He “never, ever” was radical but he read the Qur’an and believed it, and there was no program at his mosque or any other mosque designed to teach young Muslims why the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s understanding of Islam was wrong, despite the fact that Muslims in the West say they reject it and oppose it. British authorities are scratching their heads and trying to figure out how he was “radicalized,” but they will never discover the answer until they come to grips realistically with the fact that Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence and supremacism, and to make recruits among peaceful Muslims.
“British Jihadist Was Prayer Caller At Mosque,” by James Matthews, Sky News, June 24, 2014 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
Leaders at a mosque in Cardiff, accused of radicalising two young Britons who are fighting with militants in Syria have denied the allegations, and condemned extremism.
A third jihadist featured in a recruitment video released by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been identified as a prayer caller at a city mosque in Aberdeen.
Abdul Rakib Amin settled in the northeast of Scotland with his family after travelling from Bangladesh.
As a teenager he attended the Aberdeen Mosque and Islamic Centre, where he volunteered as a “mu’adhdhin”, someone who calls worshippers to prayer.
Sources at the mosque have told Sky News that Amin “never, ever” showed radical tendencies.
They say that if he had he would have been immediately reported to the police, with whom the mosque has a close relationship.
As a youngster, Amin also attended St Machar Academy in Aberdeen and friends in the city describe him as a well-integrated member of society who was a keen footballer player.
Having grown up in the Froghall area of Aberdeen, he and his family moved to Leicester several years ago.
In the video posted on Youtube, Amin appears alongside two Cardiff students – Reyaad Khan and Nasser Muthana, both aged 20 – urging Westerners to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.
ISIS has seized several cities and towns across northern and western Iraq in recent weeks in a lightning offensive which has put the Iraqi government on the back foot.
A member of Aberdeen’s Muslim community who knew Amin told Sky News: “He was more of a lad than a regular attendee at the mosque.
“He was a happy guy, played football – he was a good player and he supported Aberdeen.
“I remember him as a hyper person, energetic and loud… not the type of person you’d expect to go and do this.”
He said that the community wanted to distance themselves from Amin’s actions in Syria.
“We don’t want our community tainted because some idiot’s gone commando.”
Police and Cardiff’s Muslim community have been trying to establish how Khan and Muthana were lured into fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Video has emerged of notorious Saudi cleric Mohammed al Arifi preaching at Cardiff’s Al Manar mosque, attended by Khan and Muthana, as well as his brother Aseel who is also with ISIS.
Mr Arifi is banned from Switzerland for his extremist views – but has visited the UK several times.However, trustees at the mosque have suggested the young men may have been radicalised online, rather than by members of Cardiff’s Muslim community.
The parents of both young men have said they did not know of their sons’ intentions to join the jihad and have pleaded for them to come home.
Meanwhile, Khalid Mahmood MP told Sky News that many more British Muslims than previously thought could have been recruited by Islamist militants.
“I imagine 1,500 certainly would be the lower end. If you look across the whole of the country, there’s been a number of people going across,” he said.
ebonystone says
“Amin ‘never, ever’ showed radical tendencies ”
It depends on what one understands as “radical.” The ideas that unbelievers deserve death unless they convert to Islam, or that apostates deserve death unless they recant and return to Islam, seem pretty radical to most Westerners. But to Moslems, these are part of the basis and bedrock of their religion. So of course the authorities at his mosque never saw any “radical tendencies”, but only standard Islamic boiler-plate. But Westerners would have seen and heard things they would consider very radical indeed.
Ashley says
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-28045179
akafir says
How can one distinguish between a “radical” and “moderate” Muslim?
Is there a definition of “radical Muslim”, and “moderate Muslim”?
The names suggest to me the following clearly deficient definitions:
Radical Muslim: Focussed on altering social structure (ie., implementing sharia) through revolutionary means (jihad).
Moderate Muslim: Less extreme than radical Muslim.
Lawrence says
Like the Democrats who have their own private language, their friends, the Jihadists, have their own. Re “Leaders at a mosque in Cardiff, accused of radicalising two young Britons who are fighting with militants in Syria have denied the allegations, and condemned extremism.”
No one pressed them, now did they? What is remarkable is that they didn’t ever get the sniff test. After all maybe they are innocent, maybe not.
Michael Copeland says
Mohammad al Arifi, filmed preaching at the Cardiff mosque frequented by the jihadis, commends skull-smashing, and limb-severing for Allah
http://libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/home/root/news-libertygb/5866-skull-smashing-saudi-cleric-allowed-into-britain
dumbledoresarmy says
From the article – “We don’t want our community tainted because some idiot’s gone commando.”
Somehow I don’t think that by “gone commando” he means that the idiot is running round Iraq wearing traditional Scottish male dress (kilt) with the traditional underwear (i.e. none).
And no that dangerous young man from the mosque hasn’t gone commando.
He’s **Gone Jihad**.
And it is a very good thing he’s doing it in Iraq, where with any luck it will lead to his meeting a sudden and sticky end, thus preventing him from ever Going Jihad against hapless Infidels in Cardiff.
(Surely there is a great bronze bell beginning to swing and tremble and ring, in that mysterious cave deep in the Welsh hills where Arthur sleeps ever more lightly; even as the Enemies within – such as those at this mosque in Cardiff – become more numerous and bolder?).