Posted on July 25, 2008 by Richard Bartholomew
Bartholomew Notes On Religion

Yes, it’s that man yet again: just a couple of weeks after my blog post on Walid Shoebat’s past links with the UK-based Simon Altaf, Shoebat’s associate Joel Richardson presents “A Public Rebuke and Warning From The Walid Shoebat Foundation” concerning Altaf. As I noted in my blog post, Shoebat fell out with Altaf when Altaf became involved with a certain Rabbi Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky, who is based in Florida and heads a Messianic Jewish offshoot called “Messianic Nazarene Yisrael” or “YATI”. However, not much was in the public domain: Shoebat’s handler Keith Davies simply explained that the split occured ”because we didn’t agree with the stuff [Altaf] was putting on his website”.

That seems to have been an understatement, judging from Shoebat’s new pronouncement against Altaf:

You need to beware of this false Rabbi Moshe Koniuchowsky alongside Simon Altaf who turned polygamist and cultist of the first order…When confronted with the facts of this cultic behavior Simon Altaf went to Moshe Koniuchowsky and Moshe told him to cut off communication with me since we the Christians are now evil and only they are the true Nazarene believers.

Shoebat then provides us with letters from Koniuchowsky, as well as from Altaf and Altaf’s estranged wife. Here’s an extract from Altaf’s letter, in which he explains why God wants him to take a second wife:

The woman’s name is Salmah, not married, single, 25, ex-Muslim, she had explicit dreams of seeing me in her bedroom holding her hands, then she saw me in her room as I am inside her body…There were other dreams but don’t challenge me because I walk closely to YHWH and He has shown His will. I know you are Mr Skeptic but I am Mr Yes Sir to YHWH.

Altaf’s legally-recognised first wife tells Shoebat that Altaf has

…been acting very strangely ever since he got involved with these lunatics from Florida. He corrected the teaching of a self professing Rabbi who has written the vilest book imaginable and has rubbed HaShem’s holy name in dirt. It’s called “sex and the believer” and it’s disgusting.. You can get it from the YATI website, it’s disgusting and totally carnal. Aside from being proponents of polygamy they are obsessed with having as many women and children as possible and creating “seed for HaShem”. The book mentions lewd things like if you have too many wives, you can have a male concubine, make your wife satisfied so that she does not feel “neglected”.

Koniuchowsky has a number of “synagogues” under his leadership, including in Columbia, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Panama and the UK.

Altaf’s wife also mentions a “Brother Tehseen”, who tried to reason with him. This would be Pastor Tehseen Gul Khan of Yesu Masih Ministries, who, like Altaf, is based in Southall in West London. Khan is apparently “1st Asian Pastor/teacher who teaches the word of Yahweh with full Hebraic & two house Understanding”, and his website includes the notice that

Mr. Simon Altaf is no more part of Yesu Masih Ministries, radio and website. He is 100% responsible for all his actions, statements and newly emerging teachings. We will not take any responsibilities if you agree or disagree with any of his teachings, actions and statements… We are also not affiliated with Mr. Moshe Yoseph Koniuchowsky.