Islamic extremism in the United States
Encyclopedia
Islamic extremism
is a term used to describe adherence to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam (see Islamic fundamentalism
) and can include the promotion of violence to achieve political goals (see Jihadism
). In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Islamic extremism became a central national security concern of the United States. The focus was on foreign terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaeda
, but in the decade since 9/11 the threat has evolved and Islamic extremism within the United States is a growing concern. The number of American citizens or long-term residents involved in extremist activity is not large, but "the sustained and growing number of individuals heeding" the call of Islamic extremism "is alarming."
Zeyno Baran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Eurasian Policy at the Hudson Institute, argues a more appropriate term is Islamist
extremism to distinguish the religion from the political ideology that leads to extremism:
With the value placed on freedom of religion in the United States, religious extremism is a difficult and divisive topic. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser
, president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
, testified before Congress that the United States is "polarized on its perceptions of Muslims and the radicalization that occurs within our communities... One camp refuses to believe any Muslim could be radicalized living in blind multiculturalism, apologetics, and denial, and the other camp believes all devout Muslims and the faith of Islam are radicalized..." In between the two polarities is a respect for the religion of Islam coupled with an awareness of the danger "of a dangerous internal theo-political domestic and global ideology that must be confronted - Islamism
."
groups aboard. Zeyno Baran testified before the Senate Committee for Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that "over the course of four decades, Islamists have taken over the leadership in almost all Islam related areas in America." The result is that any American, Muslim or not, seeking information about Islam will be influenced by an extremist ideology, often unknowingly. The Muslim Brotherhood
founded many of the Islamic organizations in the United States; the Brotherhood does not engage in terrorism directly, but is part of the "vanguard of a radical Islamist ideology" that can lead followers to violence. Also, the Saudi Arabian government has spent tens of billions promoting Wahhabism
globally and some of that money has supported mosques and Islamic organizations in the United States.
The Muslim Brotherhood is not a monolithic entity, so these various groups are not working in concert, but all fail to acknowledge the danger of Islamism in America. The groups maintain that they are independent organizations that have evolved from their beginnings as Muslim Brotherhood organizations.
." American citizens or longtime residents are "masterminds, propagandists, enablers, and media strategists" in foreign terror groups and working to spread extremist ideology in the West. This trend is worrisome because these American extremists "understand the United States better than the United States understands them."
There is a lack of understanding of how Americans radicalize. There is "no typical profile" of an American extremist and the "experiences and motivating factors vary widely." Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, stated that it is unclear if there has been an "increase in violent radicalization
" or "a rise in the mobilization of previously radicalized individuals". Terrorist organizations seek Americans to radicalize and recruit because of a familiarity with the United States and the West. The evolving extremist threat makes it "more difficult for law enforcement or the intelligence community to detect and disrupt plots."
Some American extremists are actively recruited and trained by foreign terrorist organizations and others are known as "lone wolves" that radicalize on their own. The Fort Hood shooter
, Major Nidal Hasan, is an American of Palestinian descent. He communicated via email with Anwar al-Awlaki
, but had no direct ties to al-Qaeda
. Al-Qaeda propaganda
uses Hasan to promote the idea of "be al-Qaeda by not being al-Qaeda". Abdulhakim Muhammad
, an American citizen, shot a military recruiter in Little Rock, Arkansas in June 2009 after spending time in Yemen; he was born Carlos Bledsoe and converted to Islam as a young adult. Faisal Shahzad
is a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan and received bomb training from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
; his plot to denote a bomb in New York's Times Square
was discovered only after the bomb failed. Zachary Chesser converted to Islam after high school and began to spread extremism over the internet. He was arrested attempting to board a flight to Somalia to join the terrorist group al-Shabaab. This is not an exhaustive listing of American violent extremists, but demonstrates that there are no age or race patterns and both life-long Muslims and recent converts
are at risk of radicalization and espousing violent extremism.
provide insider's knowledge of the United States. Adam Gadahn is an American convert who joined al-Qaeda in the late 1990s. He released English-language propaganda videos, but Gadahn lacked charisma and his voice was replaced by Anwar al-Awlaki
. Awlaki was an American of Yemeni descent, killed on September 30, 2011 by a U.S. missile strike in Yemen. Awlaki had religious credentials Gadahn lacks and a "gently persuasive" style; "tens of thousands, maybe millions, have watched [Awlaki's] lectures on the Internet." His perfect English and style broadened al-Qaeda's reach. Another key American in al-Qaeda's power structure is a man named Adnan Shukrijumah. Shukrijumah is believed to be the highest ranking American in al-Qaeda. He was born in Saudi Arabia, grew up in Trinidad, and moved to Florida as a teenager; he was a naturalized American citizen and left the United States in the spring of 2001. Shukrijumah was a mystery to authorities until he was identified by Najibullah Zazi
after Zazi was arrested for a failed plot to bomb transportation targets around New York City. Zazi had traveled to Afghanistan to fight U.S. forces, but Shukrijumah convinced Zazi to return to the United States and plan an attack here.
Members of a prison extremist group, called Jami'iy yat Ul-Isla Is Saheeh (JIS), from New Folsom State Prison in California hatched a plot to attack numerous local government and Jewish targets. In July 2005, members of JIS "were involved in almost a dozen armed gas station robberies in Los Angeles with the goal of financing terrorist operations." The plot was exposed and there is debate over whether the group is a sign of a wider problem. There is a "significant lack of social science research" on the issue of Islamic extremism in U.S. prisons and there is disagreement on the danger Islamic extremism in prisons poses to U.S. national security.
Statistics are not kept on the religious orientation of inmates in the U.S. prison system, limiting the ability to adequately judge the potential for Islamic extremism. A report published by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General in 2004 on the issue of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
' selection of Muslim chaplains, estimated that 6% of the federal inmate population seek Muslim Islamic services. Through prisoner self-reporting, the majority of Muslims in federal prison are Sunni or Nation of Islam followers. The federal prison population is only a small percentage of the total U.S. prison population, however, and cannot provide an overall representation of Muslims inmates in the United States.
s in the United States transmit extremist ideas. The North American Islamic Trust
(NAIT), a group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, "holds titles of approximately 300 properties [mosques and Islamic schools]". The organization's website states: "NAIT does not administer these institutions or interfere in their daily management, but is available to support and advise them regarding their operation in conformity with the Shari'ah." Other research on the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States claims NAIT influences a far larger number of Islamic institutions in the U.S.
There is no government policy on the establishment of mosques in the United States and no way to monitor activity. The value placed on religious freedom in the U.S. complicates the situation as mosques are places of worship that may be used to spread extremist ideology.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP) published an English-language online magazine called Inspire. The magazine is designed to appeal to Westerners. It is “[w]ritten in colloquial English, [with] jazzy headlines and articles that made it seem almost mainstream--except that they were all about terrorism.” Inspire “included tips for aspiring extremists on bomb-making, traveling overseas, email encryption, and a list of individuals to assassinate." The editor is believed to be Samir Khan
, an American citizen, based on work he did before leaving the United States. The magazine appeared six months after Khan arrived in Yemen. There have been seven issues of Inspire. Khan died in the same missile attack that killed Anwar al-Awlaki
and the future of the magazine is unknown.
Yousef al-Khattab and Younes Abdullah Mohammed, both converts to Islam, started a group called Revolution Muslim
. The group was meant “to be both a radical Islamic organization and a movement” with goals that include “establishing Islamic law in the United States, destroying Israel and taking al-Qaeda’s messages to the masses.” A list of its members “reads like a who’s who of American homegrown terrorism
suspects”; Samir Khan and Jihad Jane
were regulars in the Revolution Muslim chat rooms. Revolution Muslim had a website and a YouTube account before it was shutdown after a posting glorifying the stabbing of a British member of Parliament. The revolutionmuslim.com domain now redirects to a website called Islam Policy run by Younes Abdullah Mohammed. The danger of the website, and others that offer similar content, is the websites offer the chance to become further involved in violent extremism and connect to like-minded people in the U.S. and aboard.
(FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Counterterrorism Center
(NCTC) are the most relevant elements of the U.S. government to the threat of American Islamic extremism and each has taken steps to address and counter the issue. Since 9/11 the government has worked to improve information sharing "within the government, and between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, as well as with the public." The "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign, instituted by DHS and local law enforcement, was created to raise public awareness of the potential dangers. In August 2011, the Office of the President released a strategy to counter violent extremism called "Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States". The strategy takes a three-pronged approach of community engagement, better training, and counternarratives. The plan states: "We must actively and aggressively counter the range of ideologies violent extremists employ to radicalize and recruit individuals by challenging justifications for violence and by actively promoting the unifying and inclusive visions of our American ideals," challenging extremist propaganda through words and deeds. The goal is to "prevent violent extremists and their supporters from inspiring, radicalizing, financing, or recruiting individuals or groups in the United States to commit acts of violence."
, the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
. Dr. Jasser testified before a House hearing on Muslim radicalization in the U.S. in early 2010:
Another voice, that warned of Islamic extremism before the September 11 attacks is Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
, chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America,
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to two related and partially overlapping but also distinct aspects of extremist interpretations and pursuits of Islamic ideology:...
is a term used to describe adherence to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam (see Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
) and can include the promotion of violence to achieve political goals (see Jihadism
Jihadism
Jihadism is a term to describe the renewed focus on armed jihad in radical Islamic fundamentalism....
). In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Islamic extremism became a central national security concern of the United States. The focus was on foreign terrorist groups, particularly Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
, but in the decade since 9/11 the threat has evolved and Islamic extremism within the United States is a growing concern. The number of American citizens or long-term residents involved in extremist activity is not large, but "the sustained and growing number of individuals heeding" the call of Islamic extremism "is alarming."
Zeyno Baran, senior fellow and director of the Center for Eurasian Policy at the Hudson Institute, argues a more appropriate term is Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
extremism to distinguish the religion from the political ideology that leads to extremism:
IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, the religion, deals with piety, ethics, and beliefs, and can be compatible with secular liberal democracy and basic civil liberties. Islamists, however, believe Islam is the only basis for the legal and political system that governs the world's economic, social, and judicial mechanisms. Islamic law, or shariaShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, must shape all aspects of human society, from politics and education to history, science, the arts, and more. It is diametrically opposed to liberal democracy.
With the value placed on freedom of religion in the United States, religious extremism is a difficult and divisive topic. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser
Zuhdi Jasser
Zuhdi Jasser, also known as M. Zuhdi Jasser, and Mohamed Zuhdi Jasser, is a medical doctor specializing internal medicine and nuclear cardiology in Phoenix, AZ. Jasser is a former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy where he served as staff internist in the Office of the Attending...
, president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
American Islamic Forum for Democracy
American Islamic Forum for Democracy is a Muslim American think tank formed in March 2003 by a small group of Muslim professionals in the Phoenix Valley of Arizona. The group's founder is M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D...
, testified before Congress that the United States is "polarized on its perceptions of Muslims and the radicalization that occurs within our communities... One camp refuses to believe any Muslim could be radicalized living in blind multiculturalism, apologetics, and denial, and the other camp believes all devout Muslims and the faith of Islam are radicalized..." In between the two polarities is a respect for the religion of Islam coupled with an awareness of the danger "of a dangerous internal theo-political domestic and global ideology that must be confronted - Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
."
Non-violent Islamic extremism
An important element to understanding Islamic extremism in the United States is the multitude of religious non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with ties to IslamistIslamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
groups aboard. Zeyno Baran testified before the Senate Committee for Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that "over the course of four decades, Islamists have taken over the leadership in almost all Islam related areas in America." The result is that any American, Muslim or not, seeking information about Islam will be influenced by an extremist ideology, often unknowingly. The Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
founded many of the Islamic organizations in the United States; the Brotherhood does not engage in terrorism directly, but is part of the "vanguard of a radical Islamist ideology" that can lead followers to violence. Also, the Saudi Arabian government has spent tens of billions promoting Wahhabism
Wahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or a branch of Islam. It was developed by an 18th century Muslim theologian from Najd, Saudi Arabia. Ibn Abdul Al-Wahhab advocated purging Islam of what he considered to be impurities and innovations...
globally and some of that money has supported mosques and Islamic organizations in the United States.
American groups with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood
According to Steven Merley, the following groups are linked to the Muslim Brotherhood:- Muslim Students' AssociationMuslim Students' AssociationThe Muslim Students Association, or Muslim Student Union, of the U.S. and Canada, also known as MSA National, is a religious organization dedicated to establishing and maintaining Islamic societies on college campuses in Canada and the United States. It serves to provide coordination and support...
(MSA) - North American Islamic TrustNorth American Islamic TrustThe North American Islamic Trust is a Saudi-backed organization based in Plainfield, Indiana, that owns Islamic properties and promotes waqf in North America...
(NAIT) - Islamic Society of North AmericaIslamic Society of North AmericaThe Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
(ISNA) - International Institute of Islamic ThoughtInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtThe International Institute of Islamic Thought is a privately held non-profit organization.The Institution is concerned with issues of Islamic thought...
(IIIT) - SAAR FoundationSAAR FoundationThe SAAR Foundation was a flagship corporation representing charities, think tanks, and business entities named after its founder, Saudi patriarch Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi. The SAAR Foundation achieved prominence as the key subject of a March 20, 2002 raid by federal agents, as a part of...
- Islamic Association of PalestineIslamic Association of PalestineIslamic Association of Palestine was an Islamist organization that raised money in the United States for Hamas. It described itself as "a not-for-profit, public-awareness, educational, political, social, and civic, national grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a just, comprehensive, and...
(IAP) - Muslim American SocietyMuslim American SocietyThe Muslim American Society is a nonprofit organization founded in 1993 that describes itself as an Islamic revival and reform movement....
(MAS) - Council on American-Islamic RelationsCouncil on American-Islamic RelationsThe Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR) - Fiqh Council of North AmericaFiqh Council of North AmericaThe Fiqh Council of North America is an association of Muslims who interpret Islamic law on the North American continent.Its 18 members issue religious rulings, resolve disputes, and answer questions relating to the Islamic faith...
(FCNA) - American Muslims for Constructive Engagement (AMCE)
The Muslim Brotherhood is not a monolithic entity, so these various groups are not working in concert, but all fail to acknowledge the danger of Islamism in America. The groups maintain that they are independent organizations that have evolved from their beginnings as Muslim Brotherhood organizations.
Violent Islamic extremism
"The single biggest change in terrorism over the past several year has been the wave of Americans joining the fight--not just as foot soldiers but as key members of Islamist groups and as operatives inside terrorist organizations, including al-QaedaAl-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
." American citizens or longtime residents are "masterminds, propagandists, enablers, and media strategists" in foreign terror groups and working to spread extremist ideology in the West. This trend is worrisome because these American extremists "understand the United States better than the United States understands them."
There is a lack of understanding of how Americans radicalize. There is "no typical profile" of an American extremist and the "experiences and motivating factors vary widely." Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, stated that it is unclear if there has been an "increase in violent radicalization
Radicalization
Radicalization is the process in which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist. Radicalization is often associated with youth, adversity, alienation, social exclusion, poverty, or the perception of injustice to self or others.-...
" or "a rise in the mobilization of previously radicalized individuals". Terrorist organizations seek Americans to radicalize and recruit because of a familiarity with the United States and the West. The evolving extremist threat makes it "more difficult for law enforcement or the intelligence community to detect and disrupt plots."
Some American extremists are actively recruited and trained by foreign terrorist organizations and others are known as "lone wolves" that radicalize on their own. The Fort Hood shooter
Fort Hood shooting
The Fort Hood shooting was a mass shooting that took place on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, the most populous U.S. military installation in the world, located just outside Killeen, Texas. In the course of the shooting, a single gunman killed 13 people and wounded 29 others...
, Major Nidal Hasan, is an American of Palestinian descent. He communicated via email with Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
, but had no direct ties to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. Al-Qaeda propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
uses Hasan to promote the idea of "be al-Qaeda by not being al-Qaeda". Abdulhakim Muhammad
2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting
The 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting took place on June 1, 2009, when Muslim convert Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, aka Carlos Leon Bledsoe, opened fire with a rifle in a drive-by shooting on soldiers in front of a United States military recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a...
, an American citizen, shot a military recruiter in Little Rock, Arkansas in June 2009 after spending time in Yemen; he was born Carlos Bledsoe and converted to Islam as a young adult. Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad
Faisal Shahzad is a Pakistani American who attempted the May 1, 2010, Times Square car bombing. On , 2010, in Federal District Court in Manhattan he confessed to 10 counts arising from the bombing attempt...
is a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan and received bomb training from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , alternatively referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist militant groups based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. Most, but not all, Pakistani Taliban groups coalesce under the TTP...
; his plot to denote a bomb in New York's Times Square
2010 Times Square car bombing attempt
The attempted car bombing of Times Square on May 1, 2010, was a planned terrorist attack that was foiled when two street vendors discovered the car bomb and alerted a NYPD Patrolman to the car bomb threat after they spotted smoke coming from a vehicle...
was discovered only after the bomb failed. Zachary Chesser converted to Islam after high school and began to spread extremism over the internet. He was arrested attempting to board a flight to Somalia to join the terrorist group al-Shabaab. This is not an exhaustive listing of American violent extremists, but demonstrates that there are no age or race patterns and both life-long Muslims and recent converts
are at risk of radicalization and espousing violent extremism.
Americans in al-Qaeda
Americans inside al-QaedaAl-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
provide insider's knowledge of the United States. Adam Gadahn is an American convert who joined al-Qaeda in the late 1990s. He released English-language propaganda videos, but Gadahn lacked charisma and his voice was replaced by Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
. Awlaki was an American of Yemeni descent, killed on September 30, 2011 by a U.S. missile strike in Yemen. Awlaki had religious credentials Gadahn lacks and a "gently persuasive" style; "tens of thousands, maybe millions, have watched [Awlaki's] lectures on the Internet." His perfect English and style broadened al-Qaeda's reach. Another key American in al-Qaeda's power structure is a man named Adnan Shukrijumah. Shukrijumah is believed to be the highest ranking American in al-Qaeda. He was born in Saudi Arabia, grew up in Trinidad, and moved to Florida as a teenager; he was a naturalized American citizen and left the United States in the spring of 2001. Shukrijumah was a mystery to authorities until he was identified by Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi is an Afghan-American who was arrested in September 2009 as part of the 2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group accused of planning suicide bombings on the New York City subway system, and has pled guilty as have two other defendants. U.S...
after Zazi was arrested for a failed plot to bomb transportation targets around New York City. Zazi had traveled to Afghanistan to fight U.S. forces, but Shukrijumah convinced Zazi to return to the United States and plan an attack here.
Prison
The United States has the world's largest prison population and "prisons have long been places where extremist ideology and calls to violence could find a willing ear, and conditions are often conducive to radicalization." Most inmates have little exposure to mainstream Islam and are vulnerable to extremist versions of the religion. Islamic extremism is facilitated by "an inadequate number of Muslim religious service providers," leading to a reliance on volunteers, contractors, or inmates to provide religious services. Testifying before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Donald Van Duyn said the following on Islamic extremism in U.S. prisons:Prison radicalization primarily occurs through anti-US sermons provided by contract, volunteer, or staff Imams, radicalized inmates who gain religious influence, and extremist media. Ideologies that radicalized inmates appear most often to embrace or are influenced by the Salafi"Prison" or "Jailhouse Islam" is unique to prison and incorporates values of gang loyalty and violence into the religion. The prison system's limited resources prevent adequate monitoring of religious services to ensure an extremist message is not being spread and also hinders sufficient screening of inmates, volunteers, and contractors providing the services.SalafiA Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
form of Sunni IslamSunni IslamSunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
(including revisionist versions commonly known as “prison Islam”) and an extremist view of Shia Islam similar to that of the Government of Iran and Lebanese Hizballah.
Members of a prison extremist group, called Jami'iy yat Ul-Isla Is Saheeh (JIS), from New Folsom State Prison in California hatched a plot to attack numerous local government and Jewish targets. In July 2005, members of JIS "were involved in almost a dozen armed gas station robberies in Los Angeles with the goal of financing terrorist operations." The plot was exposed and there is debate over whether the group is a sign of a wider problem. There is a "significant lack of social science research" on the issue of Islamic extremism in U.S. prisons and there is disagreement on the danger Islamic extremism in prisons poses to U.S. national security.
Statistics are not kept on the religious orientation of inmates in the U.S. prison system, limiting the ability to adequately judge the potential for Islamic extremism. A report published by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General in 2004 on the issue of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
' selection of Muslim chaplains, estimated that 6% of the federal inmate population seek Muslim Islamic services. Through prisoner self-reporting, the majority of Muslims in federal prison are Sunni or Nation of Islam followers. The federal prison population is only a small percentage of the total U.S. prison population, however, and cannot provide an overall representation of Muslims inmates in the United States.
Mosques
Some mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s in the United States transmit extremist ideas. The North American Islamic Trust
North American Islamic Trust
The North American Islamic Trust is a Saudi-backed organization based in Plainfield, Indiana, that owns Islamic properties and promotes waqf in North America...
(NAIT), a group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, "holds titles of approximately 300 properties [mosques and Islamic schools]". The organization's website states: "NAIT does not administer these institutions or interfere in their daily management, but is available to support and advise them regarding their operation in conformity with the Shari'ah." Other research on the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States claims NAIT influences a far larger number of Islamic institutions in the U.S.
There is no government policy on the establishment of mosques in the United States and no way to monitor activity. The value placed on religious freedom in the U.S. complicates the situation as mosques are places of worship that may be used to spread extremist ideology.
Internet
The internet is a “facilitator--even an accelerant--for terrorist and criminal activity." The increase of online English-language extremist material in recent years is readily available with guidance to plan violent activity. “English-language web forums […] foster a sense of community and further indoctrinate new recruits”. The internet has “become a tool for spreading extremist propaganda, and for terrorist recruiting, training, and planning. It is a means of social networking for like-minded extremists...including those who are not yet radicalized, but who may become so through the anonymity of cyberspace."Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is a militant Islamist organization, primarily active in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It was named for al-Qaeda, and says it is subordinate to that group and its now-deceased leader Osama bin Laden, a Saudi citizen whose father was born in Yemen...
(AQAP) published an English-language online magazine called Inspire. The magazine is designed to appeal to Westerners. It is “[w]ritten in colloquial English, [with] jazzy headlines and articles that made it seem almost mainstream--except that they were all about terrorism.” Inspire “included tips for aspiring extremists on bomb-making, traveling overseas, email encryption, and a list of individuals to assassinate." The editor is believed to be Samir Khan
Samir Khan
Samir ibn Zafar Khan was the Pakistani American editor and publisher of Inspire magazine, an English language online magazine reported to be published by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , in which he authored articles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom"...
, an American citizen, based on work he did before leaving the United States. The magazine appeared six months after Khan arrived in Yemen. There have been seven issues of Inspire. Khan died in the same missile attack that killed Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki
Anwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
and the future of the magazine is unknown.
Yousef al-Khattab and Younes Abdullah Mohammed, both converts to Islam, started a group called Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim
Revolution Muslim is a radical Islamist organization and hate group based in New York City that advocates the establishment of a traditionalist Islamic state, the removal of the current rulers in heavily Muslim populated nations, the destruction of Israel, and an end to what they consider "Western...
. The group was meant “to be both a radical Islamic organization and a movement” with goals that include “establishing Islamic law in the United States, destroying Israel and taking al-Qaeda’s messages to the masses.” A list of its members “reads like a who’s who of American homegrown terrorism
Homegrown terrorism
Homegrown terrorism is commonly associated with an international organization rather than being a ‘lone wolf’ act committed by isolated and disturbed individuals. It constitutes terrorist attacks from within the target nation, often Western...
suspects”; Samir Khan and Jihad Jane
Colleen LaRose
Colleen Renee LaRose , also known as JihadJane and Fatima LaRose, is an American citizen charged with terrorism-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder and providing material support to terrorists. Most recently, she lived in the Philadelphia suburb of Pennsburg, in Montgomery...
were regulars in the Revolution Muslim chat rooms. Revolution Muslim had a website and a YouTube account before it was shutdown after a posting glorifying the stabbing of a British member of Parliament. The revolutionmuslim.com domain now redirects to a website called Islam Policy run by Younes Abdullah Mohammed. The danger of the website, and others that offer similar content, is the websites offer the chance to become further involved in violent extremism and connect to like-minded people in the U.S. and aboard.
U.S.-specific extremist narrative
Key to the trend of increasing Islamic extremism in the United States “has been the development of a US-specific narrative that motivates individuals to violence.” “This narrative—a blend of al-Qa‘ida inspiration, perceived victimization, and glorification of past plotting—has become increasingly accessible through the Internet, and English-language websites are tailored to address the unique concerns of US-based extremists.” “To disaffected, aggrieved, or troubled individuals, this narrative explains in a simple framework the ills around them and the geopolitical discord they see on their television sets and on the Internet.” The narrative is easy to understand and grants “meaning and heroic outlet” for the discontented and alienated.U.S. Government response
The President, Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Counterterrorism Center
National Counterterrorism Center
The National Counterterrorism Center is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in a modern complex near McLean, Virginia called Liberty Crossing...
(NCTC) are the most relevant elements of the U.S. government to the threat of American Islamic extremism and each has taken steps to address and counter the issue. Since 9/11 the government has worked to improve information sharing "within the government, and between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, as well as with the public." The "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign, instituted by DHS and local law enforcement, was created to raise public awareness of the potential dangers. In August 2011, the Office of the President released a strategy to counter violent extremism called "Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States". The strategy takes a three-pronged approach of community engagement, better training, and counternarratives. The plan states: "We must actively and aggressively counter the range of ideologies violent extremists employ to radicalize and recruit individuals by challenging justifications for violence and by actively promoting the unifying and inclusive visions of our American ideals," challenging extremist propaganda through words and deeds. The goal is to "prevent violent extremists and their supporters from inspiring, radicalizing, financing, or recruiting individuals or groups in the United States to commit acts of violence."
American Muslim community response
There are Muslim Americans speaking out against Islamic extremist. An important voice is Dr. Zuhdi JasserZuhdi Jasser
Zuhdi Jasser, also known as M. Zuhdi Jasser, and Mohamed Zuhdi Jasser, is a medical doctor specializing internal medicine and nuclear cardiology in Phoenix, AZ. Jasser is a former Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy where he served as staff internist in the Office of the Attending...
, the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
American Islamic Forum for Democracy
American Islamic Forum for Democracy is a Muslim American think tank formed in March 2003 by a small group of Muslim professionals in the Phoenix Valley of Arizona. The group's founder is M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D...
. Dr. Jasser testified before a House hearing on Muslim radicalization in the U.S. in early 2010:
For me it is a very personal mission to leave my American Muslim children a legacy that their faith is based in the unalienable right to liberty and to teach them that the principles that founded America do not contradict their faith but strengthen it. Our founding principle is that I as a Muslim am able to best practice my faith in a society like the United States that guarantees the rights of every individual blind to faith with no governmental intermediary stepping between the individual and the creator to interpret the will of God. Because of this, our mission is to advocate for the principles of the Constitution of the United States of America, liberty and freedom and the separation of mosque and state. We believe that this mission from within the “House of Islam” is the only way to inoculate Muslim youth and young adults against radicalization. The “Liberty narrative” is the only effective counter to the “Islamist narrative."
Another voice, that warned of Islamic extremism before the September 11 attacks is Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani
Hisham Kabbani
Muhammad Hisham Kabbani is a prominent Lebanese-American Sufi Muslim. Kabbani advocates an understanding of Islam described by his supporters as fundamentally based on peace, tolerance, respect and love. Kabbani has been an outspoken critic of extremism as well as the Wahabi doctrine...
, chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America,
See also
- Homegrown terrorismHomegrown terrorismHomegrown terrorism is commonly associated with an international organization rather than being a ‘lone wolf’ act committed by isolated and disturbed individuals. It constitutes terrorist attacks from within the target nation, often Western...
- Islamic Violent Extremism attacks
- IslamismIslamismIslamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
- ShariaShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...