
Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Muslim Africa Blog — “Part One of a Dialogue with Shaykh Muḥammad al-Nūkāwī, Former Amīr of the Movement of Mujāhidīn in Morocco and a Prisoner Currently in the Local Prison in Tangier”
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To inquire about a translation for this interview for a fee email: [email protected]
Category: Leaders
al-Furqān Media presents a new audio message from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām’s Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī: "May God Be With You, Oh the Oppressed State"
UPDATE 10/13/13 5:33 PM: Here is an English translation of the below Arabic audio message and transcription:

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī — “May God Be With You, Oh the Oppressed State”
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UPDATE 10/4/13 8:38 AM: Here is an Arabic transcription of the below audio message:

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī — “May God Be With You, Oh the Oppressed State” (Ar)
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Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī- “May God Be With You, Oh the Oppressed State”
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New video message from Jamā'at Anṣār al-Muslimīn Fi Bilād al-Sūdān's Abū Usāmah al-Anṣārī: "Open Letter to the Governments of France and Nigeria"

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To inquire about a translation for this video message for a fee email: [email protected]
English translation of audio message from Ḥarakat al-Shabāb al-Mujāhidīn's Shaykh Mukhtar Abū al-Zubayr: "Regarding the Westgate Operation"

All praise is due to Almighty Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and victory is for the Muttaqeen (the pious believers) and there is no animosity except against the oppressors, and may peace and blessings be upon the noblest of Prophets and Messengers. As for what follows:
Allah, the Exalted, said:
“And when they advanced to meet Jalut (Goliath) and his forces, they invoked: “Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience, and make our feet firm and make us victorious over the disbelieving people.
So they routed them by Allah’s Leave and Dawud (David) killed Jalut (Goliath), and Allah gave him [Dawud (David)] the kingdom and Al-Hikmah (Prophethood), and taught him of that which He willed. And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief. But Allah is full of bounty to the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)
And the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessing be upon him, said:
“I have been sent ahead of the Hour with the sword so that Allaah will be worshipped alone without partners, and my provision has been placed under the shade of my spear, and humiliation has been decreed for those who go against my command”
On Saturday 21 September 2013, and which was just 10 days after the anniversary date of the blessed 911 operations, a battle which is among the epic battles in the history of Islam began in Nairobi, and in which some of the Mujahideen Martyrom Seekers have written with their blood. Allah has honoured the Mujahideen fighters to write this epic battle – the Badar of Nairobi – with their blood and to change the course of history and avenge the deaths of the weak, oppressed Muslims.
The Mujahideen fighters refused to accept the invasion of their Muslim lands and the massacre of innocent Muslims and live with such humiliation. They could not accept the persistent theft of their land’s resources which the Kenyan leaders and Western companies have conspired to plunder.
The Mujahideen fought against the oppression of their brothers in prisons of the Crusaders and their apostate allies, delivering a message that said: “as long as our brothers are being oppressed in prisons, peace will never come to the oppressors who are holding them.”
So, we say to them, congratulations and we give them glad tiding of the prophet’s words, may peace and blessings be upon him, when he was asked:
“Which of the martyrs is best? He said: “Those who, when they take up their position in the ranks for battle, do not turn their faces away until they are killed. They will be in the highest dwellings in Paradise, and their Lord smiles upon them, and when your Lord smiles upon a slave in this world, he will not be brought to account.”
In another narration, when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked:
“What type of jihad is best? He said: “The one whose horse is killed and whose blood is shed.”
So congratulations! You have renewed the fact that the Mujahideen’s objective of Jihad is deposing the apostate tyrants, supporting the weak and standing in the face of oppression. You have manifestly proven how valuable the blood of the Muslim is and how the Mujahideen take great measures to safeguard the inviolable blood of the Muslims.
Many lessons can be derived from this epic battle ‘Badar of Nairobi’. The battle is a testament to the power of Eeman [faith] and clearly illustrates that nothing can stand against it.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“You killed them not, but Allah killed them. And you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) threw not when you did throw, but Allah threw, that He might test the believers by a fair trial from Him. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.
This (is the fact) and surely, Allah weakens the deceitful plots of the disbelievers.”
[Anfal, 17-18]
The attack at Westgate Mall was to torment the Kenyan leaders who’ve impulsively invaded the Islamic Wilaayat. It was also a retribution against the Western states that supported the Kenyan invasion and are spilling the blood of innocent Muslims in order to pave the way for their mineral companies. It also acts as a clear testament to the historical blunder that the Kenyan government made when it decided to invade the Islamic Wilaayaat.
The attack has also glaringly illuminated the sheer vulnerability of the different sections of the Kenyan forces, be they police, intelligence or the military, and this was demonstrated by the utter failure that their forces came against when they tried to storm the building that was occupied by the Mujahideen.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“The likeness of those who take (false deities as) Auliya’ (protectors, helpers) other than Allah is the likeness of a spider who builds (for itself) a house; but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider’s house – if they but knew.” [Ankaboot, 41]
The attack is also a slap in the face of on the dwindling economy of the Kenyan government and has also successfully foiled the clandestine schemes of the Zionist Jews in Kenya. It’s a disaster for the Western politicians and their intelligence apparatuse who have miserably failed to save their own citizens.
We tell the Kenyan public: You have entered into a war that is not yours and is serving against your national interests. You have voluntarily given up on your security and economy and lost many of your sons. You are taking an active part in the massacres that are being perpetrated by your military in Kismayo and the neighboring regions. That is so because it’s you who have chosen your politicians, the taxes that you pay are being used to arm Uhuru Kenyatta’s army that is actively killing Muslims and it’s you who have supported your government’s decision to go to war.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“And those who disbelieve say: “We believe not in this Qur’an nor in that which was before it.” But if you could see when the Thalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) will be made to stand before their Lord, how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: “Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!
And those who were arrogant will say to those who were deemed weak: “Did we keep you back from guidance after it had come to you? Nay, but you were Mujrimin (polytheists, sinners, disbelievers, criminals)
Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: “Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day: when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!” And each of them (parties) will conceal their own regrets (for disobeying Allah during this worldly life), when they behold the torment. And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught except what they used to do?” [Saba, 31-34]
Now, you still have an opportunity to reflect and reach a conclusive decision and hold your politicians to account. Do not wait for Uhuru kenyatta to bring about a solution to your problems as he has no further objectives beyond that presidential seat. It was he who spilt the blood of thousands of ordinary Kenyans during the previous elections and is today prepared for thousands more of your sons to die inside their country as well as abroad in order for him to prolong his stay in power, please his Western masters and accomplish their objectives. Do not be misled by the International Criminal Court as it’s simply a facade to create further publicity for Uhuru.
There is no way that you, the Kenyan public, could possibly endure a prolonged war in Somalia and you cannot also withstand a war of attrition inside your own country. So make your choice today and withdraw all your forces from the Islamic Wilaayaat, otherwise be prepared for an abundance of blood that will be spilt in your country, economic downfall and displacement.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Fight against them so that Allah will punish them by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them and heal the breasts of a believing people
And remove the anger of their (believers’) hearts. Allah accepts the repentance of whom He wills. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” [At-Tawbah, 14-15]
And the last of our call is that all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
HSM Press Office
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al-Andalus Media presents a new poem from al-Qā’idah in the Islamic Maghrib’s The Muslim Africa Blog’s Shaykh 'Abd al-Raḥman Abū Anas al-Shanqīṭī: "Not Humiliated and Not Dishonored"

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shaykh ‘Abd al-Raḥman Abū Anas al-Shanqīṭī — “Not Humiliated and Not Dishonored”
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To inquire about a translation for this poem for a fee email: [email protected]
al-Irāq and al-Shām Forum presents a new Nashīd from al-Maqdisī: "They Closed Ranks and They Acknowledged al-Baghdādī"

al-Maqdisī — “They Closed Ranks and They Acknowledged al-Baghdādī”
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To inquire about a translation for this nashīd for a fee email: [email protected]
al-Furqān Media presents a new audio message from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām's Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al 'Adnānī al-Shāmī: "‘Peaceful’ Is Whose Religion?"
UPDATE 9/14/13 5:58 AM: Here is an Arabic transcription of the below audio message:

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī — “‘Peaceful’ Is Whose Religion?” (Ar)
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Shaykh Abū Muḥammad al ‘Adnānī al-Shāmī- “‘Peaceful’ Is Whose Religion?”
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To inquire about a translation for this audio message for a fee email: [email protected]
al-Manārah al-Bayḍā’ Foundation for Media Production presents a new audio message from Jabhat al-Nuṣrah’s Abū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī: "An Eye For An Eye"
UPDATE 9/13/13 1:53 PM: Here is an English translation of the below Arabic audio message:

Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Abū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī — “An Eye For An Eye” (En)
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Abū Muḥammad al-Jawlānī — “An Eye For An Eye”
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al-Fajr Media presents a new video message from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Shaykh Dost Muḥammad: “Verily, The Decision Is Only With God: Lesson #1"
Musings of an Iraqi Brasenostril on Jihad: Bay’ah to Baghdadi: Foreign Support for Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham
NOTE: An archive of the Musings of an Iraqi Brasenostril on Jihad column can now be found here.
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Bay’ah to Baghdadi: Foreign Support for Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham
By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Click here for a PDF version of this post
Over the past couple of months, jihadi media outlets have circulated numerous photos and statements indicating support from various places abroad for Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) as the group has expanded its influence in Syria and has experienced a resurgence in Iraq. Below is a selection of those gestures of support, and the analytical implications.
Saudi Arabia
The gestures of support from Saudi Arabia primarily take the form of anonymous individuals holding placards declaring admiration for ISIS. Note that the photos below are not in chronological order. The ideological inclinations of the placard-holders are made clear by calling Saudi Arabia ‘Bilad al-Haramain’ (‘Land of the Two Sanctuaries’- referencing Mecca and Medina).

This photo, taken near the Kaaba in late July, celebrates the successful prison breaks orchestrated by ISIS at Abu Ghraib and Taji in Baghdad that resulted in the release of hundreds of detainees, including muhajireen who had been imprisoned since 2006/7. The placard reads: ‘Greetings from Bilad al-Haramain to the lions of the two rivers [Tigris and Euphrates] for the liberation of Taji and Abu Ghraib prison; for the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham’.

This photo comes from an unspecified location in Saudi Arabia. The placard reads: ‘We bless/congratulate Abu Bakr [al-Baghdadi] for the liberation of Abu Ghraib and Taji prison. The sons of Bilad al-Haramain.’

Again with unspecified location in Saudi Arabia, and the handwriting is not entirely clear, but the first few lines can be discerned as follows: ‘From Bilad al-Haramain, I pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi…and my greetings to Abu Mohammed al-Adnani [ISIS’ main spokesman].’

Perhaps one of the more bizarre demonstrations of support for ISIS from Saudi Arabia, a cake baked with the ISIS flag for the icing. The dedicatory placard reads: “All thanks to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the heroes of the Islamic State. Your brothers…the free men of Bilad al-Haramain.”
An earlier image of an ISIS cake from Saudi Arabia had appeared with an accompanying explanation that it was baked to celebrate the fact that a Saudi family’s son was heading off to Syria to fight jihad. However, that image and the Facebook page that featured it have since been deleted.

A photo released on a jihadi forum as part of the same set as the ISIS cake above. A young Saudi girl holds a placard with ISIS insignia. The first and relevant part of the placard reads: ‘How excellent you are, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and your heroic soldiers! Verily you have caused pain to the Safavids.’ In this context, the term ‘Safavids’ is a derogatory reference to the Shi’a.

Two Saudi children hold placards celebrating the ISIS jailbreaks in Baghdad. The placard on the left reads: ‘We congratulate the Ummah of Mohammed for the liberation of some 600 prisoners from the prisons of the Rafidites [Shi’a]. Thanks to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Bilad al-Haramain.’ The placard on the right says: ‘Our amir Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi…send us some of your soldiers to free our prisoners. Bilad al-Haramain.’
Testimony on the ground from northern Syria in particular suggests to me that one factor behind ISIS’ success in expansion is that the group has much more financial clout at its disposal than most other rebel factions, such that first-hand observers seem puzzled. Cross-border coordination with mujahideen in Iraq and limited oil revenues from control of some oil fields in Syria can partly explain the depth of ISIS’ financial resources. Yet I would also suggest that by conveying these gestures of support from Saudi individuals to ISIS, jihadi circles are implying that ISIS is receiving significant funding from private Saudi citizens who support ISIS.
Somalia
Somalia, home to the official al-Qa’ida affiliate Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahideen (HSM), has also seen gestures of support for ISIS and Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The images below have been released through the end of July and into August by the pro-ISIS media channel ash-Sham, which is based in Raqqa, Syria. There have of course been rumors and anecdotes of Somali fighters in Syria. Somalia itself has also seen small demonstrations in support of the uprising in Syria.

The ash-Sham channel’s logo is to be observed in the right-hand corner. The placard held by the HSM fighter reads: ‘And if I were in ash-Sham, I could only be a soldier in the Islamic State.’

A child supporter of HSM stands besides a large ISIS/HSM banner, holding a placard that reads: ‘Greetings to the amir in the state of free men: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, demolishing the walls.” Note that ‘demolishing the walls’ is in reference to the successful ISIS jailbreaks in Baghdad last month.

Two HSM fighters show their support for ISIS. The mujahid on the left displays the same placard as in the first photo from this series. The mujahid on the right holds a placard that says, ‘An Eid gift to the lions of Tawhid in the Islamic State.’ The building behind the two HSM fighters has the Somali word ‘Xuuriye’ inscribed on it, meaning ‘freedom’ and borrowed from Arabic (in Somali writing, ‘x’ replaces Arabic ḥ in loanwords).

Niqab-wearing supporters of HSM demonstrate their support for ISIS. The placard on the right reads, ‘Remaining [steadfast] in Iraq and ash-Sham.’ It should be noted that this slogan is a recurring theme in ISIS discourse, originating from Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s speech in June, in which he rejected Sheikh Aymenn al-Ẓawahiri’s insistence on separation between Islamic State of Iraq and Jabhat al-Nusra. Since then, ‘bāqīya’ has even become the name of a pro-ISIS media outlet: Bāqīya Media, dedicated to putting out material on ISIS in Bilād ash-Sham.

A Somali child holds the same placard as in the first photo in this series.

HSM fighters hold the ISIS banner with the inscription ‘Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham’ on it.

Somali women in niqabs display ISIS banners. Note the one on the left with the inscription ‘Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.’

Somali children hold the ISIS banner.

Somali women hold placards in support of ISIS. The writing on the discernible placard on the far left is the same as the third one in this series.
Given HSM’s status as an al-Qa’ida affiliate, it is noteworthy that its members and fan-base have shown support for ISIS and Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, while not indicating any similar appreciation for Sheikh Abu Mohammed al-Jowlani and Jabhat al-Nusra.
This would seem to suggest that ISIS’ reputation is far greater than that of the latter two in many jihadist hotspots around the Muslim world- something that has no doubt been abetted by ISIS’ quick expansion across northern and eastern Syria in particular, along with ISIS’ leading role in recent rebel offensives like the capture of Mannagh airbase.
Despite Sheikh Ẓawahiri’s indication of the need to dissolve ISIS, not only are al-Qa’ida affiliates elsewhere acknowledging ISIS and Sheikh Baghdadi as the leader of the jihad in Bilad ash-Sham, but also official jihadi forums like Shamūkh Islām no longer appear to be deleting posts put out in ISIS’ name.
That said, al-Furqān media- the official outlet of what was Islamic State of Iraq- still avoids overt reference to the name ‘Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham’ in its current video releases, even as it is becomes clear that ISIS’ jihad in Syria is being promoted (e.g. the interview with the martyred French convert and another with an elderly mujahid for the group).
In any event, it is clear that ISIS is more or less accepted in jihadi circles now as a reality on the ground, and Sheikh Ẓawahiri is unlikely to issue another directive calling for the

