From Yemen to East London, Not Via Heathrow
This is a guest post by habibi
Anwar al Awlaki is an American Islamist of Yemeni origin. He preaches to the world from Yemen, using the internet.
He’s not a shy man. One of his latest works, published on his blog in January 2009, is a pamphlet titled “44 Ways To Support Jihad”. It opens this way:
Jihad is the greatest deed in Islam and the salvation of the ummah is in practicing it. In times like these, when Muslim lands are occupied by the kuffar, when the jails of tyrants are full of Muslim POWs, when the rule of the law of Allah is absent from this world and when Islam is being attacked in order to uproot it, Jihad becomes obligatory on every Muslim. Jihad must be practiced by the child even if the parents refuse, by the wife even if the husband objects and by the one indebt even if the lender disagrees.
Dear brothers and sisters the issue is urgent since today our enemy is neither a nation nor a race. It is a system of kufr with global reach. The kuffar today are conspiring against us like never before. So could we be heading towards the great battle between the Romans and the Muslims – Al Malhamah – which the Prophet (saaws) spoke about?
Again, the point needs to be stressed: Jihad today is obligatory on every capable Muslim. So as a Muslim who wants to please Allah it is your duty to find ways to practice it and support it.
You don’t have to be a student of jihad to imagine what follows. However, please do read the pdf if you’d like to delve deeper into Awlaki’s world view.
Here is one excerpt that is not central to the message of violence, but does show just how voracious the insanity that has taken Awlaki’s mind can be:
The danger of the Western media stems from the fact that it puts on the cloak of truth and objectivity when in reality it is no more than the mouthpiece of the devil. Can’t you see that the Western media is constantly trying to underplay the atrocities committed by the West while exaggerating the violations – which are few and far in between – committed by Muslims? Can’t you see how the Western media succeeded in presenting the awlyaa’ (friends) of Allah, the ones who are fighting in His cause, as the followers of evil, while it presents the Pharaoh of this day and his armies as the army of good? The Western media is so good in its deception that its lies pass on a wide section of the Muslim ummah.
The fact is that this media demonizes the mujahideen, spreads lies about them, blows out of proportion their mistakes, tries to sow the seeds of disunity amongst them, attempts to ruin the reputations of their leaders, and ignores or demonizes the scholars of truth when on the other hand, it glorifies and promotes the scholars of falsehood.
Oh dear.
Mr Awlaki has quite a history in Islamist extremism. When he was living in America, he had connections with some of the 9/11 hijackers; the Holy Land Foundation charity, a Hamas front that has since been busted; the Charitable Society for Social Welfare, another charity that US prosecutors have called an al Qaeda front; an associate of Abdel Rahman, the convicted spiritual leader of the group that bombed the World Trade Center in 1993; and Ali al Timimi, another convicted terrorist. The NEFA Foundation has summarised these stories and provided references in this pdf, should any readers be interested. A shorter version of various serious allegations against Awlaki is available in this Washington Post article of February 2008.
Awlaki left the US for London in 2002. While in the UK, he spoke at events organised by the Islamist extremists of the Muslim Association of Britain (as Louise Ellman, correctly alarmed, noted at the time) and the Young Muslim Organisation.
In 2004 he moved to Yemen. In 2006 he was arrested by the Yemeni authorities and held for a year and a half. In the end no charges were filed and he was released, with a big boost in jihadi street cred to his name.
In fact, this background greatly reinforces the weight of his words when they are so violent and hateful. America is on guard, as one of its security officials indicated in October 2008:
Another example of al-Qa’ida reach into the Homeland is U.S. citizen, al-Qa’ida supporter, and former spiritual leader to three of the September 11th hijackers Anwar al-Awlaki — who targets U.S. Muslims with radical online lectures encouraging terrorist attacks from his new home in Yemen.
Awlaki has hardly forgotten London. On 1 January 2009, just days before he published “44 Ways To Support Jihad”, he appeared via a video link with Yemen in a talk and live Q&A session at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel.
That centre, part of the East London Mosque, has appeared in HP coverage before, of course, most recently when an emissary of a vicious Afghan warlord who has attacked coalition troops and the government of Afghanistan was invited to speak there.
The title of the 1 January event at the London Muslim Centre was “The End of Time …A New Beginning”. The event poster, widely circulated on British Islamist forums, invoked one of the fondest of extreme Islamist dreams:
Beyond the London Muslim Centre, in recent years other UK channels for video links to Awlaki have included the University of Westminster Islamic Society and the Al Huda mosque in Bradford. Many more British Muslims are reached by blog posts, e-mail, links in Islamist forums, and DVDs and CDs.
One of them is of course Azad Ali, the suspended Treasury employee, head of the Civil Service Islamic Society, and Islamic Forum of Europe blogger. Ali has said Awlaki is “one of my favourite speakers and scholars” and “I really do love him for the sake of Allah, he has an uncanny way of explaining things to people which is endearing”.
Awlaki was no radical exception at the “End of Time” event. Another somewhat popular American Islamist speaker was Khalid Yasin. You can gauge his political sanity in this video, where he claims the AIDS virus was a “conspiracy”. It was manufactured in the US and spread by the World Health Organization and Christian missionaries, you see:
There may be more to say about Mr Yasin at HP in future. For now, if you want to learn more, please see this Australian broadcast about him (he spreads hatred in that country too) and this blistering attack by Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, an American Muslim blogger who knows Islamist messages well. Muhammad has Yasin’s number:
It is because of people like Khalid Yasin that a whole generation of Muslim youth are growing up feeling like the world is against them, and lay all the blame for the stagnancy and utter backwardness of Muslim society at the doorstep of the “West”. And he preaches this message in countries where Muslim youth have a better chance of making it than anywhere, the U.S, Britain, and Australia. From whatever angle you approach it, this is a bad guy.
The Telegraph noticed the “End of Time” event and wrote it up here. The East London Mosque did not take kindly to the coverage and responded indignantly, citing free speech as one of its defences.
Free speech has been much discussed at HP and elsewhere over the past two days. Well, if you are a free speech purist, rejoice, for short of a Chinese-style dictatorship the internet is on your side. Even if Jacqui Smith did ban Awlaki from entering the UK (the East London Mosque claims he is free to enter the country), what will she do next time there is a video link event? Nip down to Whitechapel and cut the London Muslim Centre’s phone lines?
No, what is needed, above all, is detailed and sustained scrutiny and criticism of Islamists who provide platforms and promotion for the most odious, insane and extreme messages of the “ummah”.
Local councillors, MPs and ministers should take the lead and the East London Mosque should be one of their top targets.
Comments
| 13 February 2009, 9:52 am |
The Islamicists are terrified that once Muslims in the West realise that females don’t have to drape themselves in bits of cloth in order to stop their menfolk killing them, or starve themselves during daylight hours one month of the year or walk four paces behind a male then the game will be up for them.
| 13 February 2009, 10:16 am |
SueR, you’re spot on. From the Islamist perspective, the greatest threat that modernity represents is to a Muslim man’s domination over women, dhimmis and slaves, in that order.
In the long run it will be impossible to preserve this domination and the Islamists are going to lose.
Great post this, and I do rejoice at the diversity and freedom of expression that the internet allows.
For the trolls who like to bash MEMRI, I thought this from the pamphlet was particularly relevant:
“Arabic is the international language of Jihad. Most of the Jihad literature is available only in Arabic and publishers are not willing to take the risk of translating it. The only ones who are spending the money and time translating Jihad literature are the Western intelligence services…and too bad, they would not be willing to share it with you.”
Anwar Al Awlaki, 44 Ways to Support Jihad
MEMRI, supporting jihad fi sabeelillah
| 13 February 2009, 10:34 am |
Far from the East London Mosque being targeted by local councillors, MPs and ministers, it is the recipient of taxpayer largesse on a massive scale. What incentive does it have to reform?
On the contrary, every penny of taxpayer money confirms for them the legitimacy of their activities, their speakers, the absolute rectitude of their beliefs, and of course, their long-term goals.
| 13 February 2009, 10:36 am |
Throughout the Wilders affair, Lord Ahmed persisted vociferously with his mantra that keeping Wilders out was a free speech issue, because- well because his presence would prevent him, Ahmed from practising his religion.
Aside from the obvious confusion of free speech with freedom of religion, is he saying he has so little faith in his fellow parliamentarians that the mere presence of Wilders would augment the power of the film (which they watched anyway) to such a degree that the select audience of parliamentarians would come out of that screening and say, right, that’s it then, forward to the House to ban Islam in this country.
We know that that what he is thinking is a whole other kettle of rancid fish, but that is what he is saying, and it is so frustrating that no journalist or fellow parliamentarian calls him on that.
| 13 February 2009, 10:40 am |
Habibi, great work, it is people like yourself and lots of others who frequent this site that restore, for me, a glimmer of optimism for the future. Thanks.
| 13 February 2009, 10:51 am |
From the ELM response to the Telegraph article:
The Mosque hires out its facilities to all users regardless of faith, creed or colour.
Well I expect the Zionist Federation to hire out their hall for their next public meeting. I’m sure they will willingly accept the booking.
| 13 February 2009, 10:58 am |
One of the things that strikes me with these and other Islamist declarations of weltanschuuang is the clear temporal element. Old time runs out, new meaningful ‘Islamisised’ time begins.
You find the same temporal narrative in so many movements. Look into the works of Norman Cohn, Van Gennep, Victor Turner, Maurice Bloch, even Frank Kermode, there is that sense of an ending and the promise of the new, a new time.
| 13 February 2009, 11:07 am |
Good post!
In addition, a weight of responsibility should also fall firmly on the muslim community themselves to expel exporters of hate from their places of worship, and their community.
Our society has, perhaps, become so “pc liberal” , that we are physically unable to police this ourselves, as to do so seems to mean we are perceived as bedfellows of the likes of the BNP and UKIP (at least this seems to be the current impression.)
I believe the UK is richer and better through its cutural diversity and now ,more than ever, needs those muslims who agree with freedom of cultural and religious expression to stand up and be counted -to stand up for the rights of their children and grandchildren to be full and respected members of our society with the freedom to worship, or not, whatever faith they are drawn to.
As a non-muslim myself, and being unaware of the internal workings of the faith and worshiping at a mosque, I would like to understand more about whatever pressure is felt by moderate muslims to follow a path of violence, or at least to stay silent when violence is given as a solution.
I doubt whether Wilder’s film focused on the cause as well as the symptom in a way that would help this conversation, but it needs honest and open debate (no matter how unappealing the vehicle.)
| 13 February 2009, 11:34 am |
It’s absurd really though – the supposedly mainstream East London Mosque supports preachers of hate to the extent that it even beams them in, and they receive the support of the government despite their agenda of violence and hatred – yet Wilders and the even the BNP are lambasted as the worst of the worst. Yet while the BNP may have a racist agenda, rarely these days do they dare say anything beyond the pail, while Muslim extremists are not only allowed, but SUPPORTED, for preaching violent hate. Because they’re Muslims, right? And the assumption is its “their culture” to be bigoted, mysogonistic, psychopathic homophobes. And it’s the BNP who are prejudiced?!
| 13 February 2009, 12:05 pm |
The kuffar today are conspiring against us like never before
The usual Goebbelsian big lie: white is black, war is peace, Islam is peaceful and is under attack from the West.
| 13 February 2009, 12:51 pm |
Of course Islam is not under attack from the West. But the more the populations of closed Islam-dominated societies see of open Western societies, the more they are likely to be dissatisfied with their situation. So the West is a kind of threat to Islam.
| 13 February 2009, 1:57 pm |
A destroyed Statue of Liberty as a symbol of the end of time one must be one of the most established cliches of science fiction:
http://gerrycanavan.blogspot.com/2008/01/look-on-my-works-ye-mighty-and-despair.html
But, of course, when Muslim use it, it’s a disgrace. They must have sinister motives, and they should be more sensitive. Some young Muslim men still carry rucksacks onto public transport in London!
Channel 4 gives a platform to all sorts of unsavoury characters, recently Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:
So, I’m sure we’ll be calling for “local councillors, MPs and ministers” to target Channel 4 too.
| 13 February 2009, 2:23 pm |
I emailed the LMC some months ago and asked if I could use there facilities to set up an LGBT muslim youth group. I’ve never had a reply.
Succesive MPs and Councillors have cosied up to ‘the mosque’ [There are dozens of mosques in TH, but 'the mosque' always means ELM] for decades, and the (halal) chickens have come home to roost.
As the the current Labour Group is led by three leading lights of the IFE [the leaderLutfur Rahman, the Mayor Md Abdus Salique and cabinet meber Alibor Choudhury] and as one of the MPs is George Galloway I fear your request for “Local councillors, MPs and ministers should take the lead and the East London Mosque should be one of their top targets” will go unheeded.
Salaam/Shalom
| 13 February 2009, 6:04 pm |
This man spoke in Holland just two weeks ago.
But wilders get banned in the UK
| 13 February 2009, 7:45 pm |
Yes, it is true that Khalid Yasin spoke in Rotterdam in January. It is also true that Wilders’s party, the Dutch Labour Party and the Christian Democrats asked for him to be excluded from the Netherlands. Their request was rejected by the justice ministry.
| 13 February 2009, 7:53 pm |
Habibi – as ever, an excellent (if scary) post.
| 13 February 2009, 9:25 pm |
Thanks to Israelinurse and others who found the post interesting.
Lord Shore,
Thanks for that.
One might hope, in vain apparently, that the Islamic Forum of Europe would find a place on Labour’s “not to do” list.
The IFE displays some of its illiberal positions on the internet for all to see. For example, under the “Discover Islam” heading on its web site, a link titled “Secularism” takes you to a screed by none other than Qaradawi. He’s very clear in his thinking:
“Secularism may be accepted in a Christian society but it can never enjoy a general acceptance in an Islamic society.”
And:
”For Muslim societies, the acceptance of secularism means something totally different; i.e. as Islam is a comprehensive system of worship (`ibadah) and legislation (Shari`ah), the acceptance of secularism means abandonment of Shari`ah, a denial of the divine guidance and a rejection of Allah’s injunctions; It is indeed a false claim that Shariah is not proper to the requirements of the present age. The acceptance of a legislation formulated by humans means a preference of the humans’ limited knowledge and experiences to the divine guidance: “Say! Do you know better than Allah?” (2:140).
For this reason, the call for secularism among Muslims is atheism and a rejection of Islam.”
Hmm, an extremist’s takfiri damnation of secularist Muslims, presented by the IFE as part of “Islam”, how nice.
| 14 February 2009, 8:12 pm |
I would like to think good of people. But what berwilders me is that Harrys place seems to put their focus on destorying anything linked to one religion “Islam”. This really sounds like islamophobia to me! We here all talk about anti-semitic this and anti-semitic that but what does anti-semitic really mean. The term is not only exclusive to jews bt it also includes hatred and racism towards arabs! By gosh that means muslims too. SHIT we better find a new world!
Maybe if people had more zeal in searching for peace instaed of trying to destory one another we would have a better world. But like the extremists in Islam most of the bloggers here are the same they want to see the destruction of the enemy and in your case it is ISLAM.
Why dont we look at how jews have partaken in terrorism, murder, rape, incest, peadophilia, rasicm, homophobia and the list goes on. Looks like we need to look at our selves before we point the finger at others. Every people, race, religion and gender have partaken in henious crimes but we dont pin it to the masses but to the individual. When a man rapes a woman or sexually abuses a child do we say all men are rapists and child abusers? When the IRA bombed the UK did we call it Christain terrorism, When a afro-carribiean male murders or steals do we say all afro-carribean men are murderers and robbers?
I am no supporter of hate, extremism, or religion but i want to see peace so i call on the human nature of man and turn to his peaceful side so we can all find a neutral ground where we all get along in peace and harmony.
STOP THE HATE, KILLING AND FINGER POINTING
| 14 February 2009, 9:16 pm |
We here all talk about anti-semitic this and anti-semitic that but what does anti-semitic really mean. The term is not only exclusive to jews bt it also includes hatred and racism towards arabs!
Err, no. Antisemitism means hatred and racism towards Jews.
| 15 February 2009, 10:45 am |
There are a few bits and pieces about Anwar al-Awlaki on my blog. (Click the red name above this posting.) He’s a weird one, intelligent in a sinister way, and as much a cult leader as an Islamist, in my estimation. He does not have much “accreditation” from his friends in al-Qa’ida, except a little recently from the Shabaab group in Somalia. He especially admires the late founder of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, whose booklet “Constants on the Path of Jihad” he adapted into English. Feel free to email.
| 15 April 2009, 10:14 pm |
ha ha ha rot in your hatred Zionist scum’s ha ha ha.
| 15 July 2009, 6:42 pm |
“Well, I suppose that’s one possible interpretation. But wait a minute. Wouldn’t that include every shop that sells computers or cell phones?”
As Alan Bennett says on Dead Ringers…(slightly effete Yorkshire accent required) “but they won’t, will they?”