Despite Ban, Extremist British Preacher Abu Haleema Spreads His Message On Social Media

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The extremist London-based preacher Abu Haleema continues to maintain his online presence, on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, despite his arrest in May 2015 by Scotland Yard. After he was freed on bail, reportedly on condition that he cease his incendiary online activity,[1] he was soon back on social media. His associate, fellow extremist preacher Anjem Choudary, was also just released on bail.

The distinctive belligerent, street-savvy, unpolished style affected by Abu Haleema sets him apart from the more soft-spoken and conservative Choudary and other UK-based preachers such as Abu Baraa. Abu Haleema's Twitter account is suspended multiple times every week; his bloc of supporters on Twitter defend him and  actively promote his new accounts. He no longer tweets his views; instead, he relays his messages via videos that he promotes on his Facebook page, which as of this writing has nearly 5,000 "likes."[2] Abu Haleema has said that if YouTube removes one of his videos, he reposts them on the French video-sharing website DailyMotion.

Abu Haleema's enthusiastic followers include Islamic State (ISIS) fighter and supporters; however, he has numerous critics, and many who agree with his beliefs are put off by his aggressive approach.

Abu Haleema seated in between Anjem Choudary and Abu Baraa

Abu Haleema's Messages

Abu Haleema is prudent with the messages he puts forth in his videos, and with the language he uses. He is careful not to make any specific threats, or openly promote jihad; however, many of his videos contain the theme of "striking the kuffar" (infidels), and "making takfiri on" (excommunicating) those who do not hold his views. On August 31, 2015, Abu Haleema shared a video titled "They Hate It," uploading it also to his Facebook page, in which he says: "Were going to see the time soon when allah gives so much victory to the Muslims that they will stand up and they will say to the whole world that after today the kuffar you wont strike us, and we will strike you, so brothers and sisters don’t let these munafiqeen [hypocrites] upset you. Allah will humiliate them."

In August 2015, he uploaded a video called "They will not cease fighting us." In it, Abu Haleema references verses from the Koran about believers and fighters: "Allah said the believers the ones who emigrated the ones who strove the ones who fought for the sake of Allah, they are greater in rank in the sight of Allah, and they are the ones who are the successful ones." He also rails against fellow Muslims who disagree with his beliefs and who he says side with infidels, charging in a defiant and accusatory tone, "it's you that are mentally sick." It is worth noting that in this video that references some militant Koranic passages, Abu Haleema is wearing a camouflage shirt, perhaps in a conscious effort to reflect the video's combative content.

Abu Haleema is often critical of secular and non-aggressive Muslims. On January 7, he took to Facebook to attack a specific type of non-practicing Muslim living in London. He wrote: "It's not the Arabic language that makes you understand the deen [religion], just walk along Edgware Road and look at all the Arabic speakers smoking their shisha and Arabic prostitutes walking up and down the road. What makes you understand the deen is knowing your tawheed [monotheism] and implementing it. It's not enough to talk about kufr bit taghoot [rejection of unbelieving tyranny] while your [sic] sitting doing nothing living a [cozy] life amongst the kuffar [infidels]. Someone who knows and implements kufar bit taghoot is always in direct confrontation with the taghoot."

Abu Haleema boasted about remaining active on social media after his arrest. In a June 16 Facebook post, he wrote, "I'm back on social media the case against me has been dropped. To everyone who supported me and made dua [prayed] for me jazakallah khair and to all the haters and snitches and lovers of kuffar and kuffar themselves, I'm here now and there's nothing you can do about it looooooool."

Style

Abu Haleema sets himself apart from his associates with a gritty style inspired by street culture. Abu Haleema has a distinctive speech; he fires off Koranic quotations and references rapidly, and uses a shouting, threatening, accusatory tone. It is worth noting that Abu Haleema's videos are shot on location in urban settings. Brick backgrounds, graffiti, or the Underground are commonly featured as backdrops in his videos. This is in stark contrast to the work of associates such as Anjem Choudary, who commonly uses an Islamist banner as a backdrop. Street culture is an aspect of Western youth culture which has ties to rap and gangster subcultures. Such links have been exploited before to make radical ideas seem attractive to Western youths.[3]

Still from Abu Haleema video, in which he is seen in front of a brick background

Abu Haleema in front of a graffiti backdrop

Abu Haleema an Underground station

Abu Haleema in a tunnel

Abu Haleema at a bus stop

Online Jihadi Ties And The Battle Against Twitter

Abu Haleema is very popular with ISIS supporters and fighters. He has promoted popular ISIS accounts, and has been promoted by them as well. His account is frequently targeted for suspension on Twitter, but he remains defiant, and keeps creating new accounts.

On August 18 he tweeted, "Salaam Alaykum. 3 suspensions in 24 hours subhanallah."

Abu Haleema named a recently deleted account of a popular ISIS disseminator (@Skxxx47) to his followers, "One of my favourite brothers on twitter is back from suspension alhamdulilah Follow and support him as he exposes the kuffar."

On August 16, a user called Abu Aiysha tweeted, "follow and support @abuhaleema21 A pain for the madkhalis [deviants]." The image accompanying the tweet is of an ISIS militant burning an American flag.

A user called Al Abu tweeted, "Everyone please follow brother @AbuHaleema22 back from suspended." He included the hashtag #IS [Islamic State] in the tweet.

It appears that Abu Haleema is not distancing himself from those who blatantly support ISIS. On September 1, he retweeted a tweeted from a user called Solder [soldier] of Khilafa. The original tweet reads "Baqiyah family, plz follow & support our dear bro and teacher."

A prominent British ISIS fighter and recruiter called Abu Qa'qa Al-Baritani follows Abu Haleema on Twitter.

On August 28 Abu Haleema uploaded a video to his Twitter account and wrote: "back again suspended within a few hours cuz of these kuffar nerds these geeks abu Haleema 31 follow back inshallah, and don't worry about these nerds these geeks that's all they can do. We just come back. They suspend us we come back. They're wasting their time."

A discussion amongst pro-ISIS Abu Haleema supporters regarding his suspension ensued.

A user called Bint Nazarat wrote, "Oh my gosh, the terrorists got Abu Haleema again. When is this gonna end?"  She continued, "he just got back from suspension not even 10 hours ago, he's been suspended again, he's been suspended every day this week." Umm Radwa replied, "They are targeting him." A user called Pakistan Murthabad added, "He doesn't even spread IS news."

Criticism

Some Muslims are weary of Abu Haleema's abrasive style. A user wrote in to ISIS fighter Abu Khalid Al-Cambodi on the social media site Askbook and said, "Have you ever seen Abu Haleema on Twitter? Akhi, if you support him look over his activity intensely. He's making people who support Dawla [ISIS] look mentally retarded. Someone needs to advise and stop him from speaking above his level of knowledge." The fighter replied, "As salamu Alaykum akhee fillah, msg me on elsewhere habibi so we can speak hayyakAllah."[4]

A YouTube video titled "Confronting Abu Haleema" features a person confronting the preacher in a mosque. The person takes issue with Abu Haleema's shouting and incessant accusations of takfir. He asks, "Why can't you call people peacefully with love instead of shouting and screaming. Is this how our Messenger was? Instead of shouting at David Cameron, instead of swearing at all these ministers, why don't you call them toward Islam beautifully? This is a peaceful religion." Abu Haleema responds that it is not necessary to be nice to tyrants like Cameron, and those at war with Islam. Abu Haleema ends with, "Akhi [my brother], delete that video."[5]

Another Muslim who challenged Abu Haleema posted a video on YouTube under the account Takfeerisessions titled, "Abu Haleema Exposed!" In the video, the person confronting Abu Haleema calls him an extremist and says, "The Prophet wouldn't behave this way."[6]