UK students recruited for Somali jihad

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

Young British Muslims are joining a terror group linked to Al-Qaeda that is blamed for hundreds of deaths in the African country

 

STUDENTS from some of Britain’s top universities are travelling to Somalia to fight with a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda.

 

Almost a dozen young British Muslims, including a female medical researcher, are said recently to have joined Al-Shabaab, an extremist rebel organisation blamed for hundreds of deaths in the east African state.

 

Somali community leaders in the UK say students from the London School of Economics (LSE), Imperial College and King’s College London are among those who have been recruited within the past year. The youngest recruit is believed to be 18.

 

One LSE graduate who grew up in Britain is said to have called his pregnant wife from Mogadishu, the Somali capital, telling her: “I am here defending my country and my rights. Look after my daughter. I don’t think I will see you again.”

 

It follows the case of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the London engineering graduate accused of trying to blow up almost 300 passengers on a transatlantic flight on Christmas Day.

 

The security services believe that Britons travelling overseas to train and fight in lawless countries such as Somalia and Yemen pose a serious risk on their return to the UK.

 

They have previously suggested that at least two dozen Britons have gone out to Somalia to take up arms and even become suicide bombers, but community leaders believe the figure could be more than 100.

 

Al-Shabaab — Arabic for “the Youth” — wants to impose sharia across Somalia and is engaged in a violent struggle against the country’s western-backed government. Experts regard it as an African franchise of Al-Qaeda.

 

It has been proscribed by most western countries, including America and Australia, but has escaped a ban in Britain.

 

Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed, a moderate religious leader from north London, warned this weekend that Al-Shabaab is exploiting the loophole to recruit youths in the capital. Although many of them were born in Somalia, they have grown up in the UK and are British citizens.

 

“It’s unbelievable,” said Ahmed. “The group’s supporters and recruiters are free to do what they want.”

 

Ahmed said some families had received anonymous phone calls from Al-Shabaab recruiters urging them to send their children abroad in the name of Islam. “The police said they cannot take action until they [the recruits] do something,” he said.

 

Some of those who have left London for Mogadishu claim to be nationalists opposed to western influence in Somalia. However, one man from north London in his mid-twenties cited injustices against Muslims elsewhere before joining Al-Shabaab last year.

 

The LSE graduate who abandoned his family in south London early last year initially told his pregnant wife and parents that he was travelling to Dubai to work as a journalist at the Khaleej Times newspaper. He never showed up.

 

Instead, the 25-year-old Arsenal fan, who originally came to Britain from Somalia in 1994 and grew up in Leeds, had travelled to Mogadishu. Friends say he was not particularly religious and even had a western-style wedding.

 

Perhaps more worrying is the case of two students from west London who are believed to have travelled to Somalia about nine months ago. The men, described by an informed source as a 23-year-old law graduate from King’s College and a 25-year-old completing a medical degree at Imperial College, had both worked as volunteer anti-drugs campaigners around Ealing and were considered influential among Somali youths.

 

Around the time of their departure, a 24-year-old woman, studying biomedicine at the University of East London, also left Britain, telling friends she was joining Al-Shabaab’s “medical team”.

 

Mohamed Abdullahi, director of the UK Somali Community Initiative, said his organisation is separately investigating the case of five men and an 18-year-old from London, thought to be fighting for the terrorist group. He said he treads a fine line between helping concerned families and identifying threats to the UK authorities.

 

LSE, Imperial and King’s College said they had no record of the students. However, members of Britain’s Somali community use a variety of names.

 

 

Source

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

This is shockingly disgraceful. You would have thought been educated they would been they had a logical capacity to think and condemn terrorism and extremism. However sciences students are robotics and can only think in a linear approach.

 

Also, the opportunitistic UK Somali community organisations, who are literally fighting for survival are using terrorism as a new avenue to bolster funding.

[Geel_jire]

There is so much ignorance in this article it is amazing they printed this garbage.

 

whether you agree with Al-shababs goals (I do) or not there is a world of difference between the Nigerian bomber who travelled 3000 KM to blow up a plane (offense) and a legitimate resistance movement (defense) that is trying to overthrow a puppet government put in place and backed by a foreign mercenary army.

 

 

continuously conflating these two completely different matters and sprinkling this worthless excuse for journalism with a choice few of the current buzzwords Alqueada linked, islamist, terrorist does not make his points any more valid.

[Ibtisam]

Why are you attacking the students? Before you join the bandwagon of the media propaganda; The said case/ individual was from the time of the Ethiopian invasion, close to when the Islam courts were being overthrown. Why it is being published as it is something that has happened recently, or the links between Somalis and al Qadea is just propaganda when they run out of things to publish. I’m just surprised you fell for it.

 

Even worse, when are so called moderate shikes and somali communites going to notice that the media is really not their friend. :rolleyes:

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

GG, the article might be full of exaggerations however there is no denying the number of young students who are being indoctrinated by religious fanatics. I understand they are frustrated but surely this is not a way to vent it out. This is counter-productive.

 

IBZ - I am not talking about one individual, there are several students who are being targeted by extremist.

[Juxa]

the extremist have failed miserably if they cont target you maximus.

[Ibtisam]

Max, in your head maybe.

 

What makes them extrem. You cannot make things up from thin air. We have yet to see a somali extremist form an organisation, nor do we have the somali version of Abu Hamaza. I don't know what "many" you think you saw or what you saw them do which makes them extremist. What I do know for a fact is this article is load of bullshid, along with the so call shike and community leader quoted.

 

loool @ juxa!

[Geel_jire]

MAX here is what baffles me sxb.

 

the people referenced here are not 12 year old children unable to make their own decision.. these are law graduates, medical graduates ~25 years old

 

whenever a young, patriotic somali joins Al-shabab or contributes his/her skill to the jihad you assume they must have been brainwashed, duped or forcefully recruited etc.

 

you assume their age and education should have given them enough sense not to join Al-shabab what you do not take into account is the exact opposite that precisely because of their education and age and common sense that the prospect of contributing to freeing their homeland is so appealing that they do not have to be brainwashed.

 

just like a typical naval gazer it is incomprehensible to the writer that this is a grown person, who thought this through logically and wholeheartedly supports their goals and wishes to contribute to the noble cause.

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

Juxa - I am considering being friends again if you want to. After the incident at the weekend you showed clear contempt for our friendship.

The brothers are a waste of time. They think their iman is measure by the length of their beard. Many walk around uni, thinking their moral authority is legitimised by their artificial display of piety.

 

IBZ - This is a sensitive issue, I am not obliged to discuss it any further. There is alleged presence of MI5 at all university, sometimes in the form of proxies to infiltrate the brother circles.

[Ibtisam]

Btw the way there is a big beard Muslim half Arab guy at your university who has been there for 6yrs. Every one says he is so. Plays basket ball with the brothers. Better watch yourself before you end up in Paddington.

 

Well since you cannot discuss it, then do not make any allegations. I would never believe the M15 rubbish about extremist anyway. They think going to a couple of talks and praying 5 times a day is extreme.

[Juxa]

max, i was very disappointed, your behaviour was very unbecoming of a gentleman.

 

i am also very suprised you have not been approached by extremist or the MI5 and pursued in equal measure

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

@juxa

Anyways the matter has been resolved. If you want to continue to sit on the fence that choice is entirely yours. You should have no expectations of anyone.

 

@IBZ

Universities as I understand follow a secular code, which ensures that students are free from any act of propagation or religious instigation. Freedom within the guidelines of the university code of conduct is also protected by law. The Islamic Society in my university has been seen in campus harassing other students and sending notes calling for females to be covered and for males not to interact with the opposite sex. The mentality, which breeds this sort of behaviour, is the mentality that forms the perfect birthplace of extremism. And it therefore becomes urgent that the university takes solid steps in discouraging such behaviour and holding those who engage in it accountable.