Photo: A screenshot of an online video.

Anti-German Jihadist videos flood internet

Published: 21 Aug 09 15:38 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090821-21411.html

With just over a month to go before Germany's general election, daily newspaper Die Welt reported on Friday that an unprecedented number of Islamist videos encouraging holy war against the country have flooded the internet.

Most recently, two Moroccan brothers from Bonn have appeared in terrorist propaganda videos online. The two men, 27-year-old Mounir Chouka and 24-year-old Yassin Chouka, are thought to be currently in hiding on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The brothers have produced several videos for the terrorist organisation the Islamic Jihadist Union dressed in military outfits and white robes, but the latest is the first in which they show their faces, the newspaper reported. The are part of growing trend of online Islamist threats intended to encourage Germany to pull its troops out of Afghanistan.

Preaching under the names Abu Adam and Abu Ibrahim since the start of the year, the brothers attack the infidel American and European occupation forces in Muslim nations. They speak in German with Turkish and Albanian subtitles.

“Come and die an honourable death,” proclaims Mounir, encouraging his German Islamist brothers and sisters. Yassin Chouka then encourages all German Muslims to swear allegiance to the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omar.

Jihadists in Afghanistan would “delight to stand in a hail of bullets from NATO or under German Tornado planes,” his brother adds.

According to the paper, the brothers are known to have come from the suburb of Kessenich in Bonn, taking a journey of radicalisation that led them to the Hindu Kush mountain range on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

However, in the majority of cases, the real names of German Muslims in such videos remain unknown. Most choose pseudonyms such as “Abu Abdullah,” “Ahmad” or “Commander Mohammed,” reported the newspaper. The latter of these is seen in one video to announce “Ich bin kein Berliner,” in a sarcastic reference to John F. Kennedy's famous declaration of solidarity with the residents of West Berlin.

Much of this information has been published in a 15-page report produced by the Israeli International Institute for Counter Terrorism, based in Herzliya. Keen to make the trend for aggressive references to Germany known, the group’s report lists a range of videos and Muslim forums making specific reference to Germany.

The latest wave of propaganda attacks began in January with videos published by another German of Moroccan origin, Bekkay Harrach. The newspaper reported that the 31-year-old Harrach appears on a video announcing in German that he would “blow himself up for Allah.”

His appearance in an al-Qaida video, entitled “The Rescue Package for Germany,” has reportedly caused concern for the German security services. In it he makes a specific reference to September’s election as the point when the German people will decide their own fate.

“Recently, more people have been travelling from Germany to 'terror camps'," Deputy Interior Minister August Hanning told the newspaper. He said this trend poses a threat not only to the German armed forces stationed in Afghanistan “but also for us in Germany.”

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

20:13 August 21, 2009 by tenorsax
blow himself up for allah??

Once we learn how to contain nuclear fallout to a specific region, we can help you with your holy goal.

You won't pilgrimage or even find Mecca for a thousand years.
14:55 August 22, 2009 by nighthawk2009
Would these pathetic losers be willing to commit such disgusting acts of violence, if they were not religious retards and got drunk once in a while and tried to get laid?
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
For comment quoting and other advanced formatting features,
try posting via this article's discussion forum page instead.
Today's headlines
Photo: DPA

Severance pay for Sarrazin in question

Embattled Bundesbank board member Thilo Sarrazin may not receive a severance package if he is removed from his post following incendiary claims about race and immigration, a media report said on Thursday. READ »

Photo: DPA

Von der Leyen blasts hard line on immigrants

As Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen rejected calls to slash welfare payments to unemployed immigrants who don’t send their children to day care, the government on Wednesday pledged to improve its integration efforts. READ (6 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Cartoonist slams Islam ahead of Merkel speech

A Danish cartoonist who sparked protests around the world with a satire of Muslim violence has branded Islam a “reactionary” religion, just hours before Chancellor Merkel presented him with an award defending freedom of speech. READ (12 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Pastor's former church in Cologne denounces Koran-burning plan

The Cologne-based evangelical church founded by Terry Jones, a Florida pastor whose threat to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 has prompted global outrage, on Wednesday denounced his plans as "shocking." READ (9 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Ladies love men with rhythm, study finds

Looking to get lucky on the dance floor? German scientists have found men who dance vigorously with a fast-moving right knee and large, varied movements of their neck and torso are more attractive to women. READ (35 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

State gambling monopoly illegal, EU court rules

Germany’s state monopoly on many forms of gambling and sports betting is illegal and should be abandoned because they do not help curb problem gambling, Europe’s highest court ruled on Wednesday. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Drinking culture: Oktoberfest gets odour-eating bacteria

A smoking ban at Oktoberfest means visitors to Munich's beer bash won't leave smelling like an ashtray, but what about the stink of sweat, roasted chicken and stale alcohol? One businessman has the answer: an odour-eating bacteria. READ (4 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Fraunhofer warns Adobe Flash can be used as PC spying tool

The popular program Adobe Flash Player can be used to take over another person’s computer and spy through their camera and microphone, researchers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have discovered. READ (3 COMMENTS) »

More National
Highlights
Photo: Universal Pictures
LIFESTYLE »
The Local's English-language movie listings for Germany
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
Germans must forget the hysteria surrounding Thilo Sarrazin and take an honest look at the integration of immigrants into their society, argues Roger Boyes.
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
Motherhood in the Fatherland: In the fourth instalment of our series on the cultural quirks of having a baby in Germany, Sabine Devins explores superstitions about behaviours said to cause rosy cheeks, birthmarks, and even blindness.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
The atomic energy industry is pushing to delay Germany’s phase-out of nuclear power. But Marcus Gatzke from ZEIT ONLINE warns doing so could hurt the country’s switch to renewable energy – and consumers’ pocketbooks.
Photo: DPA
SPONSORED ARTICLE
Beyond Oktoberfest: A guide to German beer and wine festivals

See all ads | Join the Marketplace

Jobs in Germany, in English

789 jobs available
502 new jobs this week
56 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Latest news from The Local in Sweden
Blog
Essentials

Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.

Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.

Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.

Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.

Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

News from the Goethe-Institut
News from Young Germany
News from DeutschlandOnline
Toytown Germany
Germany's English-speaking crowd

The Local Europe GmbH
Schwedter Strasse 227
10435 Berlin
Germany