Category: Ideologues

New additions to Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī's English language jihādī library

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Today Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī’s English language jihādī library (tawhed.net) added new articles and interviews to its archives. According to the Combatting Terrorism Center’s Militant Atlas, al-Maqdisī is considered “the most influential living Jihadi Theorist.” The following documents were added:

The Global Islamic Media Front presents a translation of al-Malāḥim Media's lecture "Loyalty to the Believers" by Abū Zūbayr 'Adīl bīn 'Abdullah al-Abāb

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: Check out Ahmad al-Zaky’s great analysis of al-Abāb’s essay at his blog Ma’alim fi al-Tariq.
NOTE: The document could not be uploaded to Scribd since it was password protected by the maker of it. That said, below is a safe PDF copy of it.
For more on Abū Zūbayr ‘Adīl bīn ‘Abdullah al-Abāb see the various posts by Gregory D. Johnsen of Waq al-Waq on him. al-Abāb is believed to be in al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) shūrā council.
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The Global Islamic Media Front presents a translation of al-Malāḥim Media’s lecture “Loyalty to the Believers” by Abū Zūbayr ‘Adīl bīin ‘Abdullah al-Abāb

As-Saḥāb presents: “Message to the people of Turkey” by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: Flashpoint Partners released a transcript of  Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri’s most recent video message titled: “Message to the people of Turkey.” Here is a brief abstract of the transcript and below it is the entire transcript:

In an audiotape titled “Message to the Muslim Turkish People”, produced by As-Sahab and released on August 15, 2010, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri said that “Change will come if the Turks decided to demand their government stop cooperating with Israel and recognizing it, and stop sending its forces to kill Muslims in Afghanistan, and stop fighting Islam and its Sharia. The Turkish people must hold the responsibility of its government’s continued recognition of those who invaded Palestine and persistence in participating with the Crusaders in killing Muslims in Afghanistan. The Turkish people must regain the glorious role that the Ottoman State carried out in defense of the Muslim homelands in general and Palestine in particular.” He argued that “The role of the Muslim Turkish people in defending Islam and Muslims cannot diminish to simply sending a ship or a number of ships to aid Gaza.” And he reminded the Turks that “The Ottoman Turks used to be the mujahideen against every greedy and aggressor, and they weren’t only donors of a few tons of aid.”

Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri- “Message to the Muslim Turkish People”
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Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn English Forum translated "A Letter from the Afghan Lands to the Shaykh Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE: Here is a copy of the letter in Arabic:
A Letter from the Afghan Lands to the Shaykh Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī (Arabic)
NOTE: For more on Abū Muḥmmad al-Maqdisī see Jihadica.
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As-Saḥāb presents new video statement from Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri: "Al-Quds [Jerusalem] Will Not Be Judaized”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: Flashpoint Partners released a transcript of  Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri’s most recent video message titled: “Al-Quds [Jerusalem] Will Not Be Judaized”. Here is a brief abstract of the transcript and below it is the entire transcript:

In an audiotape titled “Jerusalem Will Not Be Judaized”, produced by As-Sahab and released on July 19, 2010, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri addressed President Obama: “O’ Obama, whether you admit or not, the Muslims have defeated you in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they will defeat you—and the powers that brought you—soon Inshallah in Palestine, Somalia, and the Islamic Maghreb. Not only will you be defeated militarily and economically, but also, most importantly, you were defeated morally and constituently.” He harshly criticized Muslims who applauded Obama’s speech in Cairo despite the fact that “His criminal, invasive forces were occupying Afghanistan, Iraq and the Gulf, and wide ranges in Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the Islamic Maghreb and Yemen…” He then argues that “we are the greatest reason in losing Palestine because some of us are requesting to unify with the Arab Zionists and call them with prefixes like brother and president…to the end of these falsehoods, in which they realize their own lies.” For Zawahiri, “Arab Zionists are more dangerous…than the Jewish Zionists. Who is sanctioning our people in Gaza and circulates them with a metal wall underground? Who? Isn’t it the head of the Arab Zionists Husni Mubarak?…And who is helping the Mossad in killing the mujahideen and imprisoning them? Isn’t he the Arab Zionist Mahmoud Abbas?” He counsels that “we first have to liberate ourselves in order to liberate what is outside of it; we will not liberate our homelands if we are weak slaves with our fear, incompetence, greed and delusions, with the incompetent rulers and the greedy leaders and the scheming cooperatives and the apostate sheikhs.”

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Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri- “Jerusalem Will Not Be Judaized”
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Articles of the Week – 6/26-7/2

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Saturday June 26:
“The Muslim Past- Book Review of “Faith and Power” & “Muhammad and the Believers”” – Max Rodenbeck, The New York Times: https://nyti.ms/blRwDG
Sunday June 27:
“Endless war, a recipe for four-star arrogance” – Andrew J. Bacevich, The Washington Post: https://bit.ly/cFmDcd
Monday June 28:
“Prisons and Terrorism: Radicalisation and De-radicalisation in 15 Countries” – Peter R. Neumann, et. al,  The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence: https://bit.ly/9Rt4a2
“Counterinsurgency Under the Microscope” – Andrew Exum, Abu Muqawama Blog: https://bit.ly/bfzrgr
“From Sayyid Qutb To Hamas: The Middle East Conflict and Islamization of Antisemitism – Bassam Tibi, Yale University Working Paper Series: https://bit.ly/ctPYMF
Tuesday June 29:
“Abu Yahya al-Libi’s Long, Lonely Journey” – Jarret Brachman: https://bit.ly/9Hfmv9
“How Tribal Are the Taleban? Afghanistan’s Largest Insurgent Movement between its Tribal Roots and Islamist Ideology” – Thomas Ruttig, The Afghanistan Analysts Network: https://bit.ly/aR36Hl
“Estimates for Hezbollah’s Arsenal” – David Schapiro & Katherine Zimmerman, IranTracker: https://bit.ly/cWCC3S
“Islamist Radicalism in Yemen” (Updated) – Deborah Jerome, Council on Foreign Relations: https://bit.ly/aFe361
“Views of Pakistani Religious Leader Dr. Israr Ahmed (1932-2010) Regarding the Structure of an Islamic Caliphate” – The Middle East Media Research Institute: https://bit.ly/bG8mQF
“An Al-Shabaab Narco-Terrorism Connection?” – Investigative Project on Terrorism: https://bit.ly/cRXkoG
Wednesday June 30:
“The Haqqanis and al-Qaeda” – Anand Gopal, Mansur Khan Mahsud and Brian Fishman, The AfPak Channel: https://bit.ly/9NdXYM
The reason why the new al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula magazine “Inspire” was corrupted & then taken down from the forums – Internet Haganah: https://bit.ly/alZhaR
“Pakistani Terror Group Lashkar-e Tayyiba Extends Tentacles in United States” – The Investigative Project on Terrorism: https://bit.ly/dtNEvn
Thursday July 1:
“Al-Qaeda in Iraq: Eliminating Leaders Will Not Necessarily Cut Lifelines” – Omar Ashour, Arab Reform Bulletin: https://bit.ly/avX3u1
“Tariq Ramadan: Exposing the Irrelevance of His Defenders in America” – Dr. Robert D. Crane, The American Muslim: https://bit.ly/aS5SZs
“Four Questions for Yemen Scholar Gregory Johnsen” – The Atlantic: https://bit.ly/a8ApNC
“Counting al-Qaeda” – Brian Fishman, The AfPak Channel: https://bit.ly/aYVvqN
“Top Twenty Plots to Know since 9/11” – The Center on Law and Security: https://bit.ly/9QfVz2
Friday July 2:
“Ruminations on the AQAP magazine and its ridiculous coverage” – J.M. Berger, IntelWire: https://bit.ly/akv4Rz
“Hiding In Plain Sight- Terrorists in Punjab Province” – Ahmad Majidyar, Foreign Policy: https://bit.ly/9lW9f6

al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula releases its first English language magazine “Inspire”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 7: Inspire Magazine has been translated into Arabic as an ‘Īd al-Fiṭr gift to the Muslim ummah (community) by the Arabic Anṣār al-Mujāhidīn Forum.

Click here: Inspire Magazine Arabic
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UPDATE 6: The Investigative Project on Terrorism weighs in on “Inspire Magazine” and its potential negative effects on radicalization.
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UPDATE 5: Katherine Zimmerman of the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project explains the implications of AQAP’s “Inspire Magazine”.
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UPDATE 4: Aaron Weisburd of the Internet Haganah provides his take on the full release of AQAP’s “Inspire Magazine”.
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UPDATE 3: After 12 days,AQAP releases the full version of “Inspire Magazine” without corruption. Also, checkout Jarret Brachman’s quick take analysis of the new magazine.
Click here: AQAP – Inspire Magazine Volume 1 – UNCORRUPTED
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UPDATE 2: J.M. Berger of IntelWire along with Thomas Hegghammer of Jihadica posted new blog entries detailing past English language magazines by jihādī and the continued lack of understanding by the mainstream media when reporting on the “Inspire” magazine.
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UPDATE: After the forums released the new English language magazine “Inspire” within an hour or so they took it down since the pdf file was corrupted. The first three pages — the table of contents — was fine, but afterwards the text was gibberish. I am still keeping this corrupted file up so people can see what it looked like. For more on why the file was corrupted and taken down check out the Internet Haganah’s analysis. Also, it is worthwhile to read J.M. Berger of IntelWire’s critique of the US media coverage of the “Inspire” magazine release.
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NOTE: al-Malāḥim Media, al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) media outfit, released a new English language magazine called “Inspire”, which features interviews with the amīr (leader) of AQAP Abū Basīr (Nāṣir al-Wūḥayshī) and Anwar al-‘Awlakī.
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Original corrupted file (won’t harm your computer, gibberish after a few pages): AQAP – Inspire Magazine Volume 1

As-Saḥāb released a new video of Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī mourning the death of the Islamic State of Iraq's former senior leaders: "Blood of our Commanders, Fuel of our Battle"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: As-Saḥāb (“The Clouds”) Foundation for Islamic Media Publication released a new video of Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī mourning the death of the Islamic State of Iraq’s former senior leaders: “Blood of our Commanders, Fuel of our Battle.” Abū Yaḥyā al-Lībī is considered one of the top leaders within the al-Qā’idah organization (AQSL). He has also been touted as a possible replacement to ‘Usāmah Bin Lāden. Al-Lībī started to gain notoriety and respect within thejihādī community after he broke out of the Bagram Airbase prison facility in 2005. It was also reported this past December that a drone killed al-Lībī, but it ended up being Ṣāleḥ al-Ṣūmālī instead.
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