Unmasking betrayal: lessons from the Wisam Sharieff case

By DANISH QASIM

The recent high-profile arrest of Wisam Sharieff has sparked widespread discussion about child sexual abuse in Muslim institutions. Sharieff was arrested in connection with an egregious child pornography case, alongside co-conspirator Blake Miller Barakat. Both face federal charges for conspiracy to exploit children sexually.

Many Muslims are outraged not only by the horrific nature of the crime but also by the initial response from AlMaghrib Institute, where Sharieff taught. In a statement, the Institute wrote:

‘AlMaghrib Institute was notified today of a serious violation of AlMaghrib Institute policy by Wisam Sharieff, who teaches our Quran Revolution program. After a thorough review, it was determined that actions in violation of AlMaghrib’s code of conduct and established policies occurred, after which Wisam Sharieff’s employment contract was terminated. The religion of Allah is not reliant on any one individual, and the Quran Revolution program will continue with our students as scheduled.’

This statement was widely perceived as minimising the seriousness of the allegations, with critics arguing that it seemed more focused on the institute’s public relations rather than addressing the gravity of the crime. For example, a prominent scholar of the Quran commented on AlMaghrib Institute’s response, stating, ‘[AlMaghrib Institute] should have more shame than to say we are going to continue this class regardless.’

His comments highlight the profound disconnect many felt between the severity of the allegations and the Institute’s decision to continue the Quran Revolution program as scheduled. This response fuelled broader concerns that the institution had failed to adequately prioritise the safety and well-being of its students.

At this point, it is not known whether AlMaghrib Institute received prior complaints about Sharieff or if they were alerted in any way that might have prompted an investigation or raised suspicions that could have prevented the abuse.

The Quran scholar adds that he needs to tell people, ‘Don’t be too trusting, and don’t be too trusting of me either… We’re going to have to teach people to be more critical about who they take their religion from… and the institutional connections that they have.’

Wisam Sharieff, left, and his co-conspirator, Blake Miller Barakat, centre, were arrested by federal agents in Texas, United States in October 2024 for dealing in child pornography. Mohammed Abdullah Saleem, right, a former teacher of Sharieff, was convicted on two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in 2016 in Chicago.

Cases like these serve as a reminder of an ugly truth: there are some atrocities where prevention is not possible. Sharieff’s appears to be one of those cases because the child’s mother was involved in the abuse. Some mothers intentionally drown their children, there are parents who starve their children and fathers who molest their children. When the primary caretakers are involved in abuse, there is often nothing or little that can be done to prevent these unspeakable crimes.

Preventing child sexual abuse

While preventing cases of abuse where a parent is an accomplice or perpetrator may not be possible, intervention to prevent child sexual abuse in institutions is possible. This includes creating awareness in parents and children, and ensuring our institutions have strict protocols and policies governing interactions between adults and children.

Parents must know that identifying a child molester is not easy, nor are they obvious. Through a process of ‘grooming,’ they also create a cover for themselves. Grooming is a gradual process that involves gaining a parent’s trust and gaining access to the child. It may include giving gifts, offering extra attention and testing boundaries with inappropriate jokes. It can also extend to mixing appropriate and inappropriate touch, and even showing explicit material to normalise harmful behaviour. For Muslim parents, it may also involve presenting oneself as righteous, helpful and invested in the child’s well-being.

The child sexual abuser will also groom the community to gain their respect and escape any detection as a potential threat to child safety.

Parents must teach children what appropriate and inappropriate touch is, the limits of their interactions with others, to never be alone with an adult and to report any inappropriate behaviour. Strong and assertive children who understand boundaries are far less likely to be targeted by paedophiles.

Another type of child molester will use his opportunities in positions of trust. For us, this means he will use his position in an Islamic school, youth activities, or Quran classes to abuse children. Institutes must have background checks before hiring staff while understanding that background checks will not detect a predator with no prior record. Institutes have to be active in preventing abuse by training staff on the signs of grooming and what appropriate boundaries are, implementing strict rules for adult-child interaction, such as an adult never being alone with a student, zero tolerance of inappropriate jokes, and a ban on any social media or personal communication outside of class.

Prevention at the family and institutional level is critical for child safety. While it is tempting to blame lack of qualifications or ‘celebrity culture’ for abuse, they must be seen as separate issues. The qualified and unqualified abuse alike. Knowing whether or not a teacher studied properly or has requisite qualifications may impact the quality of education, but not child safety. Ijazas, qualifications, and trusted associations can be part of grooming the community as they help a predator evade suspicion.

Finally, we should not underestimate the number of people who have a sexual attraction towards children. Classical Islamic scholarship, including rulings from Imam Nawawi and Ibn Taymiya have acknowledged the dangers of unchecked interactions between adults and children. These rulings highlight the importance of preventative measures and the acknowledgment of human vulnerabilities.

Just as scholars in the past emphasised the need for vigilance, we too must take a stand now—by implementing stricter safeguards, educating ourselves and our children, and holding institutions accountable to protect the most vulnerable.

Editor’s Note

Upon further investigation, Muslim Views discovered an online archive post by Sharieff in 2011. The post reveals that he studied for three years at the Islamic Institute of Education (IIE) as a student of Mufti Mohammed Abdullah Saleem in Elgin, Illinois. In 2016 Saleem was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor and a young woman.