Earlier this year, Muslim reporter Ayman Mohyeldin of MSNBC told us that ISIS is not Islamic and is not driven by religion. This claim is curious on its own but Mohyeldin chose an interesting argument in the wake of the Sydney hostage incident earlier today.

Mohyeldin seemed to go to significant lengths to distance the hostage taker Man Monis from ISIS, despite the request by Monis for an ISIS flag during the ordeal. While it’s true that Monis is from Shiite Iran and doesn’t seem to fit the profile of a member of Sunni-based ISIS, Mohyeldin’s claims mean that a Muslim who is NOT a member of ISIS is a terrorist.

The other person to watch in this exchange is anchor Jose Diaz-Balart, who wasn’t sure if Monis was motivated by Islam despite having hostages hold up an Islamic flag in the window of the cafe where they were being held. Mohyeldin agreed with him.

Mohyeldin is a former reporter for Al-Jazeera, the Muslim Brotherhood’s propaganda arm. Earlier this year, as Shoebat.com relayed, Mohyeldin reported from Gaza and gave Hamas some favorable press coverage as it was fighting with the Israelis.

h/t Daily Caller