The Bounty on Lars Vilks

Our Swedish correspondent Carpenter sent us a link to a translation by the NEFA Foundation of the bounty placed on the head of Lars Vilks by Al Qaeda in Iraq. The full document is available on the NEFA website in pdf format.

The translation is a transcription in English of a long audio statement issued by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi on September 14th. His lengthy, florid, and orotund style is no doubt better represented in the original Arabic. In any case, here’s what he had to say about the artist who drew the Modoggies:

Others who had previously claimed to be neutral also have attacked the Muslims. An excellent example of this is the degenerate crusader country of Sweden, where they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed portrayed as a dog… We are witnessing every single villain attacking us — from the worshippers of the cross all the way to the worshippers of the cows — we are witnessing our blood and honor being taken away. We are being stabbed in the back every time we try to stand up tall and fight to regain the price of our ancestors. We say now, to all of you — slaves of the cross and material possessions — that we are a nation blessed by Islam. You will learn how to kneel down in humiliation. You will learn how to officially apologize for your crime against our Prophet Mohammed. We know how best to force you to back down and apologize for your actions. We reserve the right to punish those who committed the crime. If you do not apologize, then your industrial giants will be attacked. Companies such as Ericsson, Scandia, Volvo, Ikea, Electrolux, and others will be legitimate targets. You have been warned… [Additionally], on this day forward, we call for the killing of the cartoon artist Lars who committed these despicable acts against our Prophet Mohammed. We announce a reward of $100,000 for anyone who kills that infidel criminal. The reward shall be $150,000 for anyone who beheads him as well. We also will give $50,000 to anyone who kills the chief editor of that newspaper. O’ Muslims, you shall seek this reward, ask for forgiveness, and kill these two infidels…

Christians and Hindus are specifically mentioned — “the worshippers of the cross all the way to the worshippers of the cows” — but nothing about the Zionist apes and pigs, for some reason.

The bounty on Mr. Vilks is just part of a very long document, almost an afterthought, near the end of an extended diatribe against the enemies of the mujahideen in Iraq. The author, like most of the Islamist terrorists who put out jihad videos, is well-acquainted with the political and social issues of the infidels, and has evidently spent considerable time immersing himself in the Western media.

Soldiers of the Muslim state and young Muslim men: we are about to enter a new era and a turning point for the regional and world map. We are witnessing the end of the lie of Western Civilization. We are also witnessing the awakening of mighty Islam and that is exactly what Bush has warned his soldiers about during his most recent speech: ‘This region is changing and moving in a way that shall endanger civilization’ — and by this, he was referring to the civilization of infidels, interest, prostitution, humiliation and defeat. Bush also added regarding the soldiers of the Islamic State in Mesopotamia that ‘they are seeking the return of the Caliphate from Spain to Indonesia’… Frankly, this has been the result of only a fraction of our actual capabilities because of the negative impact on our operations caused by agents and traitors.

However, the bulk of his venom seems to be reserved for his fellow Muslims, those whom he deems “traitors”, the people who fail to live up to his rigorous standards of what Islam should be. They are “hateful apostates”.
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I’m not familiar with the internal politics of the Iraq insurgency, so it seems very strange to hear a hardcore mujahid spew invective against the “Muslim Brotherhood led by Hamas in Iraq”. Is this the same Muslim Brotherhood that is revered by Osama bin Laden? The same Hamas that enforces shari’a with the utmost brutality in Gaza? Or is there different nomenclature and taxonomy in Iraq?

Some of the author’s most bitter and scornful rhetoric is reserved for the fledgling Iraqi government and the “apostate National Guard”. Included among their heinous crimes are:

Legitimizing the institutions of the apostate [Iraqi] government by actively participating in them, from the infidel parliament and local municipal councils to their despicable crime of approving the secular constitution for the apostate state.

And:

Their continuing proclamations that the dangers posed by the Islamic State are greater than those posed by the Americans and apostates.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is particularly devoted to martyrdom and ritual slaughter. Speaking of a prominent Sunni official, he says:

[Professor Shaykh al-Dulaimi from the Accordance Front] — this man of Shariah — has never even once offered a compliment to a suicide bomber who has blown himself up at an American military base or sacrificed himself for the stolen honor of those held in prisons — especially Abu Ghraib prison.

And he admonishes his enemies:

Allah is on our side and you will certainly realize that the moment that we cut your head off…

Remember: these are the people with whom the antiwar Left would have us negotiate. Can you imagine negotiating with such a group?

Perhaps we could engage in a parity of reductions, the way we did with the Soviets. They agree to reduce their arsenal of suicide bombers by 500, and in return we agree to… what?

Shall we force 500 cross-worshippers to convert to Islam?

Promise to have 500 of our pop-tart music stars cover up their shamefully exposed flesh?

One thing that’s clear from this document is that Lars Vilks is just a minor front in the battle being waged by Al Qaeda, a sidebar note in the Scandinavian branch of the Great Jihad.


Below is the full text of NEFA’s translation of the September 14th Al Qaeda in Iraq audio:

Audio Statement from Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the “Amir al-Mumineen” (“Leader of the Faithful”) of Al-Qaida’s “Islamic State of Iraq” Released on September 14, 2007

[This document is the edited transcript of an Arabic-language audio recording obtained by NEFA investigators and translated into English on behalf of the NEFA TerrorWatch news service. This translation is provided for educational and informational purposes only. For more information on Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and the “Islamic State of Iraq”, see “State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: August 2007” (pdf).]

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful… During this month of Ramadan, Allah sent down his Quran as a tool of guidance to all people… Allah has told you in his holy Quran to fight… Those who are loyal amongst you shall bring jihad and victory over the enemies of Allah. Take care not to… waste your opportunity because of a political agenda or secretive agreements with the occupiers and his agents, because if you do so, you will be part of those who have decided to remain behind and disappoint.

Nation of Islam: presently, the jihadi project in Mesopotamia is facing a fierce attack by those who have decided to betray us. These people have a history of being agents and traitors. Every time a region awakens from its deep sleep, they make sure to attack back and eliminate its nascent awakening. They implement their agenda in the name of our religion and under the guise of preserving the interests of the Muslims. Both our local and international enemies benefit from these internal battles and use them to implement their own plans. We shall be frank with you no matter how bitter the truth sounds. Our nation should realize that the Muslim Brotherhood in Mesopotamia under the leadership of the Islamic Party is engaged nowadays in the ugliest campaign to bury the signs of Islam in Iraq, especially in the field of jihad. The Kurds are trying hard to establish their Kurdish state and the hateful apostates are trying to spread their control across the country, especially in the central and southern parts. Simultaneously, we are witnessing the Moslem Brotherhood under the leadership of the [Sunni] Accordance Front working hard to assist the occupation while ignoring the blood and resources spent in our battle. Additionally, they persistently request that the occupation should continue until the military and security apparatus of the apostate state in Iraq is fully and completely established.

They continue down their path by disregarding the sacrifices made by the dignified Sunni people. They declared war against the jihad and the mujahideen and were enthusiastic in establishing the Anbar [Salvation] Council. Moreover, Professor Shaykh al-Dulaimi from the Accordance Front attended one of the [Salvation Council] meetings led by the despicable criminal al-Rishawi. Shaykh al-Dulaimi even went on to congratulate al-Rishawi on the success of his venture. By contrast, Shaykh al-Dulaimi — this man of Shariah — has never even once offered a compliment to a suicide bomber who has blown himself up at an American military base or sacrificed himself for the stolen honor of those held in prisons — especially Abu Ghraib prison.

In addition, the same brothers from [the Anbar Salvation Council] proudly established the Diyala Support Center, or Council, that was used to strike at the mujahideen and to reveal their weaknesses across Iraq. Assisting them in their war were armed factions from the Muslim Brotherhood led by Hamas in Iraq and JAAMI [the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front]. These groups worked hard to uncover the concealed weapons of the Mujahidin and finally stood side-by-side with the occupiers and fought us while wearing their civilian outfits that carry a special identification mark for the occupiers to identify them with. These various factions were even complimented by the American commander in Baquba [Colonel David] Sutherland, who said ‘the 1920 Revolution Brigades are the actual guardians in Baquba, they are mostly leading the march to fight the terrorists and we trust them and their commanders deeply and we shall work on incorporating them into the police and Iraqi army.’ These 1920 Revolution Brigades are, in fact, units from Hamas in Iraq or similar groups that previously used other names. In addition, the 1920 Revolution Brigades have been very active in the districts of Abu Ghraib and Zuba and have worked closely with the Americans and the apostate National Guard. Their actions were noted more than once by leaders from the Association of Muslim Scholars, who frequently cautioned them about the deceptions of the Americans and asked those involved to join the resistance against the occupiers. However, they desired not to do so.

…We should look back at history and learn a lesson. Some of our former brothers fought hard to bring down the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and they engaged in a fierce propaganda battle lasting several years during which they misrepresented everything… and then when time came, they joined the American tanks in Kabul… However, soon enough, the Americans turned their backs on them and brought in their own trusted agent, turning a deaf ear to the one whom they had previously called the leader of the mujahideen, Abu Sayyaf. Afterwards, people began seeking the assistance of their former enemies in order to defeat the occupiers. Here we are today on the verge of that same situation in Iraq — the situation desired by those who want to eliminate the mujahideen and to end the Islamic state. The following is a list of crimes [committed by insurgent traitors]:

1.		Broadcasting false propaganda against the Islamic State — from questioning the faith of its soldiers to finally backstabbing them.
2.		Mobilizing some of the tribal Shaykhs against their mujahideen sons and justifying their actions based upon erroneous claims and by pointing out some of the actual mistakes committed by the mujahideen. Needless to say, these mistakes happen on every battlefield, even back during the era of the Prophet Mohammed.
3.		Establishing councils of treachery and betrayal across the cities of Iraq while providing support for them with political and Shariah principles. Also, inviting the public to join these councils and abandon their religion.
4.		Legitimizing the institutions of the apostate [Iraqi] government by actively participating in them, from the infidel parliament and local municipal councils to their despicable crime of approving the secular constitution for the apostate state.
5.		Aiding the occupiers and their government by putting constant pressure on Arab states to open embassies in Iraq and to support the peace process (i.e. the willingness of Saudi Arabia to open a new embassy in Baghdad).
6.		Extending the period of occupation by convincing the American administration that there soon will be a coming victory and an end to the armed conflict — and also by spreading fear amongst members of the American administration regarding the consequences of an early withdrawal and the impact of a mujahideen takeover.
7.		Ignoring all of the sacrifices of the Sunni people, especially the ones made by the mujahideen. For example, their attempt to convince people that what had happened at Abu Ghraib was all lies — until their efforts were undermined by the American confession. Afterwards, they still claimed the story of the pure, dignified woman [who was mistreated at Abu Ghraib] had been blown out of proportion.
8.		Their continuing proclamations that the dangers posed by the Islamic State are greater than those posed by the Americans and apostates.
9.		Being officially and directly involved in fighting both specifically the Islamic State and the mujahideen in general and implementing it by joining the Iraqi police and army forces, including in Baquba and Anbar. Another example can be found in Fallujah, where the local police chief — one of the top commanders from the 1920 Revolution Brigades — randomly executes any Salafi who is arrested, after they are first subjected to a long chain of inhuman torture.
10.		They have misrepresented themselves in the media. Not just merely expressing their public disapproval with our war — as Hamas and its sister armed factions have done — in reality, they were engaged in a fierce, multi-faceted war targeting us (the mujahideen). Several fighting brigades have joined this phony project and falsely presented themselves as Salafi organizations. These groups attended a dangerous meeting including some of the genuine fighting brigades that took place in an Arab nation (known to be under American supervision and which has a strong relationship with the Jewish State of Israel). During the meeting, they agreed to ‘establish an alliance amongst the participating organizations that aims to prevent the Islamic State from encroaching on their (the participating organizations’) areas of control — whether by directly fighting [the ISI] or by aiding the local tribes. In return, American forces promised to strike the Mahdi army and the Shiite insurgents. The Americans promised give these groups eventual political control, all under the unified state project that is based on honest and democratic elections.’ Indeed, these organizations have lived up to their commitments and promises and have initiated first a propaganda war, then followed by an armed one…

Free and proud Muslim nation: those who are attempting to bring down the young Muslim nation in Mesopotamia will not succeed thanks to the blessings of Allah. They are attempting all of this at a time when conniving individuals are attacking the Muslims. You all have heard about the dignified and pure Muslim woman Dua [Khalil Aswad] who was brutally murdered in broad daylight by a group of satan worshippers… As a result, a group of Muslim lions from the north swore to avenge her death — especially when [local Yazidis near Mosul] refused to turn in those who participated in the killing. We shall continue to launch strikes upon them until their satanic leader consents to the conversion of any Yazidi to Islam… The world has witnessed our actions — have we avenged your death, O’ Dua? I imagined you, Dua, whispering to me and me replying to you that it is not yet time to stop [our operations] because your murderers are still walking free on earth. I swear to you, sister, that we shall not stop our actions until they turn in your killers.

Others who had previously claimed to be neutral also have attacked the Muslims. An excellent example of this is the degenerate crusader country of Sweden, where they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed portrayed as a dog… We are witnessing every single villain attacking us — from the worshippers of the cross all the way to the worshippers of the cows — we are witnessing our blood and honor being taken away. We are being stabbed in the back every time we try to stand up tall and fight to regain the price of our ancestors. We say now, to all of you — slaves of the cross and material possessions — that we are a nation blessed by Islam. You will learn how to kneel down in humiliation. You will learn how to officially apologize for your crime against our Prophet Mohammed. We know how best to force you to back down and apologize for your actions. We reserve the right to punish those who committed the crime. If you do not apologize, then your industrial giants will be attacked. Companies such as Ericsson, Scandia, Volvo, Ikea, Electrolux, and others will be legitimate targets. You have been warned… [Additionally], on this day forward, we call for the killing of the cartoon artist Lars who committed these despicable acts against our Prophet Mohammed. We announce a reward of $100,000 for anyone who kills that infidel criminal. The reward shall be $150,000 for anyone who beheads him as well. We also will give $50,000 to anyone who kills the chief editor of that newspaper. O’ Muslims, you shall seek this reward, ask for forgiveness, and kill these two infidels…

People of Mesopotamia: I realize that many of you were victims of a major disinformation campaign led by those who failed us filled with promises of peaceful living. As a result, many young men were tempted to join the campaign and became employed as agents and traitors for this government while buried under endless titles. This is a call for awakening and assistance… We have become aware that many of these young men have since realized the lie that they are serving under and wish to beg for forgiveness. However, they have been told that the Islamic State will certainly kill them if they decide to abandon their current actions… I inform those of you that are considering forgiveness… so long as your desire to abandon your current path is coming from Allah, we will welcome back any brother who decides to beg for forgiveness and join our path… O’ brothers, realize that working with the devil while forsaking your religion… shall bring hard times and miseries upon you. I promise you that hiding behind strong fortresses and driving armored vehicles… will not stop us from reaching you because Allah is on our side and you will certainly realize that the moment that we cut your head off…

Soldiers of the Muslim state and young Muslim men: we are about to enter a new era and a turning point for the regional and world map. We are witnessing the end of the lie of Western Civilization. We are also witnessing the awakening of mighty Islam and that is exactly what Bush has warned his soldiers about during his most recent speech: ‘This region is changing and moving in a way that shall endanger civilization’ — and by this, he was referring to the civilization of infidels, interest, prostitution, humiliation and defeat. Bush also added regarding the soldiers of the Islamic State in Mesopotamia that ‘they are seeking the return of the Caliphate from Spain to Indonesia’… Frankly, this has been the result of only a fraction of our actual capabilities because of the negative impact on our operations caused by agents and traitors.

I send my warmest regards — the regards of honor, dignity, and pride — to those soldiers who have been successful in humiliating the cross worshippers. Also, I send my regards to those who have established the Islamic State [in Iraq] with their blood and sacrifices. Allah has given you a blessing and made you witness how Bush screamed out in fear from your steadfastness, perseverance, and commitment to your beliefs. Do not waste the fruits of your actions and the blood of your brothers. Be strong and stand behind your religion… Be tough… the month of Ramadan has arrived and Allah will choose his men. Blessed are those who will die during this month. Blessed are those who shall meet their creator during these days of forgiveness… Seek death and spread fear amongst the enemies of Allah and continue along on your path to Paradise… The greatest reward goes to those who fight the enemies of Allah… especially during the nights of Ramadan.

To all those who are seeking an honorary divine medal in this month of goodness, jihad, compassion, and forgiveness, I proudly announce the beginning of Ramadan as the commencement for the ‘Expedition of the martyr Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’ which will end on the close of the seventh day of Shawwal [October 19, 2007]… So do not miss this opportunity to declare jihad during the best month of the year… I am pleased to repeat the words of the martyr [Abu Musab al-Zarqawi] on his way to avenge the death of his brother Abu Anas [al-Shami]. I pray to Allah that his words will be a guiding force for your actions… He said, ‘O’ lions of al- Tawheed across the dear land of Mesopotamia. I urge you to drench your swords with the blood of your enemies before the day is over… There is no point in living when our honor is being taken away and we are being ruled by the cross worshippers.’ I ask you, O’ soldiers of Islam — in the same way the aforementioned martyr ordered you before me — do not miss this chance to join the convoy of martyrs during these holy days… I ask Allah to grant us loyalty, perseverance and guidance.

For previous posts on Lars Vilks and the Roundabout Dogs, see the Modoggie Archives.