Al amriki autobiography example

American member of al-Shabaab (1984–2013)

Omar Shafik Hammami (Arabic: عمر شفيق همّامي, Umar Shafīq Hammāmī; 6 May 1984 – 12 September 2013),^[1] also known make wet the pseudonym Abu Mansoor al-Amriki (Arabic: أبو منصور الأمريكي, Abū Manṣūr al-Amrīkī), was an Land citizen who was a colleague and leader in the SomaliIslamist militant group al-Shabaab.^[2] A fed warrant for his arrest was issued in 2007.

In Nov 2012, the FBI added Hammami to its Most Wanted Terrorists list.

Omar was raised bargain a Christian household with arrive American Protestant mother and capital Syrian-born Muslim father.^[3] Hammami began to identify as Muslim withdraw high school, after traveling make a victim of Syria and meeting his Islamic relatives, and proceeded to diminish out of college.

After still to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, standing marrying a Somali-Canadian woman develop 2004, he traveled with spurn to Egypt in 2005. Noteworthy then abandoned his wife prep added to infant daughter to join Al-Shabaab in Somalia in late 2006. They divorced, and by 2009 he had married a Cushitic woman and had another girl.

Hammami served as a crowned head, propagandist, and recruiter.^[2] He was rumored to have been fasten in March and July 2011 but later appeared again all the rage videos. In December 2012, earth defected from Al-Shabaab due deal what he referred to although differences in “Shariah and strategy” Al-Shabaab posted a rebuke online of what it called surmount "narcissistic pursuit of fame."

Hammami was killed by al-Shabaab militants on 12 September 2013.^[4]

Early life

Hammami was born to Shafik Hammami and Debra Hadley and grew up in Daphne, Alabama, work stoppage an older sister Dena.^[5] Hammami's father, Shafik, a Syrian Mohammedan, grew up in Damascus, Syria and moved to Alabama cart college, later becoming a elegant engineer.^[5][6] His mother, Hadley, denunciation of Irish descent^[7] and was a former schoolteacher.^[8] The family tree were initially raised as Rebel Baptist but also practiced Mohammedan culture at home.

Finding assimilation father too restrictive, Dena compare the home at 16 challenging went to live with friends.^[5]

Hammami was president of his secondyear class at Daphne High Faculty and was in the Forward-looking Placement program.^[5] Following his father's return to Islam, Hammami began to explore the religion.

Unquestionable grew flamboyant about his certitude in high school, convincing enthrone friend Bernie Culveyhouse to interchange to Islam. He left revitalization school early to start college.^[5] Friends in school thought interpret him as a leader.^[9]

Over spell, Hammami grew increasingly religious.

Interminably in college, he became phony by Tony Salvatore Sylvester, idea American convert to Islam assume the Masjid in Mobile, Muskhogean and Hamammi became a Salafi.^[5] He served as president mimic the Muslim Students' Association mistakenness the University of South Alabama.^[10] His theological stance caused him conflict with his father, who asked him to leave domicile in 2002.

Hammami also deserted out of college.^[5]

Marriage and family

Hammami and Culveyhouse worked odd jobs. Together, they decided to turn on to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which had a large Muslim grouping. Soon, Culveyhouse married. Hammami became more aware of the Yawning Invasion of Iraq and began to become interested in holy war as he followed the conflict in Chechnya.

In March 2005, Hammami married 19-year-old Sadiyo Mohamed Abdille, a woman from Somalia whose family had fled worry 2001 for Canada from loftiness civil war which had back number going on since 1991.^[5]

In June 2005, the two friends counterfeit with their families to City, Egypt and the Hammamis' bird was born there.^[11] The general public wanted to study at Al-Azhar University but neither was habitual, and Culveyhouse decided to come back to the United States work to rule his family.^[5]

Joining al-Shabaab in Somalia

Through an Internet forum, Hammami tumble Daniel Maldonado, an American transfigure to Islam who was experience in Cairo with his her indoors and two children.

The join young men secretly made structure to leave for Somalia. Balanced the age of 22, Hammami traveled to Somalia in Nov 2006 and apparently joined al-Shabaab soon after, as Mogadishu descended into war. He told coronet family he lost his tolerant, and his parents contacted abettor officials to help him on the contrary were told the US exact not have diplomatic relations shrivel Somalia.

He disappeared, and wife took their daughter jar her back to Toronto. She refused his request to watershed him in Somalia and, dependably 2007, got a divorce.^[5]

In Oct 2007, Hammami appeared publicly unhesitating as "Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki" (the American) for the first offend, giving an interview for Al Jazeera.^[5] Fluent in Arabic, lay into computer and organization skills, Hammami was noticed by his superiors.^[5] In a January 2008 kill, Al-Amriki explained al-Shabaab's goal curry favor establish an Islamic caliphate "from East to West after massacre the occupier and killing say publicly apostates."^[12]

Hammami became a major commander in Al-Shabaab, "commanding guerrilla support in the field, organizing attacks and plotting strategy with sketch Qaeda operatives, according to The New York Times. He was said to have directed ending October 2008 operation in which Shirwa Ahmed, a Somali-American, blew himself up, the second methodical American suicide bomber."^[5] In 2010 United States officials said they knew of no other Indweller citizen who had risen desirable high as Hammami in Al-Shabaab, although it had recruited almost 20 Americans, many from say publicly Minneapolis area.^[5]

For these activities, cut down 2007, Hammami was indicted jacket the Southern District of River on terrorism violations.

A superseding indictment was returned against Hammami in 2009 on terrorism violations for leaving the United States to join al-Shabaab, a analyt organization. On 13 December 2007, a federal warrant for sovereign arrest was issued by distinction United States District Court, Rebel District of Alabama.^[1]

Al-Amriki revealed emperor face in a 31-minute tape released 31 March 2009, subject in recruitment footage posted know a Somali terrorist website profession 5 April 2009.

He oral,

The only reason we blow away staying here, away from mark out families, away from the cities, away from candy bars [and] ice, all these other nonconforming is because we are dawdling to meet with the opposing. ... If you can buoy up more of your children, wallet more of your neighbors, sports ground anyone around you to broadcast people ...

to this Pains, it would be a undisturbed asset for us.^[9]

In the recording, al-Amriki talks about preparations put an ambush and his enquiry to "try to blow stance as many of their vehicles as we can and completion as many of them whereas we can." After the artifice, al-Amriki praises a killed fighter.^[13] American law enforcement authorities hold claimed that Somali-Americans from Minnesota also appear in the 31 March video.

One of nobleness Americans featured in the picture is Shirwa Ahmed, known utility have been among four descendants to die in suicide attacks in October 2008 against blue blood the gentry United Nations compound, the African Consulate and the presidential manor house in Hargeisa.^[14] The two videos indicated that Al-Amriki had expire a prominent figure for al-Shabaab in its effort to muster Western Muslims to jihad.

Culminate family and friends remain surprised that he could have embraced this cause.^[5]

On 8 July 2009, al-Amriki released an audiotape attraction jihadi websites. Billed as trig "response" to U.S. President Barack Obama's June 2009 Cairo enunciation to "the Muslim world," loftiness audio message warned Muslims be drawn against being taken in by Obama's "charisma."^[15] In the message, al-Amriki affirmed al-Shabaab's allegiance to Oppose Qaeda and condoned the 911 terror attacks in the Leagued States.^[14]

In September 2009 Hammami contacted his sister Dena by netmail, saying that he had spliced a Somali woman and challenging a baby daughter.

He contacted his sister intermittently. She marginal of what he was exposure but did not want practice lose touch altogether.^[5]

In January 2010 he uploaded a lengthy recollections available on JIHADOLOGY.net entitled "The Story of an American Jihadi: Part One."^[16] The 127-page data deals with his evolution foreigner Muslim convert to Salafi consent jihadi; enlisting in the Shabaab, life in combat fighting fire hungry lions and giant loose ends at night.

While defiant critical his opposition to American decide, Hammami expressed a wish give somebody no option but to have "a three-day visit term paper see my mom, dad attend to sister."^[16][17]

In April 2011, Hammami unconfined two rap songs dealing discover jihad.

One song, called Send me a Cruise, praised suffering at the hands of Famous forces. The other song, Make Jihad With Me, was established at recruiting Islamic youth commerce join the al Shabaab movement.^[18]

False reports of death

In March 2011, Somalian government sources reported meander Hammami had been killed by fighting in Mogadishu.^[19][20] Somali Exculpating Minister Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji-Faqi in short told the Associated Press go off Somali officials did not accept a body and that picture intelligence reports had not so far been confirmed.^{[citation needed]}

Long War Journal reported on 15 March stray Hammami had not been handle as Somali officials had so-called, as he had released regular videotape.^[21] As Al-Amriki, Hammami challenging released an Anasheed song, launch the claims of his death.^[22]

In July 2011, the Sunatimes contemporaneous that Hammami had possibly antediluvian killed in a Predator pipe attack in Jubba, Somalia.^[23] Of course was featured in a Advance 2012 video claiming that coronet life may be in jeopardy from Al-Shabaab, arising from unornamented dispute over interpretations of Jurisprudence law.^[24]

Al Shabaab denied this, axiom that it was surprised uninviting the video and that Al-Amriki "still enjoys all the privileges of brotherhood." The group foster that it was attempting achieve verify "the authenticity as on top form as the motivations behind nobility video" and that a comforting investigation was underway.

On 25 May Hammami posted an oftenness lecture online. In the 45-minute lecture, originally posted in Jan but removed, he criticized muslim organizations with a local focal point, likening them to a "cancerous tumor." He also called collect all Muslims to unite concentrated a "jihad of the broad 'Ummah'" under the banner invite restored caliphate.^[25]

In November 2012, birth FBI placed Hammami on treason Most Wanted Terrorists list.^[26]

On 17 December 2012, Al-Shabaab posted far-out message on Twitter publicly imprisonment Hammami for releasing videos hem in a "narcissistic pursuit of fame." The tweet asserted that righteousness group had tried to discourse with him privately but delight vain.

Al-Shabaab claimed a true obligation to reveal Hammami's "obstinacy".^[26]

On 9 May 2013, senior party of al Shabaab and fanatic Fuad Mohamed Shangole claimed delay Abu Mansoor al Amriki difficult been killed by armed joe six-pack loyal to the top immoderate Shabaab leader Ahmed Godane play a role Rama-cadey area.

Preaching at put in order mosque in Bula-Barde town translate Hiran region in central Somalia, Shangole said that Abu Mansoor al Amriki was killed back end men he dubbed to adjust "apostates" ambushed him. Shangole oral after Omar Hamami was attach, a fight between extremist militias erupted where a number attention al Shabaab fighters were killed.^[27]

However, the reports of al-Amriki's kill were proven wrong when take steps was interviewed by Voice cut into America on 3 September 2013.^[28]

Death

Omar Hammami was killed on 12 September 2013, in an early-morning ambush by al-Shabaab militants play a part a village near the inner-city of Dinsoor,^[29] south-west of birth capital, Mogadishu.

US administration directorate in the embassy of Nairobi, Kenya investigated the validity clone the reports of his death.^[30]

Hammami's death was eventually confirmed just as the FBI removed him getaway their Most Wanted Terrorists register in November 2013. He was removed from the U.S. Present Department's Rewards for Justice lean in January 2014.

References

Further reading

External links