Two westerners who gave up seemingly comfortable lives to wage terrorist attacks are singled out for praise in the latest issue of Inspire, al-Qaida’s English-language magazine.
Though he killed only himself, Taimour Abdulwahhab al-Abdaly, responsible for the first suicide bombing in Sweden, is hailed as a hero. “Living a comfortable life, and married with children, didn’t stop Taimour Abdulwahhab al-Abdaly from responding to the call of Jihad,” an item in the magazine’s “News Flash” section says. “The iron fist of jihad is more apparent than ever in the midst of the disbelievers [kuffar].”
Similarly, Roshanara Chaudry is hailed for her stabbing attack on a British MP last year because he supported the Iraq war. She was sentenced to life in prison in November, but “did not throw away her life for nothing as the enemies of Allah have suggested,” another article says. “A woman has shown to the ummah’s men the path of jihad! A woman my brothers! Shame on all the men for sitting on their hands while one of our women has taken up the individual jihad! She felt the need to do it simply because our men gave all too many excuses to refrain from it.”
Inspire‘s fourth issue contains new strategies for attacks, including ways to blow up buildings and participate in al-Qaida’s media war on the West. Pursuing jihad is the way to heaven, it says, urging Muslims to make a choice between heaven, sacrifice, and jihad on one hand, and hellfire, punishment, and helping disbelievers on the other.
As with previous issues, al-Qaida’s American spokesmen are prominently featured. An expanded section on “Open-Source Jihad” is coupled with calls by American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who had disappeared from the media for months, to steal Western money to finance al-Qaida abroad.
The section featured new strategies to bomb Western buildings with chemical and mechanical explosives, as well as a picture of a lit Christmas tree in front of the U.S. Capitol, an apparent allusion to November’s attempted bombing of an Oregon lighting ceremony. “This idea could be implemented in different areas such as cars, trains, malls, factories, and various buildings,” the article “Destroying Buildings” says.
It also advocates renting an apartment on the lower floors of buildings and striking strategic pillars of the structure. “The focus should be on the bottom of the building to take advantage of the weight of the building on top of it.”
Other parts of “Open Source Jihad” detail the parts of an AK-47 and advocate additional participation of jihadis in al-Qaida’s media campaign. In particular, the magazine notes that is searching for sections from foreign media about al-Qaida operations, as well as articles and graphics to enhance the look and feel of the publication.
Military strategy is on the table, in what may be an older article by Abu Mus’ab Al-Suri. Reportedly captured by Pakistani officials in 2006, Al-Suri was considered a key al-Qaida strategist.
While searching for the right balance of open terrain, inaccessibility and a population willing to support jihad, Al-Suri urges Western jihadists to focus targets in their own countries. “In most Arab and Islamic countries, with their current political divisions and entities, the preconditions for Open Fronts are not present. In most cases, they are arenas suitable for Individual Terrorism Jihad, small units, and secret guerilla warfare,” Al-Suri writes. Attacks here are the “result of the dense presence of different American and allied interests, and of Western and Zionist hegemonic projects.”
Samir Khan, an expatriate American whose involvement with al-Qaida was confirmed in the second issue of the magazine, contributes an article on simultaneous jihad against the West and the ‘apostate regimes’ of Muslim world. The jihad against the Soviets, in the eyes of the Saudis, was a jihad for the sake of Allah. The jihad against the Americans, in the eyes of the Saudis, is a jihad that is ‘corrupt,” Khan writes in “The Central Issue,” an article that explained the progression of jihad from defensive to offensive. “We disbelieve in those who believe in jihad for the sake of America.”
Anwar al-Awlaki, who was largely silent since his November call for unlimited warfare on American “devils”, wrote the cover story, “The Ruling on Dispossessing the Disbelievers’ Wealth in Dar al-Harb.” Today jihad is more clandestine and is performed by underground networks. The question that arises is: Can these networks of mujahidin use clandestine methods to appropriate wealth from the disbelievers in non-Muslim lands [Dar al-Harb]?” Awlaki rhetorically asks. “We as Muslims should seek the wealth of the disbelievers as a form of jihad in the path of Allah. That would necessitate that we spend the money on the cause of jihad and not on ourselves.”
Awlaki is a leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and credited with inspiring a slew of terrorist attacks including the Fort Hood massacre and failed bombing attempts in Times Square, and on board a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day 2009.
To accomplish this, Awlaki suggests being strategic in selecting countries to attack. “Even though it is allowed to seize the property of individuals in non-Muslim lands [dar al-harb], we suggest that Muslims avoid targeting citizens of countries where the public opinion is supportive of some of the Muslim causes,” he writes. “We therefore suggest that the following should be targeted: government owned property, banks, global corporations, [and] wealth belonging to disbelievers with known animosity towards Muslims.” According to Awlaki, both the American government and private citizens are to be considered, “the leaders [Imams] of disbelief [kufr] in this day and age” and should be targeted “as a favor to the Muslim nation [ummah].”
Adam Gadahn, an American jihadist in Afghanistan whose profile has declined, was featured in an article entitled “Know That Jihad Is Your Duty.” It is addressed largely to the Muslims living in or immigrating to the West, and in particular the “terrible suburbs of Paris, London, and Detroit.” Gadahn calls for an open-ended jihad against Western targets. “My brothers: know that jihad is your duty as well, and that you have an opportunity to strike the leaders of disbelief [kufr] and retaliate against them on their own soil,” he writes.
Yemeni cleric Adil al-Abbab justifies war on all Western civilians because they participate in democracy. “So now when we look at the state of the Americans and Europeans, we see that they are in a state of war with us because of their participation in elections that choose governments that wage war against Muslims,” he writes in a question and answer section. Other legitimate targets include Yemeni soldiers, who protect banks of interest, the parliament, bars, Western embassies, and “illegitimate churches.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.