“The reason I wanted to go to Syria was I felt like it was my duty. I felt like it was something that I had to do. And if I didn’t do it, I would be basically a disgrace to God.
Before his 60 Minutes interview, Abdirizak Warsame stated that:
He found counsel in the online lectures of a radical imam and reflected on his decision to later testify against friends knowing he would be labeled “a snitch or a traitor.”
“I honestly think it would be very stupid to have such an experience and not share it with others.”
Warsame also revealed how the jihadists make recruits through a victimology narrative, the same dangerous propaganda that all too many Westerners have also bought into:
“The more I listened, the more my heart went out to those Muslims suffering around the world,” Warsame wrote. “[Awlaki] continued to speak about jihad and a holy war between the Muslims and disbelievers.
“60 Minutes: American teen wanted to participate in ISIS executions”, by Mallory Shelbourne, The Hill, October 30, 2016:
An American teenager who is currently awaiting sentencing for recruiting on behalf of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) said he planned to be an executioner for the terror group.
In an interview with “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Abdirizak Warsame told journalist Scott Pelley he had seen the videos of executions disseminated by the terror network on the internet.
“Yeah. I was going to be, I was going to be participating in those activities,” he said.
Pelley pressed him to explain his reasoning, asking if he would have killed people because they “weren’t true Muslims.”
“Right,” Warsame answered.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Warsame was arrested in December of 2015 and agreed to testify in a federal trial against recruits who tried to go to Syria.
Warsame was influenced by the radical teachings of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American imam who joined al Qaeda. Awlaki was killed by a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
“The reason I wanted to go to Syria was I felt like it was my duty. I felt like it was something that I had to do,” said Warsame.
“And if I didn’t do it, I would be basically a disgrace to God. I would be a disgrace to the world. I would be a disgrace to my family.”
He described growing up between worlds, giving insight into how he was radicalized.
“I went to school with a lot of kids that were not Somali. And so I kind of got into that culture, you know, music. Going to prom, dancing, it’s hard to kind of explain that stuff to your parents when they kind of really don’t understand what it is.”
His mother was worried about the crowd he was spending time with, he told “60 Minutes,” so she encouraged him to go to the mosque. And while he connected to the message he heard there, the lessons were in Somali.
So Warsame searched online for an English-speaking imam and found Al-Awlaki.
“He explained how Islam was, you know, like, my calling. It was almost like he was talking to you. And like it made you feel like you were special, you know? And like you’re the chosen one,” he said of the video lectures.
He explained that several of his friends were similarly radicalized and described spending hours and hours watching such videos online.
“Most of the videos would talk about how if you would engage in jihad you would be doing your family a favor. And that you would be saving their lives from eternal hellfire,” Warsame said.
He and 11 friends decided they would fight in Syria. Two made it, and Warsame believes they are both now dead — and feels responsible.
“I believe I am responsible for their deaths and I think about that every day,” he said, adding that if he had made it to Syria he would probably be dead as well.
Eventually, after suspicion arose over a passport application, one member of the group was tracked down and convinced to work with the FBI. Warsame testified on behalf of the prosecution and is facing 15 years in prison.
“What I’ve done is something that nobody can be proud of,” he told “60 Minutes.” “It’s very shameful. I might be very remorseful, but I haven’t done any actions to correct those wrongs.”…

JawsV says
Newsflash to Muslim: Allah is not God. Jesus is God. You, Muslim, are deluded and demented. Islam has done that to you. Enjoy 15 years in prison.
JOHN SPIELMAN says
allah is Satan that is why this and other muslims feel compelled to kill and be killed for allah. allah is the “best of deceivers and muslims have been deceived by Satan masquerading as God
Paul Clark says
You are a disgrace to God because you joined an evil occult, but you are not irredeemable, Just ask Jesus for redemption and you will automatically know the difference. One is a feeling of warmth, love and joy. The other, I don’t know because God has never convicted me to do evil. I did and do evil on my own and I pray and He forgives me.
J D S says
The problem started when his mother told him to go to the mosque…..Well. Maybe not….The problem started if and when he was born muslim……
Paul Clark says
Warsame me you were not listening to God, you were listening to Satan. There is no difference between the Islamic Allah and Satan. They are brothers of evil.
gravenimage says
Minnesota Muslim says he joined the Islamic State because “if I didn’t do it, I would be basically a disgrace to God”
“60 Minutes: American teen wanted to participate in ISIS executions”
…………………………
This is what Muslims believe the foul “Allah” demands–mass murder in the name of their vicious deity.
God, I hate Islam.
Angemon says
Straight from the quran.
abad says
Every single Muslim in the United States should leave its soil and head for Syria.
But do NOT come back. Ever.
Muslims are not desirable here.
f c king says
Should be parachuted into Mosul for the coming party. He should be standing next to an ISIS flame thrower operator as another British sniper shoots the tank. Love those Brits. Style.
Jake says
Sounds like a somewhat intellectually limited man being led by an evil imam. Again, points out the need to root out and rapidly deport hate preachers,, as stated by Trump in his addresses on terror. The Somali s need to be given a clear choice, either live in peace with fellow Americans, or be forcibly returned to the homeland. No middle ground is permitted, it will be the 21st century or the 7th century, but not here.
JawsV says
In order to embrace Islam it’s a requirement to be intellectually limited.
daniel sebold says
And guess what? Mommy made me do it.
Billy Lynch says
These filthy Somali Muslim bastards are the most barbaric of all the Muslim immigrants to this country. We need a PERMANENT ban on all future Somali immigrants and need to deport every Somali Muslim who is not a US citizen.
Aussie Infidel says
Warsame said, “The reason I wanted to go to Syria was I felt like it was my duty. I felt like it was something that I had to do. And if I didn’t do it, I would be basically a disgrace to God.”
The idea that “Muslims have been deceived by Satan masquerading as God” is nonsense. That’s simply using one irrational religious concept to explain another. And it avoids confronting the main issue – the violent orthodox Islamic ideology in the Quran. The motivation for jihad is simply the outcome of being indoctrinated with Islamic beliefs, and growing up within a Muslim community, with its rigid attitudes, values and expectations.
Muslims are urged to respond to the ‘call to jihad’:
“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life (jihad). And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” (Quran 8:24).
By glorifying life in the Hereafter:
“O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that, when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah, you adhere heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter except a [very] little.” (Quran 9:38).
And indicating punishment from Allah if they do not respond:
“If you do not go forth (in the cause of Allah), He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allah is over all things competent.” (Quran 9:39).
And finally, all it takes is some further preaching from an authority figure like Awlaki to complete the radicalization of these devout, testosterone fuelled young men. Western politicians continually dismiss the power of Islamic indoctrination to inspire jihadis; and of course, the religious community blames their old scapegoat, Satan. Efforts to deradicalize these ‘soldiers of Allah’ by appealing to the need for ‘community harmony’ and ‘law and order’ etc, will continue to fall on deaf ears. Deep emotional commitment, and the promise of eternal sex with all those virgins will win over logic every time!
daniel sebold says
This is well explicated, and I think it is Sam Harris’ argument, too, I believe, which the left has a hard time swallowing, but which I think is correct: you would really have to start at an early age, or perhaps really traumatize an adolescent or an adult into adapting such a bent view of the world. You go from living in a war mongering crap hole like Mogadishu and you are moved to a lovely lush western city like Minneapolis where the streets are clean and there are excellent museums, beautiful lakes and parks and churches and colleges and universities, and all you can think of is how this place is so messed up, and if you could only turn it into New Mogadishu, why, this would be heaven on earth.,,, Hard to comprehend.
ermom says
Well said, Aussie. Don’t forget:
Quran (4:95) – “Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward.” Allah distinguishes Muslims from one another based on their willingness to fight and die in Holy War. Non-violent Muslims will not receive the same reward as the Jihadis.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/killing-avoid-hell.aspx
daniel sebold says
Well, I must correct myself by saying that this young man was born in Minnesota. Nevertheless, I think the argument stands all the more stronger that mommy or daddy or somebody else would have to be doing some intense brainwashing to get some kid who was born in Minneapolis to adapt to such a moronic and ridiculous of the world, and this is something that is so often denied but the people who knew they guy: “I had no idea my kid was into this stuff.” Yeah, right
Jay Boo says
Such arrogance to think that his behavior could bring disgrace upon his disgraceful religion and deity.
Not only is he cowardly reacting to peer pressure by other Muslims, he is putting himself in partnership with his deity just as his fellow Muslims do.
Florida Jim says
Where is the phrase “love they neighbor” found in Islam? It always seems to be “hate thy neighbor and behead him”. Perhaps they are all wrong and all the deaths were for naught.
Chi Cliff says
Taqiyya? Did anyone else have that feeling, or am I just paranoid?
Marken says
“The reason I wanted to go to Syria was I felt like it was my duty. I felt like it was something that I had to do. And if I didn’t do it, I would be basically a disgrace to God.”
And by becoming a disgrace to his Mohammadan god he may be subject to hell. This is the key to his motivation. 290 references to hell are in the Koran, no radicalization needed, this is mainstream, hell for kefir but there is always doubts the believers have, their motivation is not loyalty, love of comrades but pure fear fostered by the huge number of times the threats of hell are vividly and creatively portrayed in the Koran!
jayell says
…..“if I didn’t (go to Syria), I would be basically a disgrace to God”……
Hello Abdirizak Warsame. I hope you are reading this. Just thought you ought to know that most civilised people in the world think that if you’re a muslim you’re a disgrace to God to begin with. Not to mention humanity. End of argument. I’m not sure about being a disgrace to Allah, because Allah seems to be pretty disgraceful anyway, to judge by the things He’s reputed to have said and done in your Holy Book. But that’s assuming that the figment of a 7th.century criminal imagination can actually ‘do’ or ‘say’ anything, rather than the twisted mind that created him (peace be upon him…I think). Whatever, if you really want to emulate your immortal role-model and go and join your heroes in the field as they act out yet another obscene pornographic snuff-movie for the enjoyment of your friends (yes, we can guess that you’ve been watching all those wonderfully professional videos), I personally would not stop you. Just promise us all that you will NEVER EVER come back.
Yorkshire Kufir says
A chosen patsy he is. Agency of a cult? oh yes sir! Specially chosen to be a god’s executioner? i’m sure he felt it to be true. Was it the truth? LOL, just another unstable idiot with an excuse. Islam needs no reason….. just an excuse to cause pain.
Saty says
The fact that is that in one eay or another we all seek self-sacrifice and Islam happens to be just one of them. To specifically condemn it is to fail to see the bigger picture.
Saty says
The fact is that in one way or another we all seek self-sacrifice. To condemn islam specifically is to fail to see the bigger picture.