Counterterrorism Blog

Al Qaeda has been calling for Muslims to attack the U.S. and U.S. interests for years. The message has never been heard as clearly or as threateningly as it has in the past few weeks after two American al Qaeda affiliates, Anwar al Awlaki and Adam Gadahn, released audio messages. These messages have been covered intensively in the mainstream American media for two main reasons:

1. Particularly after the deadly attack Fort Hood last November, Americans realize painful result of unfiltered violent rhetoric circulated via the internet by spiritual figures who are regarded as credible in some circles: People listen, then believe that they have been provided justification to kill others.

2. The messages were delivered in plain English. American English. These were not messages made distant because they had been delivered through the gauze of translation. These are words that were spoken directly to Americans by fellow Americans.

Adam Gadahn and Anwar al Awlaki are not the only radicalizing agents who speak English as a first language. Australian, Feiz Muhammad may have equally grim potential to incite terrorism.

The NEFA Foundation has released the third in a series of backgrounders on extremist ideologues; taking a close look at the personalities, doctrine, scope of influence, and methods of communication of some of the most influential purveyors of radical Islamist ideology to English-speaking audiences. As U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies become increasingly concerned about homegrown terrorism at a time when Al-Qaeda is actively encouraging American Muslims to commit terrorist acts, understanding the sources of radicalization becomes an essential component of combating the threat.

Feiz Muhammad is an Australian citizen now residing in Malaysia. He has been labeled Australia's "most dangerous sheikh" due to the number of connections he has to known and suspected terrorists.

Muhammad’s target audience is young Muslims who feel disaffected and disassociated from local Muslim communities, where mosque clerics show "a lack of interest toward the youth." His lectures frame the United States as the enemy of all Muslims, including those living in the United States and Americans living in other Western countries. He emphasizes that Muslims should regard Western culture as corrupt and immoral, and Muslims should not associate with non-Muslims.

The full report on Feiz Muhammad can be read here.