your story
and we're get we're getting more deep
into it as more of a positive message
because you can actually with this
message help change hearts and minds and
prevent people from going to a whole
nother level thinking they're taking
their patriotism to that level that you
thought because you are actually almost
at the mass with a I D that's a bomb and
ready to kill 200 300 plus I mean Juma
can be like I don't know how much they
hold it that much you can hundreds of
people it depends and men women or
schools in and yeah we have to pray out
and always yeah so you were one of those
guys that were now plotting some have
actually done it you are actually on
your way to do it what's going through
your mind man
well it was this is like I'm sorry this
is like man this is like something like
you can't make this stuff up stuff like
I have one of those guys right next to
me you know that was plotting there's
some out there right now that hopefully
they're tuning in and we can get them to
unplug and have them do what you did to
actually rewire somebody's circus and
and and oh wait and we awaken your heart
you know and so uh yeah Shalala God
willing so yeah what had happened was I
didn't have any World Wars my wars are
done now I I know that I'm oh I'm done
so so but what I did I guess because I'm
asked where does H would come from what
was it that made you go to this extent
and as I thought about it I created a
war for myself
common enemy Islam Muslims right nobody
in America likes them or you know in
what de Maya is telling you right you're
getting programmed right right and so
that's when I started this plan and I
knew I knew that by law I would be
considered a criminal I knew that but I
saw it as doing one last thing for my
country and I knew I would end up in
federal prison I knew I would end up
with the needle mine I knew that I was
okay with that I was okay with that
because it didn't matter because see the
whole thing would really upset me in the
military I wanted to die I wanted to die
because here in America if you're a
soldier if you're marine whatever and
you go to combat and you die you come
back in a flag draped coffin you are
forever known as a hero no matter what
you did in your past all your sins are
worst away in society's eyes and that's
what I was shooting for and it never
happened was it connect it was so wasn't
it connected to God it was just country
what were you religious where did you
believe in God I mean I was raised with
Christian values I guess you'd say my my
mom was fairly religious and in
Christianity so you would have been
linked back to Chris being a Christian
yeah uh-huh
probably probably I mean the head of
eyes probably would have said something
like veterans suffering from PTSD you
know has a breakdown or something like
that right you know I wouldn't have been
called a terrorist which is what I would
have been yeah because I'm white because
I don't have religious affiliation as
far as Islam now if I would have been a
Muslim and did something like that to a
supermarket we know how that goes yeah
stories easily predicted oh yeah so so
but but but I've just been known as a
you know poor veteran that had emotional
issues from the war had been it so and
that's and and and that was what led me
to to create this plan and and I had
been planning it for over well over a
year almost two years and piecing
everything to
I wasn't in Harare patients because I
didn't want to raise any alarms that
would happen that would cancel this out
so I took my time took the time and I
was close I was close I only needed a
couple more items and I mean I could
have got those any day this it was
matter going to get him and my daughter
came home from school she was like seven
years old she comes home from school and
she talks about this boy that sat next
to her and his mom came from God II from
school and she was dressed all you know
she's dressed like a Muslim woman you
know and when she started this because
you know my child children don't have
prejudice children don't see differences
in people like like adults do yes and
when she was describing this woman I
went off I just exploded she's
describing a Muslim woman a Muslim woman
yeah and the famous saying that usually
always said by a bigot is that I don't
want my family around those people yeah
and so my daughter looked at me like I
was totally just out of my mind and
somehow someway
for whatever reason a light bulb came on
and says my hatred is mine but now I'm
pushing it on her that's wrong do you
see this where people are becoming
victims of this hate machine that is
this hate that's perpetuated because now
the war machine you got to go and create
this this perception like they are the
other so now it's easier to kill the
other because naturally well I mean
we're all human beings nobody it's just
in our innate nature we don't I don't
think people just they they're not born
races they're not born with this hate
that this hate is like Nelson Mandela he
said people aren't born hating you know
they're taught this you got to teach
them how to love so now you know to go
well you see a lot of wars happening and
now this this false persona this
this is misinformation is created and
now the average person through the media
and through the hate provocateurs
corrupt politicians and you name it the
list goes on pushing out all of this and
now the average layman like you is just
watching Fox News and now he's just
getting probably becomes a victim to
this hate
absolutely absolutely I put those pieces
together see it soon safe to assume this
is what you you fell victim to that we
call it we call it the echo chamber what
does that call the echo chamber or echo
box it's where when it comes to
especially media you only associate
yourself with stuff that is like-minded
to the way you already feel yeah so it
just reinforces it yeah but why
dissolute but most people when you ask
most people they'll be like you can't
believe the media lie even Americans but
why would this they believe the media
mm-hmm
it's like selective ignorance well I you
get my point
yeah yeah and and and you know I'll be
the first one to say that you know
Americans by nature are is a generalised
statement but they're not the go-getters
that they once used to be yeah they're
the ones that sit back and let it hit
let them come to them and and that's the
way they they filter their news and
their beliefs is you know majority rules
kind of thing yeah it's the social norm
we're gonna go with the social norm
we're not gonna detour from that at all
yeah and it's easier that way so the
herd mentality just following what
everybody and and and you can link this
back also because you talk about
drinking how much vodka a day you have
gallon every two days half gallon every
two days so you're already bitter you're
already angry and now you got to blame
somebody oh yeah yeah why not blame the
the Muslims yeah and as if that's gonna
make the economy better if that's gonna
make everything just all your problems
go away the pain in your heart oh yeah
yeah yeah and be because you know it you
look at things and things that bother
you and things that hurt you and things
that that hold you down okay that
you once you overcome those the pain
that you felt is still there yes it's
still there it's still there until
you're willing to give up yourself you
have to give up yourself and go to
something greater which is the end
result of what happened I ended up
becoming a Muslim so oh wow this is like
you know we gotta gotta make it we need
some Hollywood producers out there that
to make us get we got the script ready
and this needs to be there actually and
in the price that this needs to be made
this is like this is a direct film to to
challenge this American sniper I mean
this is the American hero right here man
I'm sitting next to right that actually
you know Jose Jose or chosen love over
hate and this is the story that everyone
needs to hear that so we got our brother
here on the Dean show so you're making
plans to kill innocent human beings and
Muslims are simply those in houses of
worship that you work about the attack
and now I always like to define words
because now you know in these words
people think [\h__\h] I say hold on they
asked me are you Muslim I say by Muslim
do you mean someone who has chosen
freely to submit his will to the crater
that happens in earth and be the best
morally a right person I'm a Muslim but
if you dissociated me with some crazy
stuff in your mind you could take that
and have that and keep it all right and
change so you were gonna kill those
types of people yeah so what happens
then well after I had the the blow up
and from my daughter and she she created
that light bulb in my brain I decided
without telling anybody I'm gonna go
visit these people mmm I'm gonna give
them a chance to prove me wrong and to
prove my plan as invalid she softened
your heart opened it I won't say
softened it opened it opened it so I did
went there on the juma you know I knew
Fridays was was prayer that was when I
was playing along just like the
congregational prayer yeah yeah I I knew
Friday was when most people would be
there and so I went and I went early and
I walked into the to the Islamic Center
and there was a
african-american gentleman he used to
play pro basketball back in the 70s oh
it took him like three minutes to
actually stand up straight and he looked
at me he was in his shoe room taking off
his shoes and and he looked at me and he
smiled and I looked at him and he knew I
was kind of out of place because I
looked confused yeah and he said can I
help you and I said yeah I want you to
teach me about Islam
he said he smiled and kind of chuckled a
little bit he says well how much time
you got
I said well I hope that my watch I said
I got a couple hours what still makes me
laugh because I think you know you can't
dgeni by anything two hours but
especially a theology right and in Islam
is this too complicated to teach in two
hours but he smiled he says we'll give a
shot so I stayed for Juma and even still
I I thought well you know the the hoot
ba or the the sermon the message that
was being presented that day was a good
one oh it was good I told myself they
were just saying that because I was
there yeah you know and they were doing
that takea you heard yeah yeah so so you
know it was just they were just doing it
because I was there right you know they
want to portray this peacefulness and if
it's right for people to I know because
many of the Slama folks they use this
they throw out this word you you know
what I mean appeal that they're lying
you're not venture you gonna find out
the line it's gonna anger you even more
right right yeah yes obviously there was
no lie you like what you're hearing and
what happened yeah and and so so then I
I get introduced to another gentleman
another Muslim brother and he takes me
in the library there's a couch there at
the time and we sat down we started
talking he said you ever read the Quran
and said no no never never have man he
went over to the bookshelf got a copy
handed it to me he said I want you to
read this and when you get questions in
your mind come back and see us man ask
us and so I did now to jump back just a
little bit I didn't tell anybody
my intentions I went there presenting
myself as somebody
learn a little bit more about a religion
that few people knew about outside of
Muslims themselves so they didn't know I
was this mad bomber they didn't know
that and they had no clue about no clue
nobody nobody knew about my plans
anybody that knew me knew that I did not
like Muslims what I hate no man FBI
you know CIA today yeah so so so what
happened was as I went on I read the
Quran my wife started to freak out a
little bit because she knows I hate
Muslims yeah I'm reading the Quran what
is going on right she's getting really
worried because she's thinking after I
told her I went to the Islamic Center
that I was gonna do something did
somebody's rub off on her was she's
starting to hell no no no she was pretty
much do you know people were people yeah
there's good and there's bad yeah that's
just the way she looked at her life and
so I read it and I come up with
questions I read passages like the the
famous kill him kill him kill all the
non-believers right and and stuff like
that things they throw out yeah yeah and
I was like BAM I want to see what they
got to say about this but it ain't
explained it and it was in historical
passage that was presented to explain
what was going on at that time
yeah the non-believers were not the
Christians they were not the Jews they
were the pagans so they had nothing to
do and you being a man of combat you can
understand those are combative verses
for combat in historical context yeah
yeah and sometimes you got to feel that
way you have to yeah okay all right I
like that makes sense that makes sense
and then I and then I stumbled upon
other verses that that stuck out and and
the two most to this day that filled me
with love and really really opened my
heart was to take one human life is like
killing all of humanity
but to save a human life is like saving
all of humanity have to 5 verse 32 yeah
yeah there's nothing like that out there
that nothing I mean you're saving all of
humanity by saving one life right that's
how great it is in the sight of God
Almighty and I was like wait a minute
what book are these insurgents and he's
and these al Qaeda members in these Isis
members what book are they reading
because the way they're acting is
totally against everything I'm reading
right here in the book this is it if if
you don't put it as a Muslim for
whatever reason you don't believe in
anything else you have to believe in a
crime what book are they reading you
know because of the their actions so
that as a semi intelligent person I had
III had to rationalize they do not speak
for Islam
that's not Islam and in the meantime
these people are so nice to me welcoming
inviting me to their homes for dinners
not knowing that I have plans to blow up
this building with them in it eight
weeks later from the first day I stepped
foot in that in that Islamic center I
took my Shahada
so now eight weeks from when you made
the human connection you actually
stepped in brave enough you came into
mass teach me about Islam eight weeks
later now you're doing what Jesus did
what Moses did what the last and final
mention problem Hamid did what the best
of humanity did you submitted your will
to God you took the Shahada you declared
there's nothing worthy of worship except
the one God and Muhammad is His
Messenger as simple yeah yeah yeah and
I'll never forget because you know
there's always this thing that Muslims
are telling you if you're not a Muslim
we're gonna kill you and stuff like yeah
you know all that craziness right and
when I went there and told him I said I
want to take Shahada yeah and they were
like whoa hold on are you sure about
this man it's not been that long you
know and and III says no it it's what I
need to do
III don't it's not a want it's a need I
I have to do this because I have to
start living my life by a different set
of ideas and I like the doctrine that
islam teaches that islam presents to
humanity it's important and i want to be
a part of that and so i did i did six
months after that I told them who I
really was and what I was really
planning to do they were blown away
totally just Wow
and I took that story and I started
telling other people telling other
people and as I'm telling people I'm at
home one day and I get a knock on the
door six months half year later now yeah
yeah I get a knock on the door let me
guess who yeah
the Phoebe is one of the brothers cause
of the Phoebe the FBI where you guys and
because somebody had you know called him
yeah they were concerned you know and
especially now cuz I'm a Muslim well
they didn't know that as as this does
this nationalist that I was yeah that I
was gonna do this as a Muslim I'm
totally against that so you know
everything had been gone you know so
there really wasn't even a case because
they they had no evidence I had already
disposed of things the way they should
have been disposed of and and there was
nothing left that was it because it
didn't neat I didn't need it yeah you
know and so that that was open for a
while that's when my wife found out what
I had planned she didn't even know
nobody knew and when the FBI and the
bomb dog came to the house she was four
she didn't talk to me for a couple days
yeah you know so she knows you're Muslim
knows oh yeah yeah yeah III remember I
came home after I took Shahada again I
didn't tell her which is something I'm
still trying to work through in the
military because I was I belong to a
groups of people that you just didn't
tell anybody anything you don't do that
yeah so I I'm still working through that
not telling my wife things which as you
know can be pretty devastating
in in a marriage so you know I told her
I said hey I took Charlotte she goes did
what she know what it was yeah I said
I'm a Muslim
and she goes what it was so funny she
says boy I'm gonna tell you something
right now
I'm not wearing a bunch of scarves on my
head or anything like that I'm not
covering up and I said well I says
you're not a Muslim I wouldn't even
expect you to you know and she says
another thing if you want four wives I'm
not gonna be one of them
and that kind of made me laugh and I was
like you know and to myself I kept this
in I was like you know I don't know if I
really want the one now before I I just
think that's that's masochistic I don't
know but yeah so and it was four years
later she became a Muslim so now your
wife also she accepted Islam just long
yes see obviously obviously she did her
homework she she researched mm-hmm and
that's what we're just asking people to
do do what you did real simple make the
human connection you know go experience
things for yourself go to an open house
you know read the Quran and look I mean
man this is just amazing you were
courageous enough I mean it's a true bet
American you know and you thought that
you were taking it to another level by
going to you know have you ever met one
of these people that heard your story
and said man I was about to do the same
thing because I heard you uh not
necessarily in those words when when the
video came out out of curiosity I read
the comments and I read a lot of them I
didn't read all them there was a lot of
comments and some but most of them are
good it was a 9 to 1 ratio I was told
good to bad which is pretty pretty crazy
over a million views so 9 to 1 ratio
good to bad one of the comments stood
out to me and I I won't say exactly what
he said he had a very colorful tongue to
him but basically he said if a bad dude
like you can change the way he thinks I
guess I can too
Americans can be serving his country and
look at exactly what you said look they
might be hating but now you are at the
top of the hate where are you gonna go
more above this right and there was
nothing there well in and that's and you
know my soldiers if they if they were
still around or they were here they tell
you the same thing they they thought I
was they thought I was something else
because and it made him proud to be for
me to be their sergeant
third Platoon sardine leader their squad
leader it makes arts and Sarge sergeant
yeah and so it made them proud because
the fire broke out we'd start getting
shot at I just stood there and hand it
off commands I didn't run for cover and
like one of my soldiers curl up and suck
his thumb actually happened you know and
I didn't do that because I wasn't done
and I didn't I had this sense of
immortality to me I wasn't done and I
still use that today you know IIIi tell
people that that I'm not going anywhere
not until I'm done and that's what I say
not until I'm done and when I'm done
he'll decide and then he'll take me
nobody else has that power it's amazing
how the crater that happens on earth the
law
oh he's able to change hearts and then
use that person like yourself and as a
amazing example for others to really
reflect and think over tell us you're
you're in the supermarket and you see a
couple women they're just wearing what
Jesus's mother would have been wearing
you know the hijab imitating Mary who
there's a whole chapter named after her
in the Quran you see these women and
you're ready to snap a neck I actually
broke down and cried actually broke down
and cry it wasn't in a supermarket was
in a DSW shoe store mmm big shoe store
and went there because I have a wife and
that's what wives do yeah they could buy
shoes and so I was there with her and
and there was these two
Muslim ladies wearing black burgers
really stood out and so I told them your
III sat down in the chair and I started
crying and my wife got all concerned she
just what's wrong because I was still
having some emotional issues with being
back and being away from the wars you
know and I just started crying and I
says well I I won't say what I actually
said but you know it's those two women
over there I'm trying to drum up the
courage and the intestinal fortitude to
go over there and break both our necks
man because they're in my store and they
shouldn't even be in my country and you
know it
it's shamefully that III tell these
stories and you know I'm not I'm not
proud of any of this but I tell it
because it needs to be told and people
need to understand you know like I've
said you know I had a plan for me I
think he could have come through a
little bit sooner but that's not up to
me that's up to him you know but I had
to be all the way over here to the right
be this hardcore person that had this
hatred in his heart that didn't even
flinch an eye at taking life
to be this person over here I had to
experience that because otherwise how
can I talk about it I lived I was it you
know and and since then I've I've tried
to reach people and people don't have to
like me
I tell people many times you know I'm
not looking for more friends I friends
take time I don't have time I got a
message and I got to deliver that
message and this is what I live playing
for me so I ended up resigning from my
job my nine-to-five I was working with
homeless veterans very admirable job you
know very rewarding and I I think you
know of odd takes took great pleasure on
me doing that job but I had to make a
choice and a choice was made for me
that's the whole thing it was made for
me when I was at the JFK Library
speaking and I stayed around a little
bit afterwards I was out walking around
the library and a guy came up to me and
he goes I just wanted to tell you thanks
nicest okay for what he has you saved my
life and I was like dude how do I save
your life he said well long story short
my wife left took the kids she's with
another man right now tonight I was
going to commit suicide I listened to
you talk and it made me realize we all
have a purpose we all have a purpose I
just need to find out what mine is and
that's what I'm gonna commit my energy
to now is finding what my purpose is at
that point I knew what I had to do I had
to quit and so I went back and I told
them told them what happened exactly
what happened and they were like yep
this is what you need to do so here I am
this amazing couple more a couple more
things I just wanted to ask you you met
you mentioned it was very interesting
that you spent some time
in Bosnia this is where one of the the
greatest genocide happened after World
War two and there was many war criminals
their cottages was it
Milosevic Milosevic code name Elvis code
name hell because of his hair they
caught him code name and his code name
was Elvis because this hairdo so you
were you were tell us about that April
15 2004 we went on a raid to pale Serbia
and two grabbing and bringing back most
of it yeah but most of it to grab him
and bring him back for trial he's gonna
send into the Hague and for trial for
war crimes got the Intel that he was
gonna be here meeting with this priest
and the priest son and like most Intel
it was wrong and he wasn't there he had
just left but the priest was there and
the priest son was there we burst
through the door did what we had to do
the priest and his son came at us with
weapons and we we eliminated the target
and I used to jokingly just say well
that's that's my period that that's my
speed take it to the fire I just shot a
priest but so they came shooting at you
with they actually didn't get a shot off
yeah just came at us with weapon they
came at you with weapons yeah so you're
defending yourself yeah yeah you're
merit not your America this is you're in
the military American military yeah so I
like to bring this up to to the our
Christian friends who are watching out
there that in this part of the world
where my roots come from Bosnia we were
the original Christians that accepted
Islam Unitarian Christians who believed
they were called the bug Emile's did
those close to God as they were
nicknamed they believed in Jesus is a
mighty messenger like Abraham Moses they
worship like Jesus did they prostrate
like we do put their heads on the ground
they didn't go in to the churches they
were you
no disconnected from what they work
considered heretics but most people
today would be considered heretic
because most people they don't you know
they don't fall in line with Trinity God
being 3 and what they believe and
there's one God to worship Him alone
right and that's what these Bosnians
believed and when Islam came like when
it came to you and so many millions of
millions of people now who are accepting
Islam that pure monotheism of only
worshiping the creator and not the
creation those Bosnians accepted it this
is how you have it in the heart of
Europe until today you actually visited
that country also not and now you're
also someone who who went into a mosque
you've connected and you turned this
hate into love but some people now they
watch in hearing this beautiful story
what would you say in conclusion to a
person is out there and he might be
right now plotting and planning and he's
thinking of doing what you were doing
and taking it to that what he would say
being he thinks he's being more American
now and he's about to do something like
that you were planning on doing but he's
tuning in what would you tell him first
of all America American it's not a
geographical location this is what a lot
of us misunderstand it's a philosophy I
got this idea when I saw a little girl
crying in Syria she was more of an
American at that point in her life then
most Americans that have lived there
their whole entire life born here raised
here it was simply because of her
desires and we all have desires each and
every one of us and we try to accomplish
those desires now some of these desires
might be hateful like mine was and my
plans might take us to or take some of
us to other levels to where we're
actually going to create these
atrocities to other human beings other
human beings that's the words you use
you don't use the word Christian you
don't use the word Muslim Jewish Hindu
human
beings Allah made human beings that's it
it's up to us to understand and through
positive action propel human beings to a
different level and I've told many
people's that these dreams that we have
dreams are great dreams are great Martin
Luther King jr. had a speech and he
talked about his dream
beautiful beautiful articulate words I
ask you I plead to you all the people
think about these dreams you have are
they positive are they negative what is
the outcome how does it affect human
beings and when you get to the point to
where you can say this is a positive
this is going to help human beings to go
forward in our society and our world
then quit calling it a plan or quit
calling it a dream call it a plan thank
you so much you'll be you'll be on your
way you're Indiana right yeah did you
ever see that big sign you come in and
says on one side it says hell is real
Jesus is real you see that sigh I didn't
see I coming in but there was all kinds
you know just you know that's amazing
now cuz many people don't know that now
how was your relationship with a final
question with Jesus now he's a man he's
loved Jesus I
well actually it's better because being
a nationalist that was my religion I
didn't I didn't pray to any anything
because I was the one I was the one i
even i remember in somalia i even used
the words when i was when i was i
grabbed a hold of a lady that was that
was struggling with us and i grabbed a
hold of her and just gave her that look
and i grabbed her by her shirt and i
says allah what'd you say
ha i am god Wow
you got to that point of areas oh yeah
yeah I was I mean and and and being at
that level I was at in the military it
that's really it's really less arrogance
and it is survivability Wow that's how
you survive mm-hmm
because you got to believe that you know
you're the one you know otherwise you
know that's what gave me gave me the the
courage to when bullets are flying I'm
standing up yeah yeah I'm not done if
people want to reach out to hook up with
you is uh you know to invite you to
between University or campus someone to
a church wherever the case to hear at
this story live you know where can they
I well I'm still working on social media
yeah I've gotten a few uh few tips from
your assistant and so he's helped me out
a little bit I'm kind of taking up there
right now so but I I have a manager
smarty pants productions there they were
the ones that's secret life of Muslims
his name is Josh chef tell smarty pants
are in Brooklyn he he he's Jewish and
he's the one who put this secret life of
Muslims together yeah second season that
was the video the one that went viral I
wonder what is CBS Sunday morning okay
and because he you'll see it's a it's an
Internet it's like yours is it's an
Internet show okay but he took my
episode and gave it to a friend of his
who happens to be the president CBS it
says you need to watch this yeah she put
it on that Sunday morning program the
CBS Sunday morning and we were actually
worried if it was going to air or not
because the molar report just came out
we didn't know people get bumped cousin
motorsport you know because I mean you
know the more report or human interest
uh you know but now they they they aired
it and it just did blew up after that
even my parents when I became a Muslim
shortly after I became a Muslim actually
was when I because I became president of
that Islamic Center
not yeah we're gonna have to have you
back no we we got things just the story
keeps evolving he actually came
president of the it's three years after
I became a Wow I became president I'm no
longer president i-i-i-i-i election came
up and I didn't run for my for another
term because I was finishing my last
semester in college I just really didn't
have time to busy yeah and and I didn't
want to shortchange the center at all I
didn't want to change the community
so I basically stepped aside and the
person I nominated was the one who got
elected a female and its first female in
that community and I'll never forget it
was like I dropped the mic moment after
Juma you know I got up to give
announcements and I I says and I just
wanted to let all of you know that the
elections coming up soon and I'm
nominating somebody I'm nominating
somebody because of who they are and
what they what they do in the community
inside the Muslim community and outside
because she was very involved in all of
it it has been four years and I says I
want to nominate Bibi Bahrami
and that was basically I dropped the mic
moment because the population there and
and in in our community is mostly
afghan-pakistan there's a lot of
culturalism that I did I did a lot to
try to get away from because culturalism
is not religion it's not Islam and it's
it's it's taken a lot away from Islam
and it's given it about giving it a
black eye in a way you know especially
the treatment towards women and the the
way we you know look towards the women
the women are precious gifts from Allah
and people are just people confuse what
people do culturally and they mix that
up with Islam right right right Jada to
Leah so you know I I made changes you
know I I believed in the separation I
believed in the separation men and women
I did not believe in segregation where
if we had a community events they'd put
up a a divider in the room and women on
one side men on the other side it's
bogus that's wrong but I understood that
there are women that if they because of
their cultural background they don't
feel comfortable sitting out there with
everybody else okay I mean the women
still had their own side but we're all
still in the same big room you know
which is fine but the ones who didn't
feel comfortable coming out there
without the dividers they could set back
in they there had a room right off of
the the main room and so they had the
choice
there was a instance before I became
president that I went to the committee
because what they were doing was they
were having too many men and it was
filling up the the prayer room for Juma
so on Jim and what they were doing was
they date they took the women's section
and converted it to the men's section
also like a for like an overflow and
then put the women in the library and I
stood up against that their whole their
whole thought was because of that famous
hadith that has been totally
flip-flopped into meaning something that
it doesn't and that's the one where
where the lady came to the Prophet peace
be upon him and said and said that you
know my husband's jealous he doesn't
even like me praying that it uh you know
because he knows I'm talking to a man
and you know all this that and the other
I don't I don't know the actual numbers
or even which which Brooklyn which book
it is but it's it's a famous one so the
Prophet peace be upon him and all his
wisdom said it's okay go to the closet
and pray you don't have to come to the
mosque you because it creates conflict
in your own he told her that so now
somehow thousand plus years later these
men think that women don't need to be in
the moisture
they really just don't have to be there
and so I explained this hadith I broke
it down and explained it that's not what
the Prophet was saying prophet was not
saying that he was saying this woman
this woman because of her situation
didn't have to come to the Masjid our
sisters need to be in a mosque should
more I feel that our brothers do because
they're the ones raising our kids we
want them to have that that connection
we want them to have that that
philosophy embedded in them right wrong
indifferent and we want them to be able
to to to to have that portrayed in the
children because the men the men aren't
going to do that it because of the city
the the family structure it just doesn't
work that way and so they said yeah yeah
you're right and when I nominated this
female for president you know they came
to me afterwards as president every Juma
I would always go to the library I was
open to having questions you know people
want to ask me something people want to
voice their concerns to me as
individually I'll be in the library I
stayed there for hours at a time and a
bunch of the the older brothers
especially the older ones they come to
me and they they they said they said
don't you think that's a little bit
progressive nominating a female to be
President I said brother why is it I'm
always explaining you guys is history to
me or to you I said it's not progressive
at all matter of fact it's regressive I
said how I said brother who was the
first Muslim Khadija
who founded the very first University
and library a Muslim woman mm-hmm
why because men were off bickering with
each other and fighting wars the women
did all this they built the society as
much if not more than the Muslim men did
we have to give them their due and show
them that respect so and they said yeah
he's right again thank you very very
hard for us it's a very inspirational
story you know to see where you came
from what you were planning on doing and
and to have you here with us you know
sharing this it's a message of hope so
it's a it's beyond positive it's
something that if people really who have
that hate in their hearts they really
just listen to this with a sincere open
heart you know it can change so many
hearts and minds and and that's a change
for their better and humanity's better
because we got just too much hate in the
world right now and because of that hate
leading to violence and we've seen like
just this year alone over 500 you know
Muslims attacked and and just in America
and and we need more of this and I want
to commend you you know my God Almighty
Allah
continued to bless you and keep you firm
on the deen and shelah we can meet up
again and thank you guys for tuning in
and as I said if you ask me or if you
ask our brother are you Muslim now you
turn into a what a terrorist no I've
submitted my will I've taken that free
choice that I have to worship a stick of
stolen money materialism or human being
no no the Sun the moon no no no I just
want to worship the one who created me
and I want to be an upright human being
I want to help humanity I want to make
the world a better place and if I happen
to be American which I am I'm gonna do
it as in a Muslim American like the
Muslim American hero Muhammad Ali but
the best of mankind that they were
following and our brothers now are the
prophets that God Almighty sent out of
his love to guide humanity just like
Jesus Abraham Moses and Muhammad peace
and blessings be upon him was just to
last now came with that same message
worship the Creator not the creation be
morally upright
and take it to another whole level of
being the best human that you can be
we'll see you next time tune in here to
the teen show every week subscribe if
you haven't already we'll see you next
time until then peace be with you
assalamu alaikum