A New American Leader Rises in ISIS

Atlantic, A New American Leader Rises in ISIS "A two-year investigation identifies one of the very few Americans in the Islamic State’s upper ranks—and sheds light on the dynamics of radicalization."

Massachusetts - radicalisation case

Everett Independent, Everett Man Sentenced for Supporting ISIS and Conspiring to Behead U.S. Citizens, 10 Jan 2018 "Beginning in at least February 2015, Wright [David Daoud Wright] began discussing ISIS’ call to kill non-believers in the United States with his uncle, Usaamah Abdullah Rahim, and co-defendant Nicholas Alexander Rovinski. Specifically, Wright created a “martyrdom” operation cell in Massachusetts. In April 2015, he created a Twitter page for the “Lions of America” and published a document entitled, Internal Conquest, on the internet in which Wright called on the “Lions of Allah” to kill Americans. Wright also plotted with Rahim and Rovinski to behead U.S. citizens at the direction of ISIS, and identified a New York woman as the first beheading target."

'An incredible transformation': how rehab, not prison, worked for a US Isis convert

Guardian, 'An incredible transformation': how rehab, not prison, worked for a US Isis convert

IS-related investigation in Minnesota

Star Tribune, Father, hacker and jujitsu instructor among Minnesotans under investigation for ISIS ties Interesting in its discussion on ongoing investigations, which have an online element.

Mona Haydar

"My music isn't haram. Being judgemental is haram" - @mona_haydar speaks to @Maaiysa #AsianNetwork Also see:

Check out the lyrics here at monahaydar.com.

Vinas Case

CNN, American al Qaeda recruit to be released from prison Also see: "he American al Qaeda recruit who once pitched terrorist leaders on plans to bomb the Long Island Railroad and a WalMart store was sentenced Thursday to time served plus 90 days in prison during a New York federal court appearance."

How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group

The Atlantic, How Two Mississippi College Students Fell in Love and Decided to Join a Terrorist Group "In three short months, Jaelyn Young and Muhammad Dakhlalla found themselves at the center of America’s debate over radicalization."

Researchers: Fear of Muslim American Violent Extremism Overblown

VOA, Researchers: Fear of Muslim American Violent Extremism Overblown, 7 Feb 2017 "Indeed, most recent terrorist attacks in the United States have been carried out by homegrown Muslim extremists with few or no links to foreign countries, with recent immigrants and refugees accounting for a minority of mostly non-lethal plots. These same experts attribute that to stringent security procedures put in place after the attacks of 9/11 nearly 15 years ago."

This Muslim Teen Had A Sublime Rebuttal To A Classmate Asking Her To Defend Her Religion

aplus.com, This Muslim Teen Had A Sublime Rebuttal To A Classmate Asking Her To Defend Her Religion "Recently in one of her classes, Hashmi was confronted by another student who asked why Muslims did not condemn violence when perpetrators committed such acts in the name of Islam. Of course we do, she responded, but the conversation kept going in circles, leaving the both of them equally frustrated.



"So Hashmi decided that she had had enough. At home, she dug deep into the corners of the internet and created an extensive, painstakingly organized list of Muslim figures who condemned violent acts committed in the name of Islam."

MuslimGirl - the book

bustle.com, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh's Memoir 'Muslim Girl' Details Her Coming-Of-Age Experience In Post-9/11 America "When Amani Al-Khatahtbeh was 17, she started a blog called MuslimGirl, which has now grown into a full website and a revolutionary force in the media."

'In God's Name: A young American who grew up in the heartland tells Scott Pelley what made him try to join ISIS in Syria'

CBS News, In God's Name: A young American who grew up in the heartland tells Scott Pelley what made him try to join ISIS in Syria "About 260 Americans have joined, or tried to join, terrorists overseas. And many of us wonder how in God’s name does that happen? How is an American drawn into a group that seeks to destroy everything that America stands for? Abdirizak Warsame has an exotic name but he was an American teenager, living with his mom in Minneapolis, who became the leader of an ISIS cell sending other young men from Minneapolis to their deaths. Warsame will be sentenced soon, he is facing up to 15 years in prison but he was released from jail, for one day, to talk to us, before the judge passes sentence, to explain how he fell for ISIS in God’s name."

Omar Mateen Enrolled In Online Website For Islam Lessons Run By Anti-Gay Imam

CBS News, Omar Mateen Enrolled In Online Website For Islam Lessons Run By Anti-Gay Imam, 23 June 2016 "The Orlando nightclub gunman enrolled in an online website for lessons on Islam that was run by an imam who openly preached against the gay community, sources said.



"A law enforcement source told CBS News that Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people at the gay nightclub Pulse, enrolled online in Fundamental Islamic Knowledge Seminary."

#Orlando shootings

This is a summary of stories, specific to this blog's core themes, relating to the attack in Orlando, Florida.  

Guardian, Orlando shooting – as it happened

VOA, Orlando Shootings Illustrate IS Potential to Radicalize From Afar, 13 June 2016 "“Radical individuals in many Western countries enjoy a large degree of autonomy and freedom of movement,” said Houzan Mahmoud, a London researcher on Islamic militancy in the Middle East and North Africa. "She told VOA that governments and intelligence agencies need to take more preventive measures to be ready for the unpredictable. "“Radicals [in the West] are allowed to utilize all platforms to spread their ideology,” she said. “They use colleges, mosques, media outlets and social media sites to radicalize people.”

Guardian, Being suspicious of Muslims won't stop terrorism – video

Amanullah De Sondy, Washington Post, LGBT Muslims do exist, and they are grieving. It’s time for acceptance

The Intercept, Stop Exploiting LGBT Issues to Demonize Islam and Justify Anti-Muslim Policies

Independent, Orlando attack: Muslims join hundreds who answer call to donate blood

Telegraph, Omar Mateen's imam says he was known at the mosque for being aggressive

Heatstreet, Reddit Mods Locked Threads, Banned Users After Orlando Shooter Revealed to Be Muslim "Reddit’s r/news, the subreddit that exists for the sole purpose of discussing and sharing breaking news, locked multiple threads and deleted others on articles pertaining to the Orlando shootings after it was revealed that the shooter was Muslim. When a thread is locked users can no longer comment. The moderators blamed it on “brigading” and “hate speech,” but they also blocked people from sharing useful information on blood donations and ways to help."

Reuters, Wolf dens, not lone wolves, the norm in U.S. Islamic State plots

foreignpolicy.com, Are There Any More ‘Lone Wolves’ in the Age of the Islamic State? "The gunman who slaughtered innocents in Orlando didn’t need any specific orders from Islamic State commanders. The group’s hateful ideology was enough."

Yahoo! News, After the Orlando Shooting, a Muslim Man's Post Is Going Viral for the Best Reason

Telegraph, Orlando shooting: Gunman Omar Mateen 'was a regular at LGBT nightclub Pulse' and 'used gay dating apps'

Muslim Leaders Wage Theological Battle, Stoking ISIS’ Anger

NY Times, Muslim Leaders Wage Theological Battle, Stoking ISIS’ Anger, 8 May 2016 "As the military and political battle against the Islamic State escalates, Muslim imams and scholars in the West are fighting on another front — through theology."

IS prosecution

AP, Pizzeria owner who recruited for IS group gets 22 1/2 years "Mufid Elfgeeh, 32, had pleaded guilty in December in federal court in Rochester to attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization in 2013 and 2014."

Chattanooga

Rita Katz, SITEIntelGroup, Information about the Chattanooga Shooter is Disappearing from the Internet "Abdulazeez did what jihadists are asked to do prior to execution of their attacks: delete important information that could provide insight into their networks. Jihadi recruiters often advise prospects to “delete your social network accounts or stay inactive,” as well as “all the nasheed [Islamic chants], videos, pictures, messages” prior to their attacks or migration to jihad."

Colorado teen radicalisation

Denver Post, Analyst group: Colorado teens spoke with top Islamic State terrorists, 29 Oct 2014 "Two of the three girls had secondary Twitter accounts — one of which included "SlaveOfAllah" in the handle — that they used to express their Islamic views. When the three left on their trip, their travels created international chatter on social media as supporters and detractors offered words of support and criticism." Features work of SITE

"The number of global jihadis is increasing, but Americans aren't necessarily less safe"

PRI, The number of global jihadis is increasing, but Americans aren't necessarily less safe, 4 Jun 2014

Allegations: "Islamic Cleric From Michigan Is a Top Online Figure for Jihadists in Syria"

The Blaze, Islamic Cleric From Michigan Is a Top Online Figure for Jihadists in Syria "Ahmad Jibril, who was released from prison in 2012 after serving time for fraud, began his online sermons just as Al Qaeda extremists began flooding into the civil war in Syria." Allegations.

'American Sharia'

Trailer for forthcoming comedy, crowd sourced - full details here americanshariamovie.com