In a video-clip posted on the Internet on December 27, 2014, Tunisian cleric Bechir Ben Hassen praises European countries for giving Muslims the freedom to preach belief in Allah. In another video-clip, posted on the Internet on December 24, Ben Hassen delivers a sermon in Tunisia, where he prays that Allah will purge the country of the Shiites, saying that they pose a greater threat to Islam than that posed by the Jews and the Christians.

Following are excerpts:

December 27, 2014

Bechir Ben Hassen: From here, opposite the International Court of Justice in the Hague, I would like to address the Muslims in all corners of the world. The brothers at As-Soennah Foundation in the Hague asked me to speak about al-wasatiyya [moderate Islam].

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We must instill this notion in the minds of our youth. Indeed, from the Hague, from Europe, from opposite international institutions like this, we preach belief in Allah all over Europe. In the lands of modernism, democracy, freedom, and indeed, secularism, we are able to preach belief in Allah, and to teach and guide the people. We are free to wear what we want, and our freedom of speech is unfettered. This is freedom in its most sublime form.

"Since when have you turned men into slaves, even though they were born free?" This is a slogan practiced by many of the Europeans. One finds here a considerable measure of justice, which in many Muslims societies was lost, under the pretext of fighting terrorism and fanaticism. They themselves have descended into anti-religious extremism and fanaticism.

When freedoms are denied, when people are oppressed, and when scholars and preachers are silenced, one should not wonder about the spread of extremism and takfir, which lead to terrorism.

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The Western leaders and decision-makers have realized that they have no choice but to open the gates before the scholars, preachers, and students of Islam. And thus, Allah be praised, we travel this entire continent, making our case, rebutting fallacies about Islam, preaching belief in Allah, and introducing people to moderate Islam, which was conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad. This is the open-mindedness, the freedom, and the desired democracy, which many Arab countries purport to have, although they cannot be further from it.

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December 14, 2014

The Safavid Shiite movement has been spreading in Tunisia. Their presence and their increasing activity is the most dangerous threat to Islam. This country is a Sunni country, whether the Rafidite Shiites of all sects like it or not. They have no business being in this country. I say this loud and clear. Loud and clear. The Shiites have no business being in Tunisia. We will use all means at our disposal to confront them, because we are absolutely convince that the threat they pose to Islam and the Muslims is greater than that posed by the Jews and the Christians. We are lying in wait for them, with all the means at our disposal.

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Yesterday, I saw pictures of their Ashura celebrations in south Tunisia. They held celebrations and tried to lure small children, offering them gifts, couscous, and all kinds of food. They want to win over your young generation, our Sunni children, who follow the path of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, and his companions.

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In every country where there are Shiites, security and stability are shattered, and crimes, attacks, and bloodshed appear on the scene.

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Some extremely ignorant people say: "The [Shiites] have accomplished things. They have manufactured rockets and nuclear bombs, while [Sunnis] still believe in superstitions. We and Shiites are brothers." Brothers?! Can we be brothers to people who doubt the divine revelation? Our dispute with the Shiites is not about trivial matters. It goes to the very core of our faith, to the message of the Prophet Muhammad.

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Beware! Keep a watchful eye over your wives and children. Make sure you do not have Rafidite channels on your TV – channels like Al-Manar TV, Al-Kawthar TV, Al-Zahraa TV, Al-Furat TV, and others. You must remove all these channels, just like you remove the pornography channels, because they are a source of fallacies about Islam. One day, when you are out, your son, daughter, or wife might flip to one of these channels, and might like what they see there. They might go astray, while you are oblivious to what is going on. I pray that Allah will humiliate these people, and will purge our country of them.

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