Behind the recent terror flight incident from Dubai lies a pattern of severe terroristic incitement from Oman’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Ahmed al-Khalili, one of the most influential religious figures in the country. Al-Khalili has openly supported Hamas and the killing of Jews—praising the “brave ‘Palestinian’ resistance” on October 7 itself, and calling Hamas terrorists “brave heroes” on the massacre’s first anniversary.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad bin Sulaiman al-Khalili, born July 27, 1942, has served as Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman since November 27, 1975, when he was just 33. Islamic circles present him not merely as an institutional figure but as a symbol of continuity in Omani-Ibadi religious scholarship, rooted in deep historical tradition. Al-Khalili, like most Omanis, is Muslim but neither Sunni nor Shia—he belongs to Ibadism, a third stream of Islam that advocates coexistence and tolerance.
Since the days of ‘Palestinian’ Mufti Amin al-Husseini, who collaborated with Adolf Hitler, the Arab world hasn’t seen a more incendiary mufti than Oman’s. As noted, Ahmed al-Khalili was appointed by the previous Sultan Qaboos in 1975. Now 84, he sees himself as the spiritual father of the Omani nation—more than that, he sees himself as the sultan himself. Over more than 51 years, he has accumulated vast power, supreme power. He’s considered one of the most antisemitic religious figures in the Arab world today. Until the death of Sultan Qaboos, who appointed him, the mufti didn’t dare express himself in such disgraceful ways as he has in recent years after the sultan’s death. His successor, Haitham from the Said family and the mufti’s nephew, apparently doesn’t control him enough.
The Inciting Mufti and His Hatred of Israel
وفَّق الله المقاومة الفلسطينية الباسلة في مواجهة العدو الغاشم المحتل (وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ) https://t.co/BcroCaiTBp
— أحمد بن حمد الخليلي (@AhmedHAlKhalili) October 7, 2023
On October 7, 2023 itself, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalili, Oman’s Grand Mufti, posted this message on his official X account (@AhmedHAlKhalili): “May God grant success to the brave Palestinian resistance in confronting the tyrannical occupying enemy. (And God will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, God is Powerful and Exalted).” The tweet went up around 11:05 a.m. Israel time, hours after the attack began, and received tens of thousands of interactions.
A full year has passed since the Flood of Al-Aqsa operation, as it has rounded off four complete seasons, and the brave and valorous heroes continue day and night in confronting the brutal enemy supported by the evil and arrogant powers in the world. https://t.co/G1OknZrcDI
— أحمد بن حمد الخليلي (@AhmedHAlKhalili) October 9, 2024
In the days that followed, he added blessings to the ‘Palestinian’ people for “their unity and cohesion and their rush to liberate their holy land,” condolences for “the martyrs,” and a call to Muslims—states, peoples, and individuals—to stand with them materially and morally. On October 10, a photo of him wearing a ‘Palestinian’ keffiyeh was published.
On the first anniversary in October 2024, he wrote in English that a year had passed since the “Flood of Al-Aqsa operation” (the October 7 massacre), and that the “brave and valorous heroes” continue day and night against the “brutal enemy” backed by “evil and arrogant powers.”
Since October 7, nearly every week he posts an antisemitic, anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian tweet. He doesn’t hide his fervent support for Hamas and even backs armed struggle against Israel. This man has enormous influence over young people in Oman—despite or because of his age, he’s considered the spiritual father of the Ibadi faith. His influence is therefore extremely radical and destructive. The fact that only in recent years has he dared to issue such incendiary statements indicates he feared the previous sultan; today he feels strong against the young sultan.
It should be noted that as of this writing, it’s unclear what degree of influence he had on the terrorist pilot and whether there’s a direct connection between him and the action the pilot was about to carry out. At the end of the pilot’s interrogation, we’ll know.
Still, after October 7, it was clear that Oman under the new sultan’s leadership wouldn’t be like before. Proof is in this attached video that aired a month after the massacre:
جدل وانتقادات واسعة في #سلطنة_عمان لمحاكاة العروض العسكرية لـ #كتائب_القسام في عرض أدائي لطلاب إحدى مدارس ولاية #بهلاء https://t.co/NNS9M8K5bN
— العربية – سلطنة عُمان (@Alarabiya_Oman) November 21, 2023
The attached video was published in November 2023, a month after the massacre at the start of the Gaza war, and showed students reenacting an Al-Qassam Brigades parade: green headbands, toy weapons, and a Palestinian flag on a backpack. Arabic reports from that period specifically named the school. The video in the post has no sign or date, and is being circulated again now as if recently filmed.