Al-Shabab uses Trump to woo supporters
January 2, 2016
The al-Shabab video was distributed on Twitter by the al-Kataib Media Foundation, an Islamist organization.
The terrorists used a clip from Trump's December speech, where he made calls for the United States to bar Muslims from entering the country as his supporters cheered. Many American politicians condemned Trump's statement and said his views could be used as propaganda by militant organizations.
The al-Shabab seemed to have done exactly that. Trump's clip in the 51-minute-long film was sandwiched between clips of militant leader Anwar al-Awlaki saying that Muslims would face a choice between leaving for Islamic countries or staying at home to fight the West, SITE monitoring reported. Al-Awlaki was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
The video, confirmed to be genuine by experts, has footage of the US police using force against black people as well as speeches of the African-American activist Malcolm X, who was killed in 1965.
The al-Shabab, an affiliate of the al-Qaida, seeks to overthrow Somalia's government and impose an Islamic regime following a strict version of the Sharia. The organization has carried out many attacks in Kenya and Ethiopia.
mg/se (Reuters, dpa)