NEFA Backgrounder: Abdullah al-Faisal: Extremist Ideologue with Influence in the West
By Madeleine Gruen
The NEFA Foundation has released a new backgrounder on Abdullah al-Faisal; an extremist ideologue based in Jamaica who reaches supporters worldwide via the Internet, and through extensive international travel, particularly to Africa. Al-Faisal formerly resided in the UK, and was of such sufficient concern there that he was arrested for inciting murder, and accused of inspiring young Muslims to travel abroad for training or to participate in violent jihad. Al-Faisal has been credited with providing spiritual mentorship to men connected with terrorist acts and major plots including 7/7 London transit bombers Mohammed Sidique Khan and Germaine Lindsay and James Ujaama, an American who conspired to establish a jihad training camp in Bly, Oregon. In 2003, al-Faisal became the first person in 100 years to be found guilty in British court of soliciting murder under section four of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, on the basis that he "encouraged others to murder persons unknown." He was sentenced to seven years in prison, but was released in May 2007 after serving only four years, and was extradited back to his native Jamaica.
This NEFA Backgrounder shows that, since his release, al-Faisal has resumed preaching the same brand of extremist Islam that had precipitated his arrest and landed him in prison in the UK.
The full report can be accessed here.
