Summary of Information on Jihadist Websites July 2017
Highlights
· The leadership of Al-Qaeda appeals to jihad fighters, including the senior fighters among them, not to shed the blood of Muslim believers. According to the leadership, the Quran and the Sunnah severely prohibit this, and anyone who violates the prohibition is sentenced to hell in the next world.
· The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, various branches of Al-Qaeda, such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and other jihadists harshly criticize Israel for its ostensible damage to the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and from preventing Muslims from praying in the third holiest place to Muslims. These organizations and others encourage Palestinians’ continued resistance against Israel, threaten to carry out revenge attacks, and emphasize that the liberation of Al-Aqsa from the Jews will ultimately be achieved.
· Ahman Iman Al?, the spokesman for Al-Shabab al-Mujahideen (Al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia), in Kenya, calls on Muslims in Kenya not to vote in the country’s upcoming elections. He pleads with Muslims serving in the framework of the Kenyan security forces to leave their jobs, and if they refuse to do so the organization will fight against them. In addition, the organization threatens to damage Kenya’s stability due to its invasion of Somalia.
· Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham declare their willingness to resolve the conflict that has arisen between them in a shari’a court but they emphasize that they are prepared to continue battling one another in order to defend themselves.
· The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Syrian-Lebanese arena, accuses the Lebanese army of war crimes against Syrian refugees in the ‘Arsal refugee camp, including the destruction of their homes as well as murder. According to the organization, the Lebanese army has become partner to the policy of Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah to purge the area of a Sunni presence. In light of this, the organization calls on the Sunni population in Lebanon, including clerics, to come to their senses and defend the Sunnis and jihad fighters in Lebanon, and to help in any way possible, including offensive activities against the Lebanese army and its partners.
· Ansar Ghazwat al-Hind, a new jihadist group in Kashmir, led by Zakir Musa, announces its intention to liberate Kashmir from the Indian “occupation” using brute force. According to the organization, Kashmir has been experiencing a jihadist awakening over the past year as a result of the death of Burhan Wani, a jihad fighter in Kashmir who was killed in July 2016, and the group’s fundamentals reflect a continuation of the offensive line against India.
· The Islamic State calls on its followers in “infidel countries”, especially in the West, to break into businesses, rob them and loot the property of the infidels. According to the organization, such actions have several goals, as was published in its new issue of Rumiyah: the economic weakening of the West, funding migration to arenas of jihad, and funding attacks against targets in infidel countries.
· The Islamic State in Raqqah Province in Syria criticizes tribal members in Syria who betrayed the Islamic State and became ‘apostates’, and it threatens to attack those who defect from its ranks.
Highlights
· The leadership of Al-Qaeda appeals to jihad fighters, including the senior fighters among them, not to shed the blood of Muslim believers. According to the leadership, the Quran and the Sunnah severely prohibit this, and anyone who violates the prohibition is sentenced to hell in the next world.
· The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, various branches of Al-Qaeda, such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and other jihadists harshly criticize Israel for its ostensible damage to the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and from preventing Muslims from praying in the third holiest place to Muslims. These organizations and others encourage Palestinians’ continued resistance against Israel, threaten to carry out revenge attacks, and emphasize that the liberation of Al-Aqsa from the Jews will ultimately be achieved.
· Ahman Iman Al?, the spokesman for Al-Shabab al-Mujahideen (Al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia), in Kenya, calls on Muslims in Kenya not to vote in the country’s upcoming elections. He pleads with Muslims serving in the framework of the Kenyan security forces to leave their jobs, and if they refuse to do so the organization will fight against them. In addition, the organization threatens to damage Kenya’s stability due to its invasion of Somalia.
· Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham declare their willingness to resolve the conflict that has arisen between them in a shari’a court but they emphasize that they are prepared to continue battling one another in order to defend themselves.
· The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Syrian-Lebanese arena, accuses the Lebanese army of war crimes against Syrian refugees in the ‘Arsal refugee camp, including the destruction of their homes as well as murder. According to the organization, the Lebanese army has become partner to the policy of Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah to purge the area of a Sunni presence. In light of this, the organization calls on the Sunni population in Lebanon, including clerics, to come to their senses and defend the Sunnis and jihad fighters in Lebanon, and to help in any way possible, including offensive activities against the Lebanese army and its partners.
· Ansar Ghazwat al-Hind, a new jihadist group in Kashmir, led by Zakir Musa, announces its intention to liberate Kashmir from the Indian “occupation” using brute force. According to the organization, Kashmir has been experiencing a jihadist awakening over the past year as a result of the death of Burhan Wani, a jihad fighter in Kashmir who was killed in July 2016, and the group’s fundamentals reflect a continuation of the offensive line against India.
· The Islamic State calls on its followers in “infidel countries”, especially in the West, to break into businesses, rob them and loot the property of the infidels. According to the organization, such actions have several goals, as was published in its new issue of Rumiyah: the economic weakening of the West, funding migration to arenas of jihad, and funding attacks against targets in infidel countries.
The Islamic State in Raqqah Province in Syria criticizes tribal members in Syria who betrayed the Islamic State and became ‘apostates’, and it threatens to attack those who defect from its ranks.
This article is part of the RED-Alert project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation Programme under grant agreement No 740688.
