An extremist Michigan cleric whose hate-filled sermons are said to have inspired the London Bridge terrorist attack has called on American Muslims to wage jihad against the “infidel West” and blamed the United States, led by the “senile pharaoh.” Biden, for what he called a “genocide in Palestine.”
Ahmad Musa Jibril, 51, a radical Islamist preacher born in Dearborn, appears in videos posted on social media arguing that Muslims in the United States should move away from what he described as a watered-down “American Zionist Islam” that ignores the idea of Jihad.
“Yes, there is holy war in Islam, it is Jihad,” Jibril preached in a clip posted on X by an account associated with the fanatic imam.
“This may come as a surprise to many who grew up in the West, especially those who were born or raised after 9/11, due to the increasing number of hypocrites who are spreading American Zionist Islam, and it has nothing to do with that. that has to do with Islam, that version of Islam is the Islam that suits the enemies.”
In another video shared on a Telegram channel associated with Jibril, the hardline Palestinian-American preacher addressed the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, saying it should be seen as a “wake-up call” for young Muslims in The United States begins to “normalize” Jihad.
“Jihad must be a common and normal term in their languages, in their social networks, in mosques and elsewhere,” Jibril said.
Ahmad Musa Jibril, 51, a radical Palestinian-American preacher from Michigan, in a recent video calling on young Muslims to embrace Jihad. Ahmad Musa Jibril/Telegram
In Islamic tradition, jihad is generally used to refer to a just fight against internal and external obstacles, according to the group Learning for Justice. While it may involve fighting oppressors, the violent perception of “holy war” is largely a misinterpretation perpetuated by extremists.
Jibril also didn’t mince words when talking about President Biden, whom he called a “terrorist,” and his administration’s policy toward Israel.
“You have seen that senile pharaoh of our time, who has lost his mind in everything except his loyalty and support for the Jewish occupiers,” the extremist cleric fumed, adding that the United States “is more to blame for the genocide in Palestine than the United States”. Jewish occupiers.
Jibril blamed the United States for what he called a “genocide in Palestine.” AFP via Getty Images
Jibril stated that with the war raging in the Middle East following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, now is the time for young people to understand that “the infidel West, particularly the United States, are enemies of Muslims.”
He also suggested that Muslim mothers should “nurture their babies with the love of Jihad and the ambition to become mujahids and martyrs.”
One of the disgusting rants shared on X on November 25 caught the attention of the Middle East Media Research Institute, a watchdog based in Washington, DC.
“The comments are particularly inflammatory in a period in which passions are already running high,” Alberto Fernández, vice president of the Institute, told The Post on Friday, referring to the current war between Israel and Hamas.
“Rather than downplaying violent interpretations of Jihad, it seeks to enhance them. Instead of downplaying the difference between Muslims and non-Muslims, he seeks to enhance them, mocking Muslims who ‘seek to make an Islam suitable for the kafir’ (i.e., the infidel West).”
The hardline imam lashed out at President Biden, calling him a “terrorist” and a “senile pharaoh.” REUTERS
The spread of “radicalizing” content on social media is especially dangerous for impressionable young audiences, Fernández also told Fox News Digital.
“If that’s what they say openly, what do they say that’s not open?” he warned.
Fernández also warned that the war has been acting as an “accelerator” for the spread of radical ideas about Islam.
“It accelerates something that is already happening, which is a kind of ideological war that is happening. Therefore, it generates interest and makes people become more extreme,” Fernández said.
Jibril served more than six years in a high-security federal prison on fraud and conspiracy charges. Ahmad Musa Jibril/Telegram
It was previously reported that security experts had named Jibril as one of the most influential online recruiters for ISIS at the beginning of the terrorist group’s rise nearly a decade ago, according to Newsweek.
Jibril, who preaches an ultra-conservative Salafi version of Islam, had used his platform to call on young people to travel to Syria and join the ranks of ISIS.
A survey conducted by the International Center for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence in 2014 indicated that more than half of the likes and followers on the X and Facebook accounts operated by Jibril at the time were members of ISIS. .
“[The] The question of impact is important. “Eight years ago, Jibril was one of the TWO most influential Muslim figures in English who influenced fighters to join ISIS and Al-Qa’ida in Syria,” Fernandez told The Post, referring to the organization’s report with based in the United Kingdom.
In April 2014, 60 percent of foreign fighters in Syria also followed Jibril’s X account, the report added.
One of the perpetrators of the deadly London Bridge attack in June 2017 is said to have listened to Jibril’s sermons, before he and his two accomplices mowed down pedestrians and then went on a stabbing spree in the heart of the British capital.
The terrorist attack, which left eight dead and dozens injured, was later claimed by ISIS.
The disturbing revelation of online radicalization sparked intense debate about the role of social media and extremism.
However, after conducting a review in June 2017 following the London Bridge massacre, YouTube refused to remove Jibril’s hate videos, concluding that the content did not advocate violence, the Detroit Free Press reported at the time. .
The Google-owned social media giant said Jibril’s rants could be classified as Islamic teachings, such as interpretations of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, the outlet said.
“As a former prisoner, Jibril is careful in his use of words, but the goal seems obvious. It is polarizing and exacerbating differences,” Fernández told The Post.
In 2004, Jibril was found guilty of 42 criminal charges, including conspiracy, fraud, money laundering, and possession of firearms and ammunition. He was sentenced to more than six years in a high-security federal prison, from which he was released in 2012.
Active accounts associated with Jibril on social media have currently amassed over 31,000 followers.
The Post contacted YouTube and Facebook about the accounts.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn