Tareq Al-Suwaidan, a prominent Kuwaiti preacher and Muslim Brotherhood leader with documented ties to Hamas, is calling on Muslims in Western nations to use their citizenship as a weapon to influence elections and shift government policies against Israel. Al-Suwaidan, who is banned from the United States for his ties to terror-linked organizations, made the remarks during a newly reposted interview on The Thinking Muslim podcast.
Speaking to Muslim youth in the U.S., U.K., and Europe, Al-Suwaidan declared, “You should pressure your politicians… make them fall down in elections if they don’t” support Islamic causes. He encouraged Muslims to utilize their Western nationality to alter domestic policies and prioritize the global Muslim community, or “ummah.”
Al-Suwaidan insisted that Muslims in the West hold “two powers… the power of Islam and the power of the Western world,” urging political mobilization to reshape the policies of their host countries. He dismissed peace with Israel, stating no religious leaders support such efforts, and devalued the toll of war in Gaza, claiming that death in jihad leads to the “highest level of heaven.”
Known for his extremist rhetoric, Al-Suwaidan praised the political confidence of second-generation Muslims in the West and claimed to be personally involved in their ideological training. He has previously called for the eradication of Israel and the destruction of Western civilization, framing Islam as the successor to Western values and governance.
Al-Suwaidan was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case, the largest terrorism financing trial in U.S. history. He was terminated in 2013 by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal for openly supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, a group designated as a terrorist organization by multiple nations.
His interview, though originally aired in 2023, gained renewed attention after the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported on it last week. Al-Suwaidan’s open call for political action by Muslims in the West raises new concerns about foreign influence and ideological radicalization targeting Western democracies.
