Two Americans and perhaps a Brit — on Kenyan soil joining forces with “al-Shabaab” (literally, “the youth” in Arabic) in the murder of at least 62 innocent people? Who is “al-Shabaab,” and what are Americans doing with a Somali based terrorist organization murdering innocent civilians — after all, Americans don’t do such things! Right? What is going on in a world when anyone can justify such senseless evil?
On Monday, September 23, 2013, CBS News reported that over sixty people had been killed in an upscale mall in Nairobi. The al-Qaeda linked group, “al-Shabaab,” claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that “it was in retaliation for the 2011 involvement of Kenyan forces in their country [Somalia] to fight the Islamic insurgents.” Kenya shares its eastern border with neighboring Somalia, and in 2011, Kenyan government soldiers assisted the Somalia government in ousting al-Shabaab from areas of Somalia. According to State Department Reports, al-Shabaab (aka “The Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahidin; al-Shabab; Shabaab; the Youth; Mujahidin al-Shabaab Movement; Mujahideen Youth Movement; Mujahidin Youth Movement”) was labeled a terrorist organization in 2008 by the United States. The group is the militant wing of the former Somali Islamic Courts Council that took over parts of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. Al-Shabaab has led a violent insurgency using guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics against the “Transitional Federal Government” (TFG) of Somalia, and takes its name from the youth that were militarized by Islamists to become its soldiers (“mujahideen”) and its leaders. (Read more). (Read more). In 2012, al-Shabaab pledged loyalty to al Qaeda leader Al-Zawahiri, who took command of al Qaeda after U.S. commandos killed the movement’s founder, Osama bin Laden, last May.
The State Department reports the following activities of al-Shabaab:
In its first attack outside of Somalia, al-Shabaab was responsible for the July 11, 2010 suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda during the World Cup, which killed nearly 76 people, including one American citizen. Al-Shabaab’s attacks continued apace in 2011, and resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 people. Among al-Shabaab’s most deadly 2011 attacks were a string of armed assaults in May that killed over 120 people, a June attack on AMISOM peacekeepers that killed 13, and an October vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack on a government compound in Mogadishu that killed more than 70 people, including nine children. Al-Shabaab also killed the TFG Minister of Interior in June.
According to State Department officials, al-Shabaab is estimated to include over fifty Americans, some of whom are from the Minnesota area (a specific Minneapolis neighborhood known as “Little Mogadishu.”). (Read more). (Read more).
In an interview with Kenyan Foreign Minister, Amina Muhamad, she reported that at least two Americans were a part of the attack on the Westgate Mall as well as one British woman. United States officials are investigating the reports of the involvement of U.S. citizens or residents. In many reports, the following statement has surfaced:
The militants specifically targeted non-Muslims, and at least 18 foreigners were among the dead, including six Britons, as well as citizens from France, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China. Five Americans were among the wounded.
What does it matter whether the militants included Americans or not? Because Americans do not believe these things will happen in America. When Americans, citizen or resident, are involved in Islamist attacks on foreign soil, it is evidence for what we already know to be the case – but are afraid to admit. The “Boston Marathon massacre” will happen again. If American Muslims assisted in Kenya, they will do the same here, it is only a matter of time. Boston and Kenya were carried out by Islamists. In fact, the Islamists specifically targeted non-Muslims. According to reports, Muslims were escorted off the Mall property before the attack began:
Al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia with ties to Nairobi’s Eastleigh district and whose most recent attack of this scale came July 2010 in Uganda’s capital, claimed responsibility for the carnage and vowed not to negotiate with Kenyan authorities. It claimed that “all Muslims” were escorted from the mall before the attack, suggesting its targets were people who didn’t believe in their extreme form of Islam.
How does anyone justify the killing of young and old, men, women and children, all the while as they shop at a mall? This is evil at its darkest. It is humanity given over to evil by virtue of having chosen evil. It is the same depth of darkness that is permeating the world we live in from the Boston Marathon bombing to 9/11 to Aaron Alexis to Adam Lanza to James Holmes to Major Nidal Malik Hasan to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — and now Nairobi, Kenya. The enemy is actually not Islam. Islam is one of his covers, one of his cloaks under which he operates (Ezekiel 28:16 NASB) (Read more). Satan is the enemy (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 7 NASB) and as his lawlessness increases (Matthew 24:12 NASB) so we know that he gains greater power and influence in a world given over to its anti-god choices (Romans 1:28-32 NASB).
Revelation 18:24 (NASB) 24 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Revelation 19:20 (NASB) 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Jesus come quickly.
Blessings.
Jack
The Boston Marathon attack was not the first terrorist attack in Boston. A couple of years back, a Muslim man who lived in an apartment building did something to the gas line in the building, it caused a serious fire, and all of the media went silent on the fact that he was a Muslim. They put out a story saying that it was a suicide attempt, few believed it.