CTN EXCLUSIVE 10/08/2009

Counter Terrorism News reports exclusively that American preacher of violent extremism, Anwar al-Awlaki, is planning to deliver a video message at a meeting held in Kensington Town Hall.

On Sunday 30^th August, Kensington Town Hall is planning to host an event arranged by Cageprisoners, an organisation set up by former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzem Begg in 2003. Tickets for the ‘Beyond Guantanamo’ fundraising meal and auction cost £45 and guests will hear speeches from former Guantanamo detainees, journalists and lawyers as well as a video message from al-Awlaki, who currently resides in Yemen.

Al-Awlaki is the author of ’44 Ways to Support Jihad’, a book which describes fighting violent jihad, or religiously justified warfare, as compulsory for all Muslims. The book also instructs Muslims that they must undergo arms training in their own country or travel to a country where arms training is possible. In addition, it teaches hatred of and disassociation from “kuffar” (non-believers) whilst, on his website, al-Awlaki calls on Muslims to fight against “government armies in the Muslim world”.

Al-Awlaki has also expressed support for al-Shabab, the Somali militant Islamist group linked to recent terrorism arrests in Australia and to the disappearance of young Somali Americans. The New York Times recently reported that some of these youths had decided to travel from America to fight in Somalia after listening to lectures by al-Awlaki. A response from al-Shabab refers to al-Awlaki as “beloved Sheikh Anwar” and describes him as “one of the very few scholars who stand firm upon the truth and defend the honor of the Mujahideen” (holy warriors).

CTN spoke to the Community Safety Officer at Kensington and Chelsea Council who confirmed that the Home Office’s Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT) and the Metropolitan Police had given their approval for this event to go ahead without any changes to the advertised speakers.