Kensington Welcomes Jihadi Preacher
This is a cross-post from Yossarian of The Spittoon
Anwal al-Awlaki is an American extremist based in Yemen. This is his website. Note the picture of a man with an AK47 which, very appropriately, Awlaki uses to represent his website. It also distributes a video of British and American troops suffering in Afghanistan, suffering which is celebrated.
On his website, Awlaki publishes a leaflet called 44 Ways of Supporting Jihad. Awlaki tells his readers that, in the current day and age, it is compulsory for them to get arms training then to go and fight jihad. And, before any apologists pop up to say I’m misrepresenting the concept of jihad in Islam, no, he is not talking about jihad al-nafs. If it entails arms training then what Awlaki is talking about is religiously justified warfare.
This is a point Awlaki makes clear when he tells readers of his website to fight against government armies in the Muslim world.
They stand against those who want to establish Islam through Jihad and they even stand in front of those who seek to reach government through peaceful means as what happened in Algeria in the past.
In other words, there can be no Islam with the presence of these armies. The Islamic rule states that whatever is needed to establish an obligation becomes an obligation. Establishing Islamic sharia is an obligation, and fighting in the cause of Allah is an obligation, and if that cannot be achieved except by fighting against these armies then that becomes an obligation.
[...]
These armies are the number one enemy of the ummah. They are the worst of creation. Blessed are those who fight against them and blessed are those shuhada who are killed by them.
It’s not just Muslim majority countries that Awlaki wants Muslims to fight, it’s also America.
In this recording Awlaki suggests that America is at war with Islam and therefore all Muslims should fight against America. What Awlaki says here is no different to al-Qaeda’s ideology.
Which probably explains why Awlaki is such a fan of the al-Qaeda linked Somali Islamists al-Shabab connected to recent terrorism arrests in Australia. In December 2008, Awlaki sent salutations to al-Shabab of Somalia.
We are following your recent news and it fills our hearts with immense joy. We would like to congratulate you for your victories and achievements.
Al-Shabab not only have succeeded in expanding the areas that fall under their rule but they have succeeded in implementing the sharia and giving us a living example of how we as Muslims should proceed to change our situation. The ballot has failed us but the bullet has not.
al-Shabab who are with limited resources in an impoverished country are a manifestation of what tawakul on Allah means. We see in them the meaning of “And whoever has taqwa, Allah will make a way out for him. And will provide for him from where he does not expect.” [al-Talaaq 2-3]
Heart warming stuff. And it gets sweeter, al-Shabab sent him a response.
Reply to the Greeting and Advice of Sheikh Anwar
O beloved Sheikh Anwar,
We ask Allah to reward you for your encouragement and words of advice. Your words have reached us and, by the will of Allah, we will benefit from your recommendations [...]
Sheikh, we look to you as one of the very few scholars who stand firm upon the truth and defend the honor of the Mujahideen
It seems that Awlaki is so keen on al-Shabab that he has even been acting as their recruitment sergeant. In America, young Somali Americans began disappearing off to Somalia to fight with al-Shabab – it turned out that they had been watching lectures recorded by Awlaki and distributed online.
He even says that Muslims must not side with non-Muslims against perpetrators of terrorist attacks.
The ones who are behind bombings in the West that kill civilians. This is an issue that cannot go beyond the boundaries of fiqh. Whether the author agrees with such operations or doesn’t this issue can never be an issue of aqeedah. So even if he believes that the perpetrators of such acts are wrong and have no basis in sharia, the most he can say about them is that they have followed an invalid ijtihad. But under no circumstances is he allowed to side with the disbelievers against these Muslims. If a Muslim kills each and every civilian disbeliever on the face of the earth he is still a Muslim and we cannot side with the disbelievers against him.
Which makes it all the more disturbing when you discover that Cageprisoners has invited Awlaki to deliver a video message at Kensington Town Hall in West London on 30th August.
At first I thought this was just a horrendous mistake, an oversight which would swiftly be corrected. But then I read this report in Counter Terrorism News.
CTN spoke to the Community Safety Officer at Kensington and Chelsea Council who confirmed that the Home Office’s Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT) and the Metropolitan Police had given their approval for this event to go ahead without any changes to the advertised speakers.
How can Kensington and Chelsea Council reconcile providing a platform for a preacher of violent extremism with its own Crime and Community Safety Plan’s (pdf) commitment of “working to minimise opportunities for radicalisation to flourish”. It is astounding that the local council, Metropolitan police and the Home Office all fail to appreciate that when Kensington Town Hall (a council run venue) hosts a man whose personal ideology differs little from al-Qaeda’s then this provides an appallingly convenient opportunity for radicalisation of the very worst kind.
Will they only realise the danger of such speakers when, like their American peers, groups of young British Somalis – with Awlaki’s pro-Shabab rhetoric ringing in their ears – start signing up to fight in Somalia?
Comments
| 11 August 2009, 7:08 pm |
“I’ll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable by beheading in Afghanistan …. ”
Obviously she doesn’t care about fact-checking.
P.
| 11 August 2009, 8:13 pm |
So another Bearded Nazi who shouts “death to America” and probably “death to the West” is invited to visit the UK and what? Surprised? Shocked? Outraged?
This shit has been going on for years, these Islamist nazi’s believe the Koran and ahadith are orders from on high and seeing as how these orders “order” them to conquer and kill for the glory of God, then they are simply following their orders, orders they really believe are true and they really think are from God.
I love the spittoon but things such as this stopped surprising me years ago.
“Turkeys vote for Christmas” is a what I think whenever I hear about shit like this these days.
I am going out now, another bearded nazi in another London borough, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
| 11 August 2009, 9:53 pm |
What is surprising is that it happening in Kensington & Chelsea – that last bastion of socialism in Central London!
| 11 August 2009, 10:06 pm |
Nice little earner. Tickets at £45 a go. Do you think they do a family ticket for £150? Reminds me of my daughter’s school visit to the local Mosque where they charged £1 per pupil. There were 60 pupils. Obviously, the religion of peace comes at a price.
| 11 August 2009, 11:14 pm |
Has anyone of influence approached the Home Secretary ?
If scum like this are admitted, at least we could have Geert Wilders as a cleansing agent.
Oh, I forgot, islamists vote early & often, most Brits can’t be bothered,
they just complain, while Labour courts our enemies for student union left wing sort of reasons.
| 11 August 2009, 11:21 pm |
Careful Paul, belief in the bible CAN get you killed in the middle east, if you were born a Muslim. Forgot that detail did you?
How about preaching the bible, you know trying to get conversts, can that get you killed? Oh yes it can. Must have slipped your mind.
| 11 August 2009, 11:26 pm |
How can Kensington and Chelsea Council reconcile providing a platform for a preacher of violent extremism with its own Crime and Community Safety Plan’s (pdf) commitment of “working to minimise opportunities for radicalisation to flourish”.
The ‘establishment’ knighted Iqbal – death is too good for Rushdie – Sacrine, didn’t they, and a former government minister feted the Qutbist Islamofascist organisation – Hisb ut Tahrir – within the House of Commons itself. So let’s face it, this sort of thing is hardly anything new, is it.
Personally, I think it’s most likely down to a cabal of Zionist Neocons contracted to provide jolly good knock about fare for HP, Melanie Phillips and Charles Johnson.
| 12 August 2009, 12:40 am |
Britain’s hope is a Conservative victory in 2010.
| 12 August 2009, 1:14 am |
All I want to say is, God bless the Spitoon.
| 12 August 2009, 1:45 am |
David All: “Britain’s hope is a Conservative victory in 2010.”
And what precisely do you expect that to achieve? Fewer terrorist nutters in Kensington? In yer dreams.
This is a hopeless cause; the pass has been sold. And not only by NuLab: it was sold in 1989 with the Rushdie business.
| 12 August 2009, 1:47 am |
Just another example about how the west and Britain in particular allow activities that are unacceptable in most Muslims countries. The so-called Shiek remains in Yemen because he cannot travel in other locations.
Simply put, the organizers of the video should be told the showing or publicizing of such material and that person is illegal, it promotes hate and supports terrorism. The government banned the hate-ranter Wilders so why not this? As I live in North Africa, I can tell you that Britain and its rediculous pulling down its pants to radicals is now a laughing stock to many here. Radical demand things that they no are refused, rebuked or just laughed at her in the real Muslim World.
(Solkhar is the pen-name of a retired western diplomat and a specialist in the tracking of terrorism-financing. He is a liberal Sunni Muslim by choice since the age of 17, as is a now permanent resident of the historic Moroccan cithy of Marrakech).
| 12 August 2009, 2:02 am |
The ‘establishment’ knighted Iqbal – death is too good for Rushdie – Sacrine, didn’t they
That was because they knighted The Chief Rabbi and so couldn’t let the Muslims complain. Siqbal Sacranie and his “homosexuals cause/pass disease”. Siqbal who supported the invite of Sheikh “Kill Jews” Qaradawi and who attended a memorial for Yassin (but when asked by Panorama it slipped his mind.)
| 12 August 2009, 7:44 am |
Until Muslims learn to adopt the idea of political activism, the terror state of Israel will continue to do everything in its power to oppress not only the Palestinians but all Muslims around the world!
Just as inciteful, the idea that Israel is opressing all the Muslims in Malaysia or Pakistan for example.
Close them down.
http://www.mpacuk.org/content/view/5944/102/#jreactions
My point is that if an organisation like this can’t be done for incitement then what is going-on in the UK? Are the govt TRYING to foment unrest by ignoring hate speech?
| 12 August 2009, 7:48 am |
Note he is on video – not in person.
With Denham and Malik dropping ‘Prevent’ this sort of crap is going to happen time and again until the election next May. Bring back Hazel Blears.
| 12 August 2009, 9:55 am |
Kensington and Chelsea? Perhaps it is a quid pro quo arrangement – lay off our hunts, and we’ll go easy on the hate preachers.
| 12 August 2009, 10:39 am |
“Will they only realise the danger of such speakers when, like their American peers, groups of young British Somalis – with Awlaki’s pro-Shabab rhetoric ringing in their ears – start signing up to fight in Somalia?”
No, not even then.
| 12 August 2009, 11:44 am |
Latest: The Leader of the Council has told Kensington Town Hall to tell the organisers not to show this Anwal al-Awlaki video.
| 12 August 2009, 12:12 pm |
Britain’s hope is a Conservative victory in 2010.
David All, if Brown remains in charge that’s a forgone conclusion.
| 12 August 2009, 8:15 pm |
This is depressing but I do not share the general apathy, which is why I come to Harry’s Place, the better to be informed and use this information against the enemies of the open society.
You are of course contacting your M.P., Home Office, Office of the Prime Minister, et al to protest at this?
Incidentally I have just spent some energy defending Edward Heath, a man I did not vote for nor never would from appeasement charges on another thread; however, I must admit, the idea that any incoming Conservative government is going to pick a fight with two million Moslms on U.K. soil is being a mite over optomistic.
Moslems are well represented in marginal constituencies across the country nad have ‘form’ when it comes to making their points in public.
| 12 August 2009, 10:03 pm |
‘It seems that Awlaki is so keen on al-Shabab that he has even been acting as their recruitment sergeant’.
But like all good recruiting sergeants, he won’t actually do any fighting himself.
| 13 August 2009, 4:35 pm |
I must admit, the idea that any incoming Conservative government is going to pick a fight with two million Moslms on U.K. soil is being a mite
over optimistic.
You’re dead right Larkers. Thanks to postal voting all muslim women have been disenfranchised & their votes handed to the senior male in the household.
This practice includes muslims who vote Tory, not just Labour or Lib Dem.
The Daily Telegraph published an article about 2 years back, showing that the outcome of the next election could well depend on votes cast by illegal immigrants & (in my opinion, the inhabitants of burquas, masks & veils.)
There may “only ” be 2 million muslim adults in “our” country, but they can produce 3 million votes !
| 14 August 2009, 12:25 pm |
To correct the suggestion in this posting that the Government has approved Al-Awlaki’s involvement in this event, the Government (OSCT, the Home Office or any other department) has not given approval for Al-Awalki, or anyone, to speak at Kensington Town Hall. This type of decision is always a matter for the local authority, and we have contacted the authority to explain our concerns.
Freedom of thought and speech are rights which are fundamental to our society; however the Government challenges views which fall short of supporting violence and are within the law, but which reject and undermine our shared values and jeopardise community cohesion.
Home Office spokesperson
This was written by a Canadian woman, but oh how it also applies to the U.S., U.K. and Australia. It was sent to me via email and what it may lack in the intellectual phraseology normally associated with HP. It’s clarity is unambiguous and from the heart.
Written by a housewife in New Brunswick , to her local newspaper. This is one ticked off lady.
“Are we fighting a war on terror or aren’t we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001 and have continually threatened to do so since?
Were people from all over the world, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from the capitol of the USA and in a field in Pennsylvania ?
Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn’t they?
And I’m supposed to care that a few Taliban were claiming to be tortured by a justice system of the nation they come from and are fighting against in a brutal insurgency.
I’ll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.
I’ll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere belief of which is a crime punishable by beheading in Afghanistan ….
I’ll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg’s head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.
I’ll care when the cowardly so-called ‘insurgents’ in Afghanistan come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques and behind women and children.
I’ll care when the mindless zealots who blows themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.
I’ll care when the Canadian media stops pretending that their freedom of speech on stories is more important than the lives of the soldiers on the ground or their families waiting at home to hear about them when something happens.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a CANADIAN soldier roughing up an Insurgent terrorist to obtain information, know this:
I don’t care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:
I don’t care.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and ‘fed special’ food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being ‘mishandled,’ you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts:
I don’t care.
And oh, by the way, I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s spelled ‘Koran’ and other times ‘Quran.’ Well, Jimmy Crack Corn you guessed it,
I don’t care!!
If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your E-mail friends. Sooner or later, it’ll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behaviour!
If you don’t agree, then by all means hit the delete button. Should you choose the latter, then please don’t complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:
‘Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Soldiers don’t have that problem.’