Canadian Islamic Scholar Younus Kathrada Praises 10 Year Old Gazan Boys Who Say They Want To Become Martyrs, Girls Who Say They Want To Give Birth To Martyrs; Adds: Oh Allah, Destroy The Jews, Shatter

Memri

09-05-2025

In an April 18, 2025 Friday sermon, Canadian Islamic scholar Younus Kathrada praised ten-year-old Palestinian boys who say: "I live to be a martyr." Kathrada said that there are many such boys who want to fight for the sake of Allah, defend Islam and the Muslims, and defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He went on to say: "It's the young girls as well… Did you not hear the little girl who said: 'I want to grow up, and I want to get married, and I want to give birth to and raise martyrs'?"
Sheikh Kathrada, who was speaking in Victoria, BC, concluded his sermon by cursing the Jews and praying for their destruction.
The sermon was posted on the YouTube channel of the Muslim Youth Victoria Islamic Centre. In the past, a scheduled lecture by Kathrada on the University of Victoria campus was cancelled following media criticism citing MEMRI clips of Kathrada praising Jihad and denigrating Jews.
Younus Kathrada: "Kids, some of them 10 years old... I'm sure that you've heard some of those clips [from Gaza], where a child says: 'I live to be a martyr.' In other words, I live to die... Yes! 'I live to fight for the sake of Allah. I live to defend Islam and the Muslims. I live to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.' Yes, there are a lot of examples of them.
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"And you know something? It's not just the young boys. It's the young girls as well. Some of those little girls are braver than every single one of us put together. One little girl is braver than all of us. Did you not hear that little girl say: 'I want to grow up, and I want to get married, and I want to give birth to and raise martyrs.' Yes, by Allah. What kind of bravery is that?
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"What are we doing for the Islamic nation? What are we doing for Islam and the Muslims? Those young kids – they are literally putting their lives on the line. They will be killed, many of them. Why? Only because they say: 'There is no god but Allah. We are Muslims, we want to live by Islam, we will protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque.' This is why they are being killed.
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"Oh Allah, grant victory to our brothers, and the mujahideen in Palestine and in Gaza. Oh Allah, grant them victory over Your enemy – the Jews. Oh Allah, destroy the Jews. Oh Allah, destroy the Jews. Oh Allah, destroy the Jews. Oh Allah, destroy them, for they are no match for You. Oh Allah, make their plots backfire on them. Oh Allah, shake the earth beneath their feet. Oh Allah, shatter their unity, disperse their gathering, and demonstrate upon them the wonders of Your might. Oh Allah, bring down upon them Your punishment, from which criminals cannot escape."