On October 21, 2009, MEMRI published two reports on U.S.-born imam Anwar Al-Awlaki: Special Dispatch No. 2610, "U.S.-Born Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki on the State of Jihad Eight Years After 9/11: The U.S. Cannot Win - There is No Rolling Back the Worldwide Jihad" [1] and Al-Awlaki's article "44 Ways of Supporting Jihad," on the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor. [2]
Following the November 5, 2009 shooting at Fort Hood army base in Texas, in which Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is accused of killing 13 and wounding 29, the connection between Hasan and Al-Awlaki came to light; Hasan's family attended the Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, VA, where Al-Awlaki was preaching in 2001, [3] and Hasan, according to a Fort Hood acquaintance, was an admirer of Al-Awlaki [4] and expressed "deep respect" for his teachings. [5] Previously, the FBI linked the mosque to two of the 9/11 hijackers. [6]
On November 9, Al-Awlaki published an article on his website Anwar-alawlaki.com, in which he called Hasan a "hero" and "a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people."
Information on Host Anwar Al-Awlaki's Website
The registration information for Anwar Al-Awlaki's website is as follows: The domain ANWAR-ALAWLAKI.COM is protected by the private domain registration company DomainsByProxy.com. The information listed for DomainsByProxy.com is: Domains by Proxy, Inc., DomainsByProxy.com, 15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353, Scottsdale, Arizona85260, United States, (480) 624-2599 Fax (480) 624-2598. A trace of the server hosting the website shows that it's being hosted by New Dream Network, LLC, 417 Associated Rd., PMB #257, Brea, CA 92821; their “Abuse Team” can be reached at: +1-714-706-4182, abuse@dreamhost.com
Following is Al-Awlaki's article, as it appeared on his website.
"Nidal Hassan Is A Hero"
"Nidal Hassan is a hero. He is a man of conscience who could not bear living the contradiction of being a Muslim and serving in an army that is fighting against his own people. This is a contradiction that many Muslims brush aside and just pretend that it doesn't exist. Any decent Muslim cannot live, understanding properly his duties towards his Creator and his fellow Muslims, and yet serve as a U.S. soldier."
"How Can There Be Any Dispute About the Virtue of What He Has Done?"
"The U.S. is leading the war against terrorism which in reality is a war against Islam. Its army is directly invading two Muslim countries and indirectly occupying the rest through its stooges.
"Nidal opened fire on soldiers who were on their way to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. How can there be any dispute about the virtue of what he has done? In fact the only way a Muslim could Islamically justify serving as a soldier in the U.S. army is if his intention is to follow the footsteps of men like Nidal. The heroic act of brother Nidal also shows the dilemma of the Muslim American community. Increasingly they are being cornered into taking stances that would either make them betray Islam or betray their nation. Many amongst them are choosing the former. The Muslim organizations in America came out in a pitiful chorus condemning Nidal's operation."
"The Fact That Fighting Against the U.S. Army Is an Islamic Duty Today Cannot Be Disputed"
"The fact that fighting against the U.S. army is an Islamic duty today cannot be disputed. No scholar with a grain of Islamic knowledge can defy the clear cut proofs that Muslims today have the right - rather the duty- to fight against American tyranny. Nidal has killed soldiers who were about to be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in order to kill Muslims. The American Muslims who condemned his actions have committed treason against the Muslim Ummah and have fallen into hypocrisy.
"Allah(swt) says: Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment -
Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely. (al-Nisa 136-137)"
"The Wisdom Behind the Opinions That Call For Migration [of Muslims] From The West"
"The inconsistency of being a Muslim today and living in America and the West in general reveals the wisdom behind the opinions that call for migration from the West. It is becoming more and more difficult to hold on to Islam in an environment that is becoming more hostile towards Muslims."
"Ask Allah to Accept From Him His Great Heroic Act"
"May Allah grant our brother Nidal patience, perseverance, and steadfastness, and we ask Allah to accept from him his great heroic act. Ameen"
Endnotes:
[1] U.S.-Born Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki on the State of Jihad Eight Years After 9/11: The U.S. Cannot Win - There is No Rolling Back the Worldwide Jihad; 'If America Failed to Defeat the Mujahedeen When It Gave Its President Unlimited Support - How Can It Win With Obama Who Is On a Short Leash?... How Can It Win Today With a Recession - If Not a Depression
[2] http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/report.htm?report=3683¶m=GJN
[3] http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_fort_hood_muslims_15, November 9, 2009.
[4] McClatchy Newspapers, November 8, 2009.
[5] The Telegraph (UK), November 7, 2009.
[6] Houston Chronicle, November 9, 2009.
