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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Senior female Islamic State recruiter is student from Seattle

Apr 30, 2015 9:34 am By Robert Spencer

Umm WaqqasShe could still be in the country, and plotting to wage jihad here — or simply still recruiting for the Islamic State. In any case, from the description below, she doesn’t seem to have been suffering from notable poverty or deprivation or oppression. John Kerry, call your office!

“Senior female Isis figure who helped recruit women from Europe to Syria is revealed as student from Seattle,” by Heather Saul, Independent, April 29, 2015:

A senior female Isis figure who reportedly helped recruit women to join the extremist group in areas under its self-declared caliphate has been exposed as a student from Seattle, who may have been living in the city up until March this year.

The person behind the influential @_UmmWaqqas Twitter account has been revealed by Channel 4 as a woman in her 20s who lived and studied in the US.

Her Twitter account had a following of over 8,000 before it was suspended and shows that British recruits, such as Aqsa Mahmood, and other women from Europe were in contact with her in the days running up their departure. Mahmood goes by the name of ‘Umm Layth’ online and tweets from the @_UmmWaqqas account included: “Legit I talk to @ummlayth everyday” and “Umm Layth has more BALLS than most men & more heart/iman to have left her home for Allah’s sake.” She is also reportedly listed as a contact for recruits in a travel document explaining the best methods for reaching territories held by Isis in Syria.

The investigation found her Twitter account was accessed by someone in Seattle as recently as March, but her friends insist that she has since moved away. One told Channel 4 she may have relocated to Saudi Arabia, while another suggested she could be living in Denver, Colorado.

Some of her more extreme tweets justified the brutal killing of a Jordanian pilot and other atrocities committed by the group, including one that read: “I now get why they caged the man & then poured concrete on him… Whenever the muslims are bombed in their homes they have nowhere to run.”

However, her social media accounts also presented a passion for American football, the Super Bowl, eating takeout food with her friends and going to the gym, while photographs of her day-to-day life were found to show locations in and around Seattle….

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Filed Under: American jihadis, Featured, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) Tagged With: Umm Waqqas


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Comments

  1. Joseph says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 11:11 am

    Perfect picture.
    She is sitting on the curb “all bagged up” waiting for garbage pick-up.

  2. Jack Diamond says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 11:18 am

    Channel 4 had an online “interview” with her and she claimed to be in Syria. Her name, by the way, is Rawdah Abdisalaam. From the Channel 4 piece:

    “I’m actually lost for words”, one school friend who wished to stay anonymous told Channel 4 News. “The Rawdah you are referring to is a childhood friend.” She said that the @_UmmWaqqas tweets, “sound a little to extreme to be honest … this is so weird.”
    a little extreme, to be honest….

    http://www.channel4.com/news/female-isis-women-girl-umm-waqqas-unmasked-seattle

    “From what I’ve seen and what I’ve heard from my friends it happens in steps when a person is feeling alienated,” says Hamda Yusuf, a student of Somali origin at the University Washington in Seattle. She runs a counter-radicalisation program with youngsters across Washington state.

    “It could be perhaps that they have run into problems or issues with the law or they are not doing well in school and then find themselves in a hole of existence. They are pulling away from everybody that they know, from their friends, they are becoming more and more religious.”

    After the boilerplate sociology and psychobabble she actually says something important. What she doesn’t explain is why becoming more and more religious would lead you to become a raging jihadi or recruit for the Islamic State.

  3. shabeer_hassan says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    I THINK SHE WAS NOT MUSLIM BEC’S EITHER ITS A COMMON LIE FROM MEDIA OR SHE WAS NOT MUSLIM,BEC’S ISLAMIC LAW PROHIBIT WOMEN PARTICIPATING OF JIHAD :

    The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj

    Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 52 :: Hadith 43
    Narrated ‘Aisha:

    (That she said), “O Allah’s Apostle! We consider Jihad as the best deed. Should we not fight in Allah’s Cause?” He said, “The best Jihad (for women) is Hajj-Mabrur (i.e. Hajj which is done according to the Prophet’s tradition and is accepted by Allah).”

    Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 29 :: Hadith 84
    Narrated Aisha (mother of the faithful believers):

    I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Shouldn’t we participate in Holy battles and Jihad along with you?” He replied, “The best and the most superior Jihad (for women) is Hajj which is accepted by Allah.” ‘Aisha added: Ever since I heard that from Allah’s Apostle I have determined not to miss Hajj.

    OK NO PROBLEM ,DEAR JIHAD WATCH ADMIN ,PLZ DON’T BLINDLY POSTING THE STUFF WITHOUT A LOGIC ,PLZ POST THE LIE WITH LOGIC(THAT MEANS BLINDLY PPL BELIEVABLE )

    • mariam rove says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 1:15 pm

      What Islamic s….hole are you from? M

    • Champ says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 1:27 pm

      OK NO PROBLEM ,DEAR JIHAD WATCH ADMIN ,PLZ DON’T BLINDLY POSTING THE STUFF WITHOUT A LOGIC ,PLZ POST THE LIE WITH LOGIC(THAT MEANS BLINDLY PPL BELIEVABLE )

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Hilarious! …this advice coming from someone who’s completely *void* of logic, not to mention blind as a bat.

    • ermin says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 1:32 pm

      STFU , go have a premature detonation & die

    • Jaladhi says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 1:32 pm

      Is this the same Aisha who was thighed by Mo/allah when she was six year old child. This Mo/allah is a real pedophile and Muslims worship him.

      So much for listening to Aisha and Mo/allah!!

    • Davegreybeard says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 1:49 pm

      @shabeer_hassan
      OK NO PROBLEM ,DEAR JIHAD WATCH ADMIN ,PLZ DON’T BLINDLY POSTING THE STUFF WITHOUT A LOGIC ,PLZ POST THE LIE WITH LOGIC(THAT MEANS BLINDLY PPL BELIEVABLE )

      “Have ye thought on al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat,” sahbeer ?

      You know “Allah is the best of deceivers,” and Allah says he don’t need no stinking LOGIC with his BELIEVABLE.

    • Beagle says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 3:28 pm

      Trust this obscure Hadith, kuffar. Ignore the hundreds of examples of women and girls waging or assisting violent jihad all over the world for decades.

      Shabeer,

      Are all the females used in ‘martyrdom operations’ a figment of our imaginations? Jewish conspiracy? Jinn playing tricks with us?

    • RG says

      May 1, 2015 at 9:41 am

      OMG – Shabby! YOU’RE BACK! What a piece of horse shit you are! You need to unscrew your brain and put it into a blender! NO WAIT – that might hurt the blender!!!!!

  4. Jack Diamond says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    Nonsense. No one has talked about her being directly fighting in combat which are the prohibitions to “participating in jihad.” Further the prohibitions do not refer to “kuffar attacks in Muslims lands” in which case, as stated in ‘Umdat al-Salik “O9.3 Jihad is also (O: personally) obligatory for everyone (O: able to perform it, male OR FEMALE, old or YOUNG) when the enemy has surrounded the Muslims.” Is the Islamic State under attack?

    So there are cases where it is permissible, aren’t there.
    “Jihad is not obligatory for women in principle, except in cases of necessity, such as if the kuffaar attack a Muslim land, in which case jihad becomes obligatory for women, according to their abilities. If a woman is not able to fight then she is not obliged to do so, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope” (al-Baqarah 2:286)–Islam Q&A

    This Umm Waqqas, in her tweets says clearly her role model is Aisha, like a good Muslima, right?
    You are mighty quick to pronounce her an apostate, that is very sinful of you. Btw didn’t the Mother of the Believers, Aisha the child bride, avenge Caliph ‘Uthman’s murder with her two brothers in law and behead 600 “rebels” leading Ali’s gang to going after Aisha’s gang, with the result ten thousand dead and Aisha captured?

    Aisha was a woman, right?

    • Beagle says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      Well done. It must really frustrate them when the ‘Islamophobes’ know their religion better than they do.

  5. Champ says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 3:34 pm

    Her Twitter account had a following of over 8,000 …

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    8,000 peace loving “moderates”, no doubt …

    /sarc

  6. Sam says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    This shows clearly that Islam is a religion peace. I don’t know why JW readers don’t see that. You know.

  7. Mahendra Singh says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    It may not be a woman under the trash bag. War is after all, deception. You
    might find a fully bearded Mustard, when you lift the plastic. Subhan Allah.

    • particolor says

      May 1, 2015 at 7:14 am

      The Brownest Eyes I ever seen were in Seattle !! 🙂

  8. Oliver says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    A few questions–according to her ” friends”- she is in Denver, Colorado; another- Saudi Arabia. But the Saudis are against ISIS, aren’t they?

    She likes take out food. But is it Islamic pure? Are there, in Seattle (never e\been there, never had a desire to go there) Islamic food take out spots?

    Likes to go to the gym- but, isn’t that 9if a mixed–ie: males and females-be “immodestly dressed”? if only females, also immodestly dressed if other women aren’t Muslims?

    By the way, i agree–hang the bitch

    • particolor says

      May 1, 2015 at 7:23 am

      You should see them on the Treadmill in full Burqua !! Looks like the Grim Reaper in Heat !! 🙂

      • RG says

        May 1, 2015 at 9:52 am

        OMG! That’s gotta smell like a pig sty in there! Whew!!!

      • xxxcChurch100 says

        May 1, 2015 at 5:02 pm

        Treadmill hah !!!! Water skiing !

  9. Oliver says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 4:56 pm

    Also, if she is so much in favor of Jihad, and ISIS, why go to school here.

    Her name sounds Arabic/Muslim-is she one of the “poor refugees” that Obama had burdened our country with? And, was she on a ” scholarship” or student aid (or loans never to be repaid) or get the education free because she is a “poor refugere”.

    Curious

  10. duh_swami says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 5:49 pm

    She sounds like your kind of woman Shabeer…

    • Ashley says

      Apr 30, 2015 at 7:58 pm

      LOLOL!

  11. abad says

    Apr 30, 2015 at 7:21 pm

    United States colleges and universities who are caught allowing these Muslims to attend their institutions should have to pay a hefty fine to the government.

    Muslims can go study at the U of Riyadh

  12. Oppressaphobe says

    May 1, 2015 at 9:16 am

    O.K. You got a high tech tunnel going right into Arizona that the Gov. says pay no attention to it. Move on, nothing to see here.
    You got little dumbass students, possibly we paid for, recruiting killers of Americans.
    What more do we need to know?
    I submit to you: nothing more is needed here; the evidence is in.
    Stop posting your hearts out and get busy doing something that raises awareness. Build a website, make a T-shirt, hold a neighborly townhall.
    Don’t just call the dumbass congressmen-That has not worked. Turn off the TV-trust your own instincts and go out and protest the DEGRADING of America. Funny that Obama used that word for ISIS when that’s what he’s done to America.

  13. shabeer_hassan says

    May 1, 2015 at 11:29 am

    @Beagle
    KILLING WOMEN/CHILDREN EVEN DURING THE WAR NOT PART OF ISLAM
    Malik :: Book 21 : Hadith 21.3.10
    Do not kill women or children or an aged, weak person,Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees.Do not destroy an inhabited place. Do not slaughter sheep or camels except for food. Do not burn bees and do not scatter them. Do not steal from the booty,
    Malik :: Book 21 : Hadith 21.3.8
    Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that a son of Kab ibn Malik (Malik believed that ibn Shihab said it was Abd ar-Rahman ibn Kab) said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade those who fought ibn Abi Huqayq (a treacherous jew from Madina) to kill women and children. He said that one of the men fighting had said, ‘The wife of ibn Abi Huqayq began screaming and I repeatedly raised my sword against her. Then I would remember the prohibition of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so I would stop. Had it not been for that, we would have been rid of her.’ ”
    Muslim :: Book 19 : Hadith 4456
    ……….And the of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not kill the children of the enemy, so thou shouldst not kill the children……………
    Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 52 :: Hadith 257,258
    Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:
    During some of the Ghazawat of Allah’s Apostle a woman was found killed, so Allah’s Apostle forbade the killing of women and children.
    Dawud :: Book 14 : Hadith 2608
    Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
    The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Go in Allah’s name, trusting in Allah, and adhering to the religion of Allah’s Apostle. Do not kill a decrepit old man, o a young infant, or a child, or a woman; do not be dishonest about booty, but collect your spoils, do right and act well, for Allah loves those who do well.
    Muslim :: Book 19 : Hadith 4294
    Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children.
    Bukhari :: Book 3 :: Volume 47 :: Hadith 786
    Narrated Anas bin Malik:
    A Jewess brought a poisoned (cooked) sheep for the Prophet who ate from it. She was brought to the Prophet and he was asked, “Shall we kill her?” He said, “No.” I continued to see the effect of the poison on the palate of the mouth of Allah’s Apostle .
    Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 2 :: Hadith 17
    Bukhari :: Book 6 :: Volume 60 :: Hadith 4
    Muslim :: Book 19 : Hadith 4319,4320,4456, 4457, 4458, 4460
    Dawud :: Book 41 : Hadith 5128
    Dawud :: Book 14 : Hadith 2663 ,2664,2663 [Khalid not killed child/hired slave]
    Dawud :: Book 38 : Hadith 4390
    Malik :: Book 21 : Hadith 21.3.9
    Malik :: Book 55 : Hadith 55.1.2
    Malik :: Book 21 : Hadith 21.3.8, 21.3.9,21.3.11

    WHO R DID IT?
    They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)
    Make ready to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers; Lest they rise and posses the earth, and fill the breadth of the world with tyrants. (Isaiah 14:21 NAB)
    The LORD says, “All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels. The people of Israel are stricken. Their roots are dried up; they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children.” (Hosea 9:11-16
    Matthew 15:4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone(MEN/WOMEN) who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
    Romans 1:25. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen.
    32. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,

    @Jack Diamond

    #O9.3 Jihad is also (O: personally) obligatory for everyone …….
    9:3. And a declaration from Allâh and His Messenger to mankind on the greatest day (the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah – the 12th month of Islâmic calendar) that Allâh is free from (all) obligations to the Mushrikûn and so is His Messenger. So if you (Mushrikûn) repent, it is better for you, but if you turn away, then know that you cannot escape (from the Punishment of) Allâh. And give tidings (O Muhammad SAW) of a painful torment to those who disbelieve.
    DEAR BRO/SIS READ THE ABOVE VERSES & CAN U SHOW ME WHERE IS IT SAY TO US WOMEN/CHILDREN/HANDICAPPED PPL SHOULD PARTICIPATE THE JIHAD,..
    BROTHER JACK PLZ CONSULT AN EYE SPECIALIZED DOCTOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE……
    NEXT VERSES SAYS
    4. Except those of the Mushrikûn with whom you have a treaty, and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor have supported anyone against you. So fulfill their treaty to them to the end of their term. Surely Allâh loves Al- Mattaqûn

    THAT THE PROHIBITION OF WAR WITH NON MUSLIM WHEN THEY R PEACE AGREEMENT WITH MUSLIM …………..

    • Oppressaphobe says

      May 1, 2015 at 11:58 am

      The cockaroaches are coming out of the woodwork now that they’ve been discovered.

    • nfw says

      May 1, 2015 at 11:36 pm

      What a load of incoherent rubbish.

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