Global Jihad

R. E. Smith Jr.

Even the Saudis couldn’t tolerate the hatred spewed by Sheik Omar; they deported him. The Syrian born cleric moved to London in 1985 and has been urging young Muslim men to join “the global jihad.” His followers shout “Allah akbar!” (God is great) when he shows big screen pictures of our World Trade Center falling.

Omar offers nightly rants praising the Sept. 11 U.S. plane hijackers and suicide bombers. A British official said, “We’re fed up with him.” Home Secretary Charles Clarke would like to “relocate” Omar to Syria or Lebanon. Given the recent terror killing in Syrian occupied Lebanon, he may not even be accepted there.

With signs of intensifying Islamist hate speech and terrorist recruiting, countries world-wide are beginning to take action against these religious extremists. Of course, militant Muslims see it differently. They don’t see their activities as extreme; they do Allah’s bidding. “We don’t compromise the religion of Allah,” said Abu Abdullah the new leader of the Finsbury Park mosque in London.

The Brits arrested his predecessor Abu Hamza al-Masri, under their Terrorism Act of 2000, for “soliciting or encouraging others to murder people who did not believe in the Islamic faith”—reported two journalists in The New York Times. Sadly, for this religion, the face of Islam most visibly shows Muslim clerics inciting murders of those who don’t think as their twisted minds do.

The Finsbury Park mosque was the breeding ground for such murderous characters as Zacarias Moussaoui—still waiting punishment for his role in the terrorist attack on America—and the weird “shoebomber,” Richard Reid.

The Brits and the United Nations are keeping eyes on another international Saudi troublemaker, Saad Fagih, living in London. Fagih leads the Movement of Islamic Reform in Saudi Arabia. He claims he has no connections with Al Qaeda, but the Brits suspect otherwise.

The Germans, and even the French, are clamping down on Islamic radicals. French officials recently deported an imam to Algeria for urging young men to join jihad. Italian officials say recruits from there carried out attacks in Bagdad. Swiss officials say Muslim clerics urge terrorism. Jordan officials recently arrested dozens of men intending to cross into Iraq to join jihad. Driven by hatred and ignorance, killing nonbelievers is obligatory for these Muslims.

Sheik Omar said, “I believe Muslims are obliged to support their Muslim brothers abroad . . . . it’s a very good thing to do.” To the civilized world their good deeds go undetected.

European imams are ramping up their inflammatory Islamist rhetoric. On January 23, German police arrested an Al Qaeda suspect charged with recruiting suicide bombers for Iraq. According to the Germans, there will be more arrests.

Yasser Abu S. (Germans don’t disclose the surnames of criminal suspects.) intended to fake his death in Egypt and use life insurance pay to fund nefarious Al Qaeda acts in Germany, the Times reported.

Fortunately for all of us, the Europeans are cooperating with American counterintelligence. On January 12, German police rounded up 22 suspects in several cities and found “dozens of forged passports and boxes of militant propaganda,” wrote Times reporters. Many of those arrested were members of Ansar al-Islam, a recruiting and smuggling group.

As in Britain, German mosques serve as links “in the Iraq recruiting chain.” Information from the Al Quds mosque in Hamburg led to Mohamed Atta, the leader of the Sept. 11 attack on America and his Qaeda cell.

The Europeans are vulnerable in the global war declared by Islamists. Almost 2 million Muslims live in Britain. British and Italian officials are especially vigilant, since they have supported the fight in Iraq.

But we in America cannot afford to be complacent. Our officials believe the Islamic jihadists are waiting for their chance to attack us again; even plotting with support here in the United States. Abu Hamza al-Masri is wanted here on 11 counts related to terrorism. He tried to establish a terrorist camp in Oregon.

The price of freedom from our enemies, domestic and abroad, is constant vigilance. The terrorist watchers believe it is not a matter of if, but when, they will strike again. When we seem off-guard and weak; that will be the time.