Somalia: New al-Shabab recruiting video features Swede, Brit; issues death threat to Lars Vilks

Somalia: New al-Shabab recruiting video features Swede, Brit; issues death threat to Lars Vilks

(image via Gudmundson, who also links to the film)

Via Jihadist Forum Monitor:

On 23 November 2010, a video produced by the Mujahidin Youth Movement’s (MYM) [aka al-Shabab], media division, al-Kita’b, was released onto jihadist forums entitled: ‘An Invitation to the Lands of Jihad and Ribat’. It urges Muslims around the world to travel to Somalia and undertake combat training with the MYM and graduate as mujahidin.

The production, dated November 2010, lasts for over 35 minutes and uses a number of video-clips of non-Somali MYM fighters urging their countrymen – in their native tongues – to join the group. Many of the men featured wish their fellow Muslims around the world a happy Eid [holiday], which suggests it might have been produced fairly recently. The video also has narration in Arabic with English and Somali subtitles.

(...)

‘Abu Dujana’ – identified as a UK national, whose appearance would suggest that he is of African origin, addresses Muslims in Britain in British-accented English. He urges them to travel to Somalia and train for jihad, and live in a society governed by Sharia.

‘Abu Zaid’ – identified as a Swedish national, appeals to Muslims in Sweden to do the same, and tells them that it is ‘an obligation upon you’. Like, Abu Dujana, his appearance would suggest he is also of African origin, but he addresses his audience in Swedish. He adds: ‘Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to come here to Somalia to take part in the jihad in Somalia. He continues: ‘I want to send this warning to Lars Viks, who was behind the caricatures defaming our Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him. And I say to Lars Viks that wherever you are, if not today or tomorrow, know that we haven’t yet forgotten about you. We will get hold of you and with God’s permission we will catch you wherever you are and whatever hole you are hiding in, God willing. Know what awaits you, as it will be nothing but this: [he then makes a cutting gesture with his finger on his throat] slaughter! For that is what you deserve’.

(source)

Netherlands: Somalis want ban on qat

Netherlands: Somalis want ban on qat

The Somali community in the Schalkwijk neighborhood of Haarlem wants a ban on qat. A concerned Somali says that more than 75% of Somalis in the Netherlands are addicted to qat.


Somali Hamza Dirije raised the topic with the PvdA party and the Haarlems Dagblad. An average qat user uses around 200 euro every month for the psychedelic drug, reports the paper. Dirije says that a user can't eat, drink or sleep through the night. He gets angry when his wife wakes him and doesn't get out of bed for work.

The Netherlands and the UK are the only European countries where qat is legal. Dirije says that the drug will be banned in the UK this year. It disrupts families, but is especially bad for your health. He says he visited his Somali neighbor three times last month, who was suffering from gastric hemorrhages due to chewing qat.

Uithoorn is the Dutch qat-capital. Somalis from all over Europe come to a distribution center in the city in order to buy the drug. Two Dutch run the distribution and control the European qat market. One of the distributors says that a truck comes with the merchandise five times a week.

The qat comes from Kenya and Ethiopia and is flown to the Netherlands on KLM. Some goes directly abroad, according to the distributor. That's illegal, says PvdA councilor Moussa Aynan. A crate of qat can give 900 euro profit, says a Somali trader. It's good business, but dangerous.

Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)