Somalia-based American jihadist using Rap music to attract Western recruits

NEW YORK - Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, the American jihadist based in Somalia, has reportedly developed a new and unusual approach to attract Western Muslim recruits-Hip-Hop.

Over the past year Amriki, whose real name is Omar Hammami, and who was born to a Syrian father and Southern Baptist mother in Alabama 26 years ago, has released a series of five rap songs over the Internet extolling the virtues of jihad and condemning America’s presence in Muslim countries, reports ABC News.

Hammami has emerged as the star of jihadi videos, praising Islamic militancy in Somalia and is believed to be a member of al Shahab, a Somali Islamic militant group aligned with Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda that is currently fighting the fragile civilian government of Somalia.hile snippets of the five songs appeared in the background of a video released last year, the songs are now all available in their entirety on the Internet.

They represent a crude attempt to reach young, Western Muslims who may prefer to listen to music rather than a religious preacher.

His most recent release, “First Stop Addis,” however, named after the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, appears to be a few years old. The song, which emerged earlier this month and speaks of a love for “slaughter[ing] Crusaders,” references ex-president George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In a better known title that emerged last year, “Blow by Blow,” Hammami softly invites American military strikes in Afghanistan and Somalia, “Bomb by bomb/Blast by blast/Only going to bring back the glorious past.” The song lasts about two minutes and 30 seconds.he track is aimed at an English-speaking audience with a history lesson for those sympathetic to Islamic holy warriors.

According to the strict interpretation of Islam current in al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, music is forbidden. (ANI)