Al Qaeda audio seeks money in English

Remember this post from last year about Osama bin Laden’s desire to establish a global Islamic (front) charity and relief organization?

At the time, Money Jihad urged the U.S. Treasury Department to be vigilant for any signs of bin Laden’s dangerous idea becoming a reality.

Now it looks as though bin Laden’s dying wish may become true.  Abu Abdulla Almuhajir, a Muslim who once lived in the U.S., is reported to have delivered food aid, hijabs, and Korans from al Qaeda to Somalia, in mid-October.

He also delivered an audio statement seeking “obligatory” assistance from Muslims around the world.  Mimicking the language of the Koran, the Hadith, and bin Laden himself about striving with one’s wealth for jihad, Almuhajir told the Somalis, “In addition to sacrificing his wealth and his life in the path of Allah though waging Jihad, the Sheikh [Osama bin Laden] greatly emphasised the importance of Muslims supporting each other…”  Somali War Monitor provides a transcription of the full statement, but here’s the most salient excerpt along with Almuhajir in his own voice:

In addition to sacrificing his wealth and his life in the path of Allah though waging Jihad, the Sheikh greatly emphasised the importance of Muslims supporting each other, and he brought attention to the dilemmas affecting Muslims around the world. The most recent example of which is, the major flood that affected the millions Muslims in Pakistan, and today with graceful departure of our beloved sheikh and that beacon of Tawheed (monotheism) May Allah have mercy upon him, Al-Qaeda under the leadership of Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri may Allah protect him, continuously highlights the plight of the Ummah and continuously supports them with every means at their disposal.

In a recent release Sheikh Ayman brought the drought in Somalia to the attention of the Muslim Ummah and encouraged to support their brothers in Somalia, and insha’allah (Allah willing) with this message some of what your brothers in Al-Qaeda have been able to gather will be distributed to our brothers and sisters, to our families in the land of the two migrations.

We would also like to take the opportunity to encourage Muslims all around the world, to come to the assistance of their brothers and sisters in Somalia, and it is obligatory on every Muslim to assist their needy brother and sisters…

The fund-raising appeal to all Muslims around the world delivered in English with an American accent probably suggests Al Qaeda’s desire to solicit zakat from Muslims in the United States.

Referring to the leadership of Al Qaeda, a spokesman for al-Shabaab accompanying Almuhajir also said, “they previously spoke of aiding muslims… and today they make good upon that which they preached since it is also the conclusion of their drought campaign,” referring to flood relief in Pakistan.  Indeed.

Is Washington, D.C., paying attention to this shift in Al Qaeda’s public relations strategy to fulfill their global relief pledge?  Mind you, Al Qaeda’s core mission of killing infidels remains unchanged, but seeking a “charitable” cover could become a central part of Al Qaeda’s effort to dupe people into defending the organization the same way that gullible Westerners defend Hamas and Hezbollah.