Current Trends in Jihadi Networks in Europe
30 Oct, 2007
- From Actualité du terrorisme et de l'islamisme blog:
- The terrorist related events that took place during the summer
in Europe - the doctors' plot in Great Britain, the dismantling of
various cells in Italy, Austria and Spain, and, finally, the
September arrests in Germany and Denmark - have confirmed that
Europe is a key staging ground for jihadi activities. Although
large differences exist from country to country and within various
subgroups in the ever-evolving underworld of jihadi networks in
Europe, it is possible to identify some current trends that, in
one way or another, are common to the whole continent.
Independent, or Part of a Network
During the last few years, commentators have been fascinated with homegrown networks in Europe and, clearly, small groups of European-born, self-radicalized, violence-prone Islamists have sprung up in most European countries. Yet, the panorama of jihadi networks in Europe is quite complex and, for a more accurate analysis, could be described on a continuum. At one extreme, one can identify quintessential homegrown groups such as the Hofstad Group in the Netherlands: small domestic clusters of radicals that have developed no ties to external groups and act in complete operational independence. At the opposite side of the spectrum are cells that respond to the traditional model used by al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in the 1990s: compartmentalized cells inserted in a well-structured network and subjected to a hierarchy whose heads are often outside Europe. That is the model to which various cells of the Algerian GSPC (today Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) belong.
In between these two extremes, there is a whole spectrum of realities, positioned according to the level of autonomy of the group. The most recurring model seems to be that of the cell dismantled by Danish authorities on September 4, 2007: a small group of young men, most of them born and/or raised in Europe, who knew each other either from the neighborhood or from the mosque. Their radicalization took place in Europe and only one or two members of the group traveled out of the country (Pakistan, in this case) to link up with foreign-based, well-structured groups ideologically or operationally affiliated with al-Qaeda. The knowledge acquired by the cell after this linkage obviously makes it more dangerous.
Traveling for Jihad: Primary and Secondary Fields
In contrast to the situation before the September 11 attacks, today most European jihadis do not travel out of the continent for training or to fight. Nevertheless, a small but significant number of them still opt for short stints in places where they can join training camps or guerrilla units. Pakistan/Afghanistan and Iraq are the two primary destinations. The former seems to attract recruits mostly from Northern Europe (Great Britain, in particular), while militants from Spain, Italy and France seem to travel mostly to the latter (El Periodico, May 6; Le Monde, December 16, 2004).
Noteworthy is the presence of European militants in two lesser known fields of jihad: Somalia and Lebanon. A few dozen European volunteers have been arrested by Ethiopian and Somali governmental forces among the Islamic Courts Union's (ICU) fighters since December 2006. Several of these militants possess Scandinavian passports, and, according to intelligence sources, Sweden is considered the hub for the flow of money from Europe to the ICU (Sveriges Radio, January 30). Italian authorities have also monitored the visits of several ICU-linked preachers who are traveling to various Italian cities in order to fundraise and recruit among the country's Somali population (L'Espresso, February 5). Reportedly, Swedish and British fighters were killed by U.S. missiles and Somali army operations (BBC News, June 3). A smaller number of Western volunteers, mostly from Denmark and Australia, have allegedly fought with Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid refugee camp in Lebanon (The Australian, September 13).
The Muslim Ghetto Subculture: Jihad and Rap
Europe
today is witnessing the growth of a disturbing new subculture that
mixes violent urban behaviors, nihilism and Islamic fundamentalism.
Many young, often European-born Muslims feel a disturbingly intense
sense of detachment from, if not sheer hatred for, their host
societies and embrace various antagonistic messages. While some turn
to Salafism, others adopt an indefinite blend of counter-cultures,
ranging from hip hop to Islamic fundamentalism. Many youngsters from
the Muslim-majority ghettoes of various European cities adopt
several behaviors typical of Western street culture, such as
dressing like rappers, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, yet
watching jihadi videos and having pictures of Osama bin Laden on the
display of their cell phones [1]. Any individual who attacks
mainstream society becomes a hero to these teens, be it Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi or the late American rapper Tupac Shakur.
This hybrid street culture is particularly influenced by
African-American gangster culture and music. Bands such as Fun-da-mental
and Blakstone in the United Kingdom, Medine in France, and Zanka
Flow (Moroccan-based, but hugely popular in the Netherlands) combine
radical Islamic concepts with hip hop sounds, jargon and attitudes.
An aspiring star in the jihadi rap underworld is Mohammed Kamel
Mostafa, the son of former Finsbury Park imam Abu Hamza, who has
recently formed a rap duo called Lionz of Da Dezert. Using the stage
name of al-Ansary, Mostafa raps about jihad and killing infidels. "I
was born to be a soldier," read the lyrics of one of his songs.
"Kalashnikov on my shoulder, peace to Hamas and Hezbollah, that's
the way of the lord Allah. We're jihad. I defend my religion with
the holy sword" (Agence France-Presse, March 1, 2006).
While the phenomenon affects only a minority of European Muslims,
its dimensions and repercussions are more than noteworthy. In
London, city officials are worried about the growth of an extremely
violent gang commonly known as the Muslim Boys. Operating in the
southern areas of the British capital, the gang is composed of
several hundreds of members and is active in criminal activities
ranging from robberies to drug trafficking. The members of the gang
are mostly British-born black youth originally from the Caribbean or
Africa who converted to Islam in British penitentiaries and bond
over their newfound faith (Evening Standard, February 3, 2005). Yet,
their interpretation of Islam is perverted. The gang members do not
respect the most basic tenets of Islam, and their appearance and
slang more closely resemble that of American ghetto culture than
that of practicing Muslims. Tellingly, a gang member admitted to a
reporter from the Evening Standard: "I pray twice a day: before I do
crime and after. I ask Allah for a blessing when I'm out on the
streets. Afterwards, I apologize to Allah for what I done [sic]."
The gang is also involved in "forced conversions," compelling black
youth at gunpoint to convert to Islam and join them; two years ago,
they executed a 24-year-old for refusing to convert.
The Expansion to the Countryside
Radical Islam in Europe has traditionally been an urban phenomenon.
Muslim immigrants have historically settled in large and mid-size
cities and, as a consequence, radical mosques and jihadi activities
have also been largely confined to urban settings. Yet, during the
past few years, there has been a noticeable expansion of radical
activities to rural areas. The phenomenon is particularly evident in
southern European countries, where large numbers of North African
immigrants are employed, seasonally or permanently, in agriculture.
Wandering imams, often linked to Tablighi Jamaat and small makeshift
mosques run by radicals, have popped up in small country towns and
villages in Spain, Italy and France, spreading Salafism among the
local Muslim communities. Taking advantage of the absence of other
mosques and the limited surveillance of the small local police
forces, Salafists have managed to establish a presence in rural
areas of Piedmont, Campania, Provence and southern Spain [2].
In some cases, Salafist networks have taken advantage of the
isolation provided by the countryside to create small fundamentalist
communes, as in Artigat, a bucolic village of less than 1,000
residents in the French Pyrenees. When French authorities dismantled
a Toulouse-based network that was smuggling volunteers to Iraq, they
uncovered links to a 60-year-old Syrian man who was leading an
Islamist commune in Artigat (Le Parisien, February 15). Living
completely isolated from the outside world, the commune's five
families lived under a strict self-imposed Islamic code and preached
a radical interpretation of Islam to their children and to the
visitors who would come occasionally from the city (mostly Toulouse)
to spend time in a "pure Islamic environment."
Eastern Europe?
While not already an established trend, there are indications
showing that radical Islam is spreading, albeit at a slow pace and
with significant differences from country to country, to Eastern
Europe. The presence of radical networks in Bosnia, many of them
leftovers from the conflict of the 1990s, is well known. Although
less grave, Wahhabi influence, propagated mostly by a wide network
of Saudi-sponsored mosques, is on the rise in other areas of the
Balkans with significant Muslim populations such as Albania, Kosovo
and Serbia's Sandzak region (B92 Radio Serbia, June 6, 2006).
Various Islamist groups have been reported to be actively spreading
their propaganda to other Muslim populations throughout Eastern
Europe. Hizb-ut-Tahrir, for example, organized a large conference in
Ukraine in August, targeting mostly Crimean Tatars (Kommersant-Ukraina,
August 13). Yet, even countries with little or no native Muslim
population have seen a tiny, yet growing, presence of Islamist
activities, particularly among their Arab and Pakistani student
population. During the last few years, authorities in Hungary,
Romania and Bulgaria have arrested individuals who were either
promoting radical Islam through websites and publications or
funneling money to terrorist organizations. Additionally, in October
2006, Czech authorities issued a terror alert after uncovering
information of an alleged plot to kidnap and kill Jews in Prague (Der
Spiegel, October 6, 2006).
The attractiveness of Eastern European countries for jihadis has
increased significantly with the inclusion of many of them in the
European Union. Some Eastern European countries, with their
understaffed and often corrupt intelligence and law enforcement
agencies, easy access to black market weapons and forged documents,
and possibility of traveling to Western Europe without border
controls, can constitute ideal bases of operation. An interesting
related phenomenon is the suspicious spike in marriages between
Bulgarian and Romanian women and North African men reported in Italy
and Spain immediately after the entrance of the two Eastern European
countries in the European Union. In all likelihood, the majority of
these artificial marriages involve individuals with no connections
to terrorism who simply want to acquire a European passport to stay
and work in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the possibility that
terrorists could use the same scheme should also be considered.
Conclusion
Jihadism is a global movement whose characteristics mutate rapidly.
While today some of the abovementioned trends are still in a
developing phase or can be noticed only in some European countries,
it is likely that they will be replicated with greater intensity and
in more countries in the near future.
Notes
1. The information is based on author's
observations throughout Europe.
2. The information is derived from a variety of sources, including:
the Indictment of Abdelillah El Kaflaoui, Tribunal of Turin, May 7,
2005; Libero, October 18, 2007; author's private intelligence
sources.
Lorenzo Vidino is the deputy director of the Investigative Project
at the Counterterrorism Research Institute in Washington DC.
- Name: vbv
- Date: Monday October 29, 2007
- Time: 23:17:55 -0700
Comment
Not very long ago ,just a few years before the nototious 9/11 happened ,the USA and Europe had a lot of sympathies with Pakistan in their bogus "Kashmir" cause. They tried to show India in poor and bad light as though Indians were violating human rights turning a blind eye to the thousands killed by terrorists trained and equiped by Pakistan and sent to India to cause destruction and foment communal trouble. Today these very countries are facing the fanatical zeal of the islamists and suffering just as we do in India. And Pakistan is still the favourite of the USA .Atleast now they should wake up to the realities and try not to be stupid and so-called 'politically correct'. Otherwise it wont be very far when a handful of islamic terrorists will hold the whole nation to ransom - "ISLAMISE or DIE!".