His family is shocked, shocked by this, and took the opportunity to shore up Islam’s ever-sagging image: “We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss. As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that ‘Isis’ are not Islam. They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.” That’s interesting. What will they do now? Challenge the imams and Muslim leaders who are doing that “hijacking”? That would be unprecedented.
Meanwhile, why was what they taught young Talha about peaceful Islam so weak as to be unable to withstand the blandishments of these online “hijackers”?
“West Yorkshire teenager is ‘UK’s youngest suicide bomber,'” by David Barrett, Telegraph, June 14, 2015:
The “heartbroken” family of a British teenager reportedly killed while fighting for Islamic State said those who sent him to his death had preyed on the “innocence and vulnerability” of a 17-year-old boy[.]
Talha Asmal, who reportedly became Britain’s youngest suicide bomber when he detonated a vehicle fitted with explosives in Iraq, has been described as “a loving, kind, caring and affable teenager”, who never harboured any ill-will against anybody.
In a statement released on Sunday, his family said – despite his death not being officially confirmed – photographs showing a youth purportedly named Abu Yusuf Al Britany appear to depict their son.
The teenager fled his home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in March to allegedly join Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), also known as Isis, along with his friend Hassan Munshi, who was also 17.
The family said he came “from a close-knit, hard-working, peace-loving and law-abiding British Muslim family” who unreservedly “condemns and abhors all acts of violence wherever perpetrated”.
They said despite him never exhibiting any extreme or radical views, he had been exploited by extremists on the internet “in a process of deliberate and calculated grooming”.
Unbeknown to them and completely against their will, they said, he travelled to Iraq via Turkey and fell under the spell of Isil handlers who are “too cowardly to do their own dirty work”.
“We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us,” they said.
“We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss. As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that ‘Isis’ are not Islam.
“They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.”
They added that Isil’s actions were “not and never in our name”….
Angemon says
Really? Watcha gonna do about it then?
mortimer says
Graeme Wood in March 2015, wrote:
“The reality is that THE ISLAMIC STATE IS ISLAMIC. VERY ISLAMIC. Yes, it has attracted psychopaths and adventure seekers, drawn largely from the disaffected populations of the Middle East and Europe. But the religion preached by its most ardent followers derives from coherent and even learned interpretations of Islam.”
Since that moment, no one can have any credibility who does not admit that ISIS is Islamic.
TONY says
Hopefully the Jew killing child raping scumdog is burning in HELL with MO the Paedo!!!!
Stardusty Psyche says
“We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss.”
Yes, as a parent I can deeply empathize with their loss
“As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that ‘Isis’ are not Islam. They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims”
Most Western Muslims seem to genuinely believe this. They practice a whitewashed and watered down version of Islam, not a fundamentalist Islam.
“and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.” That’s interesting. What will they do now? Challenge the imams and Muslim leaders who are doing that “hijacking”? That would be unprecedented.”
No, not unprecedented, sorry Robert Spencer, your statement is simply not the case.
Al-Sisi
Maajid Nawaz.
And many other less well known Muslims are doing exactly that, challenging the Imams and Muslim leaders
Here is an outstanding challenge to the Imams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEXFgkrUnfg
Here is a fine example of a Muslim leader showing support for Christians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18XwiyevZF8
I found the chanting of a Muslim leader’s name at Christmas mass particularly heartening. A small glimmer of progress…
gravenimage says
Here’s a load of obfuscation from Stardusty Psyche:
“We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss.”
Yes, as a parent I can deeply empathize with their loss
………………………………
Notice that “Stardusty Psyche”—just like this foul Jihadist’s family—has not a word of concern for his *victims*. This is very common. They are sorry he is dead; not for the people he has killed.
More:
“As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that ‘Isis’ are not Islam. They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims”
Most Western Muslims seem to genuinely believe this. They practice a whitewashed and watered down version of Islam, not a fundamentalist Islam.
………………………………
What rot. The larger the population of Muslims anywhere—including in the West—the more violent and supremacist the Mohammedans become. Even in France the Muslim population is still less than 10%, but it has become increasingly violent and demanding. There is *nothing* intrinsically more ‘moderate’ about Islam in the West at all.
More:
“and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.” That’s interesting. What will they do now? Challenge the imams and Muslim leaders who are doing that “hijacking”? That would be unprecedented.”
No, not unprecedented, sorry Robert Spencer, your statement is simply not the case.
Al-Sisi
Maajid Nawaz.
And many other less well known Muslims are doing exactly that, challenging the Imams and Muslim leaders
………………………………
Al-Sisi is trying to hang onto power. Christians and “blasphemers” are still being victimized in Egypt. The idea that this is some sort of real challenge to supremacist Islam is not the case.
As for Maajid Nawaz and the Quilliam Foundation, they are more concerned about flogging “Islamophobia” than they are actually challenging the horrors of Islam itself.
More:
Fundamentalist Islam is on the rise. I don’t use the word “radical” because the fundamentalists are accurately reading the words of Muhammad.
………………………………
And “Stardusty Psyche” actually says something rational.
More:
Unfortunately, the only formalized version of Moderate Islam I know if it the Ahmadiyya sect, who have re-written the Qur’an by deleting many of the violent parts. That is not going to help much because they are a relatively small sect of Western Muslims and most Muslims realize they have corrupted the Qur’an.
………………………………
The implication that the Ahmadi represent a Western form of Islam is inaccurate. They developed and do exist in Dar-al-Islam, where they are considered heretical and are oppressed and frequently brutalized and even murdered for it.
Moreover, while the Ahmadiyya reject violent Jihad, they *do not* reject the horror of Shari’ah law, as Angemon notes. That means that if, say, a country were to vote for Shari’ah, or if a “leader” were to impose it, they would find that perfectly acceptable.
That means that persecution for “blasphemy” is fine with them, as is amputating the limbs of petty thieves and stoning rape victims to death.
And it is important to understand that the whole point of violent Jihad is to get the populace to submit to Islamic law. So the end goals of Ahmadis and orthodox Muslims is *precisely the same*.
The Ahmadi present somewhat less of a threat to us on a day-to-day basis due to their not waging violent Jihad—but they don’t actually present any kind of solution to the problem of Islam itself, and would not even if they weren’t such as despised minority.
More:
The grand muftis are generally repeating the “nothing to do with Islam” mantra as a baseless assertion meant for public consumption amongst the poorly educated masses. That isn’t going to help either in the face of fundamentalists who can read the unsanitized words of Muhammad for themselves.
In Islam there is no pope to declare verses as allegorical and no Jesus to bring a new message of pacifism and love abrogating the old violent bits.
………………………………
Oh, Islam has “Jesus”—they just don’t regard him as a healer or peacemaker, but rather as a figure who stands as a “witness against the Christians”, and slaughters any who refuse to convert to Islam in the last days.
As for a Muslim “Pope”, the idea that if there were such a figure that he would be rendering Islam more peaceful is simply not bourn out. Most influential Muslim clerics—such as the Mufti of Jerusalem, the supreme Ayatollah, or the Imams of Al Azhar—are doing *just the opposite*, and affirming the essential violence of Islam.
More:
So, things are looking pretty grim for reform from within but Al-Sisi is pushing for it so maybe that will continue to pick up steam…big maybe.
………………………………
Al Sisi is *not* a Muslim cleric—he is a secular general. There is no doubt that he is marginally less toxic for Egyptian Christians and lax Muslims that the Muslim Brotherhood would have been—he is essentially Mubarak redux. But looking to him for actual reform of Islam seems foolish at best.
Angemon says
gravenimage posted:
“Moreover, while the Ahmadiyya reject violent Jihad”
A small correction, GI. They don’t reject violent jihad per se, they reject violent offensive jihad if they’re free to practice their religion in whatever land they happen to live in. They teach that muslims are allowed to take up arms to “defend” themselves because, according to them, muhammad only took up arms in self defence. Of course, the islamic definition of what constitutes an “attack” and what’s considered “self-defence” is fluid and different from our own – isn’t it astonishing how muslims managed to “self-defend” themselves from Arabia to France in the short span of 100 years?
gravenimage says
Actually, you’re right, Angemon. This makes the Ahmadi even less candidates for any sort of reform of Islam.
Champ says
Hi Graven,
Sorry, but this is OT …
I wanted to bring a comment from ‘voeg’ to your attention where he has posted 2 links to his old “Jihad Watch Watch” blog ..and he’s posting this on Jihad Watch, no less:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/06/university-of-california-berkeley-students-article-about-why-she-left-islam-pulled-from-school-paper-over-fears-for-her-safety/comment-page-1#comment-1252884
Note ‘voeg’s’ comment on June 14, 2015 at 5:41 pm to “quotha”, and then the Jihad Watch Watch links are provided at the end of that comment.
I think ‘voeg’ has some nerve posting that ..*blog*, on Robert’s website! Not to mention it’s completely off-topic.
What do you think?
Thank you, Graven.
gravenimage says
More from “Stardusty Psyche”:
Here is an outstanding challenge to the Imams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEXFgkrUnfg
Here is a fine example of a Muslim leader showing support for Christians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18XwiyevZF8
I found the chanting of a Muslim leader’s name at Christmas mass particularly heartening. A small glimmer of progress…
……………………………….
Why would he find this “heartening”? Threatened dhimmis have *always* had to rely on any Muslim “leader” who seemed to offer them anything less than out-and-out genocide.
One has seen the same necessary fawning from dhimmis over Al Sisi’s predecessor Mubarak and over Syria’s Assad.
Here is what is actually going on under this ‘great reformer’s’ aegis:
“Egypt: Terrified Christians flee homes following blasphemy accusations”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/06/egypt-terrified-christians-flee-homes-following-blasphemy-accusations
“Egypt: Another teenage Coptic girl vanishes”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/05/egypt-another-teenage-coptic-girl-vanishes
“Egypt: Muslim mob again attacks church honoring Christians killed by Islamic State”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/04/egypt-muslim-mob-again-attacks-church-honoring-christian-killed-by-islamic-state
“Egypt: TV presenter gets 5 years prison for blasphemy”
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/05/egypt-tv-presenter-gets-5-years-prison-for-blasphemy
There are dozens more stories like it.
All one can really say is that Egypt today is not quite as horrifying as the Islamic State. But pretending that this presents “an outstanding challenge” to Islam is simply absurd.
Stardusty Psyche says
Hi gravenimage,
Geee, your a kinda Negative Nancy!!! Downer man…
No leader in the Muslim world has publicly stated what Al-Sisi has said
The texts are the problem
A revolution within Islam is needed
It is impossible that Muslims should kill the other billions on Earth
and more…
I mean, he has said publicly, and directly to the Imams at Al-Azhar some of the key points we all make against fundamentalist Islam.
Al-Sisi is arresting Muslim Brotherhood by the thousands. They are being executed by the hundreds. This guy is not playing around, he is killing the MB outright. You like that, don’t you?\
He cleared a buffer zone south of Gaza. He pours raw sewage down the tunnels, destroys tunnels, and he got Obama to send the Army Core of Engineers to drive steel pilings for an underground wall to block tunnels. He uses listening devices to detect activity. He is blocking Hamas, you like that, don’t you?
There has never been a Muslim leader to attend mass. Isn’t that a good thing?
But even a military general who took over in a coup can’t change everything overnight. Egypt is a big country infested with fundamentalist Muslims and MB activists.
IS is bragging about its attacks inside the borders of Egypt and in neighboring Libya.
Christians are absolutely being attacked in Egypt, you are totally correct about that, but it is in spite of Al-Sisi, not because of him.
Egypt recognizes Israel, as does Jordan, the only Muslim countries that do so. Egypt and Israel are cooperating with the USA against Hamas tunnels.
Did you listen to the speech Al-Sisi made at Al-Azhar? Can you name any other Muslim leader who has publicly stated anything like it?
Joseph says
@ Stardusty Psyche
Hi gravenimage,
Geee, your a kinda Negative Nancy!!! Downer man…
_______________________________________________
She is not being negative, she is being realistic. Facts are facts, you CAN NOT trust any Muslim even if YOU are a Muslim(cough cough)
Pull your head out of the clouds and put your feet on the ground. Muslims will do ANYTHING (even kill their own mother) if it advances the cause of Islam.
YOU should know that.
Angemon says
Stardusty Psyche posted:
“Al-Sisi is arresting Muslim Brotherhood by the thousands. They are being executed by the hundreds. This guy is not playing around, he is killing the MB outright.”
And he’s doing that despite Obama and his administration, who backed Morsi and the MB during the so-called “Arab Spring”.
“But even a military general who took over in a coup ”
False. Sisi was freely elected in 2014. IIRC, he got nearly twice as many votes as Morsi did in 2012.
Charli Main says
“has been described as “a loving, kind, caring and affable teenager”, who never harboured any ill-will against anybody.”
A fine candidate for Sainthood. Expect Pope Francis to make an announcement any time now———
albert says
Usually described as ” a good muslim ” as if that means something decent, what does” a good muslim “do ? he or she prays for the destruction of unbelievers, their book is full of hate, their hearts are full of hate, I once had an online discussion with a muslim on a aol forum, he informed me that the very worst muslim was a better person than the very best Christian, but ” only if he prayed every day “
Westman says
“….we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.” Who is we? All the Muslims that are going to Iraq and Syria in droves to fight against ISIS?
The honest truth is ISIS represents a “religious revival” of Islamic doctrine when the Ummah really needs a Reformation of it. ISIS didn’t highjack Islam, the Ummah have been slacking.
jewdog says
As painful and tragic as this is for the family, let’s try to keep in mind that it’s all part of human evolution. Ultimately, thousands of years from now, the human gene pool will be rid of people who are stupid enough to believe in the Islamic drivel of the Islamic State. As a commemorative gesture, a song comes to mind:
Where have all the morons gone,
Long time passing…
Where have all the morons gone,
Long time ago.
Gone to jihad every one.
When will they ever learn (dog howls in background)?
When will they ever learn?
Edgar Allen says
I have never seen in any of these cases, any Muslim family actually apologize, or show any concern, or even mention the victims of their children’s terrorism. It’s all about them. “The tragedy that has befallen “us”.
The victims of the suicide bombing? what victims?
jayell says
Press quote from the family of Talha Asmal…..”We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss.” So they in no way expected any of this? And they expect the sympathy of the Great British Public? With the current track record of the Muslim community in the UK?
Oh dear, oh dear, such an appalling lack of general awareness!
mortimer says
There is a HUGE amount of RADICAL ISLAMIC CHIC among Islamic youth.
Anyone who does not see it is blind and not looking for it and not taking the youth SERIOUSLY!
Intelligence communities, WATCH THE RADICALIZATION IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
gravenimage says
17-year-old Muslim who journeyed to the Islamic State becomes UK’s youngest jihad-martyrdom suicide bomber
……………………………
It’s the “lil’est” suicide bomber—how sweet! sarc/off
More:
His family is shocked, shocked by this, and took the opportunity to shore up Islam’s ever-sagging image: “We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss. As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that ‘Isis’ are not Islam. They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.” That’s interesting. What will they do now? Challenge the imams and Muslim leaders who are doing that “hijacking”? That would be unprecedented.
……………………………
The usual. And note that the family says *nothing* about junior’s *victims*.
Will anyone investigate their Mosque? Is the Islam being taught there fundamentally different from ISIS’s conception? I very much doubt it…
More:
Meanwhile, why was what they taught young Talha about peaceful Islam so weak as to be unable to withstand the blandishments of these online “hijackers”?
……………………………
Yup—chances are that not only is the Mosque’s conception of Islam the same as ISIS’s, but so is the family’s.
More:
The “heartbroken” family of a British teenager reportedly killed while fighting for Islamic State said those who sent him to his death had preyed on the “innocence and vulnerability” of a 17-year-old boy[.]
……………………………
What’s so “innocent” about going off to wage violent Jihad for a genocidal Islamic State? It’s not as though ISIS is hiding what they are.
Instead, their entire appeal is their fundamental savagery.
More:
The family said he came “from a close-knit, hard-working, peace-loving and law-abiding British Muslim family” who unreservedly “condemns and abhors all acts of violence wherever perpetrated”.
……………………………
This last is usually code for condemning Israel or the US fighting to *oppose* violent Jihad…
More:
“We need time and understanding to come to terms with our unimaginable and painful loss.
……………………………
In other words, don’t bother us or look too closely into our beliefs…
More:
As a family we would like to take this opportunity to unequivocally state that ‘Isis’ are not Islam.
“They do not represent in any way, shape or form Islam and Muslims and we are no longer prepared to allow a barbaric group like ‘Isis’ to hijack our faith.”
They added that Isil’s actions were “not and never in our name”….
……………………………
Notice how vociferous but oddly non-specific this is? What *exactly* do they oppose in ISIS’s interpretation of Islam? The violent Jihad? The imposition of Shari’ah law?
Or just the fact that they had junior blow himself up?
IQ al Rassooli says
Dear ALL
Words and their actual (unadulterated) meaning are of immense importance
A great number of so called ‘scholars’ and others keep using the expression “Islamic REFORMATION” as being similar to the Christian one
The Protestant REFORMATION was to overthrow all the ungodly additions put up over the centuries by Catholic clerics that have absolutely nothing to do with the Gospels.
Thus Reformation is to “Go back to the FUNDAMENTALS of the faith”
When discussing ‘Islamic Reformation’ it has to be in the same manner, that is going back to the Fundamentals of Islam as practised by the Muhammad and his Companions (SALAF)
Hence ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, al Shabab etc are actually doing their utmost to turn back Islam & Muslims to the Time Warp of Muhammad’s 7th century Arabia. They are the PUREST form of Islam. They are the Fundamentalists. ISIS is actually REFORMING Islam!
Hence Islamic Reformation is ongoing today but NOT in the way that most of our clueless, spineless and Criminally Negligent leaders in Politics Academia Clergy & Media are DECEIVING their peoples!
IQ al Rassooli
Kafir & Proud!
Angemon says
Indeed. Raymond Ibrahim posted an article recently where he drove those points home. Just in case someone missed it:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/05/raymond-ibrahim-islams-reformation-is-already-here-and-its-called-isis
mortimer says
Agree with Rasooli.
SALAFISM is the Islamic Reformation.
Mary Lee Montez says
How much money did the family get for providing their son to be a suicide bomber?
abad says
He is no martyr, he is a moron.
Firebug says
Woke up this morning and put the news on. BBC and Sky both pushing the narrative that this was a kind and caring young man who had be manipulated by cruel ISIS handlers.
Turned off the TV, fired up the computer and checked the story on all major UK newspapers websites.
All bar one (the Daily Express) had the comments section closed, and were also pushing the kind, caring, misunderstood tripe.
Not ONE mention of this dog’s victims.
Additionally, there were at least three of these filth from the same town (Dewsbury) – all friends who had grown up together. Of course, no one will investigate the mosque there. That would be Islamophobic.
koran-at-a-glance says
Yes,the family were shocked and the nice imam explained to the nice BBC lady how ISIS has nothing to do with Islam and that the lads must have been radicalised over the internet.
But now, to no one’s surprise, it turns out that “radicalising” young people is a family business:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/06/14/exclusive-britains-youngest-isis-bomber-linked-to-army-of-darkness-mega-mosque/
Here is another explanation for the lads becoming murderous fanatics ie simply a Koranic education:
http://www.koran-at-a-glance.com/about.html
Steph says
Neither left or right,,, it’s time we used good old marketing to lay down the ground rules …
If at all possible, the headcount of the suicide bombing incident should be published along with the associated mosks identity, location & Immam’s name , so all so called “peaceful” muslims can decide if that’s the Islam / immam they want in their backyard. and “their new country”.
Laura says
“We are all naturally utterly devastated and heartbroken by the unspeakable tragedy that now appears to have befallen us,” the parents said.”
How about, ‘we are all naturally utterly ashamed and embarrassed that our son has committed this act of barbarism against innocent people.’
Wanetta Smith says
Bombings
At least 11 Iraqi security personnel were killed in yesterday’s quadruple suicide car bombing near Baiji. Islamic State said four of its foreign fighters carried out the attack.
Seven soldiers were killed, AFP reported – as well as four members of the Popular Mobilisation force, an umbrella for mostly Shiite militias and volunteers that has been doing much of the heavy lifting in the fight against IS in Iraq.
An army officer said the vehicles used were identical, brand new SUVs that looked like an official convoy.
Pictures released by IS showed the black-clad suicide bombers each standing by one of four black Toyota Land Cruisers.
An Isis statement said that the bombers were a Kuwaiti, a Palestinian, a Briton and a German.
The Family of the bomber says nothing about the people he killed …. they only care about their murderer son . ..