Jihadist threat in Catalonia: an imam is expelled from Olot for proclaiming Salafism

Another imam has been expelled for making radical proclamations, bringing the total number of expelled Islamist religious leaders in Catalonia this year to three. In this case, it was a Moroccan man residing in Olot, who was subject to a deportation order. The National Police proceeded with his arrest and expulsion to Morocco.

According to El Nacional, the man had tried to become an imam at the Besalú mosque in 2017, but he didn't succeed. After a stay in Morocco, he returned to Catalonia in 2020 to settle in Olot.

There, according to the police investigation, he spread ideas clearly contrary to coexistence and democratic order. Among other things, he claimed that Muslims shouldn't mix with the rest of the city or obey Spanish laws. This radical imam proclaimed the supremacy of Islamic law over the Spanish Constitution.

This is considered a very serious violation of immigration law, which leads to expulsion from the country and a ban on entry for the next ten years. The Islamist was expelled for participating in activities contrary to state security.

Very dangerous messages

The imam was a follower of the Salafist movement, which preaches a radical interpretation of the Quran and Islamic laws. For example, he advocated the mandatory use of the full veil for women, which includes the burka and the niqab. He also professed hatred against followers of other Islamic branches such as Shiism.

He went so far as to consider Muslims who obeyed Spanish laws to be infidels, calling for rejecting the nationality of a non-Islamic country like Spain. The imam was under police scrutiny. Once the deportation order was confirmed by the National Court and the Supreme Court, the police proceeded with his arrest on July 1.

The radical Islamist was arrested in Camprodon, from where he was taken to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport to carry out his expulsion. The National Police describe these expulsions as "high value" and consider them a priority.

Three Salafists expelled

Police operations against jihadism have multiplied in Catalonia in recent months. The threat increased after the Gaza war broke out, when Islamic leaders called for global jihad. This means bringing holy war especially to Western countries, using all available means to do so.

Catalonia is one of the operational bases of Islamism in Europe. The complicity of public authorities has favored the proliferation of Salafism, which according to police data now occupies one out of every three mosques on Catalan soil.

The expulsion of this imam adds to two other expulsions of religious leaders in La Jonquera and Figueres last February. There have now been three expulsions of imams for spreading radical messages among the Muslim community. This is quite disturbing considering that Catalonia doesn't have a census of imams, and therefore they escape its control.