Muslims From U.K., France, Hungary, Germany, Balkans, Sweden, Chechnya, Chile Joining Fight Against Syrian Regime – As Revealed By Algerian TV Documentary

Muslims From U.K., France, Hungary, Germany, Balkans, Sweden, Chechnya, Chile Joining Fight Against Syrian Regime – As Revealed By Algerian TV Documentary

The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM).  Subscription information is available at http://subscriptions.memri.org/content/en/member_registr_jttm.htm.
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On November 15, 2012, the Algerian channel Echorouk TV posted a documentary video on its YouTube channel featuring a number of muhajireen (foreign fighters) who had come to Syria to fight the Bashar Al-Assad regime.[1] Those featured included Muslims from the U.K., France, Hungary, Germany, the Balkans, Sweden, and Chechnya, as well as a recent Muslim convert from Chile who died while fighting in Syria. The video depicts how warmly foreign fighters are welcomed and integrated into the local resistance groups, which admire them, particularly those from Western countries, for choosing to leave their comfortable lives to fulfill what they see as the duty of jihad against the Syrian regime.
MEMRI has previously reported about the presence of Chechen fighters in Syria,[2] a presence recently alluded to by Dokka Umarov, emir of the Caucasus Emirate (CE).[3]
The documentary also includes segments from an interview with Abu Ahmad, leader of the Ahrar Al-Sham Brigades in Aleppo, who expresses his hope of establishing an Islamic state following the toppling of the Assad regime. Views similar to Abu Ahmad's were recently expressed in a joint statement issued on behalf of numerous Islamic resistance groups fighting in Aleppo and its surroundings.[4] Abu Ahmad also voiced criticism of the U.S., Russia, and China, accusing them of turning the Syrian crisis into an arena for their geopolitical power struggle; similar views were expressed by another commander of the Ahrar Al-Sham Brigades in October 2012.[5] Abu Ahmad stressed that the Syrian mujahideen do not fear a war against America and the West.
On the issue of the West's arming of the various Syrian resistance groups, Abu Ahmad said that such support with weapons is scarce, and attributed this to the West's fear that such weapons might fall into the hands of extremists.

Abu Muhammad (of Hungary), Emir of Suqour Al-Sham

Abu Sayyaf Al-Libi (of the U.K.)

Franco Abu 'Abd Al-Rahman (of Paris, France)

Jacques Abu 'Abdallah Al-Faransi (of Marseille, France)

Mark Abu Osama Al-Suwaidi (of Sweden)

Unidentified deceased Chilean and German fighters

Abu Ahmad Al-Shishani (of Russia)
The following is the translated transcript of the video.
To view this clip on MEMRI TV, click here.

"Allah Has Called Upon Us To Help Any Muslim In The World, And We Are Willing To Die For His Sake Anywhere"
Reporter: "With cries of 'Allah Akbar,' the journey of these muhajireen [foreign fighters] to the training camp begins. Some of them reminisce about the hilltops of Afghanistan and the sands of Iraq. These memories bonded and strengthened them.
[Busload of muhajireen singing songs of jihad]
"Masked faces conceal the features of young men, who say they have divorced this world after emigrating from their countries, leaving behind a life of leisure and pleasure in the heart of Europe and the Islamic world.
"The training is given by an experienced fighter from the Balkans, [a place] which suffered the hell of the Russian invasion [sic]."
Muhajireen: "Allah Akbar. There is no god but Allah. What is our path? Jihad, jihad. jihad until victory."
Abu Ahmad the Chechen, coming from Russia: "Allah has granted us the privilege of coming to Syria. We have packed our bags, leaving our families and children behind, after seeing the whole world forsake the mothers and children who are being killed.
"We are not terrorists, but we are zealous for our Islam and for the honor of our Sunni sisters who are being raped, under the pretext of democracy and fighting terrorism. Our only goal is to elevate the word of truth, and to fight the injustice imposed on the Syrians.
"Allah has called upon us to help any Muslim in the world, and we are willing to die for His sake anywhere – in Afghanistan, in Saudi Arabia, in Somalia, in Chechnya, in Nigeria, in Libya, in Mali, in the southern Philippines, in Sudan, in Pakistan, or anywhere where the blood of Muslims is being shed unjustly.
"Today, the Muslims, and even some non-Muslims – some honest Christian civilians from among the People of the Book – are bearing arms to fight that tyrant Bashar, who has targeted the country and its people."[...]
"Islam Will Survive, No Matter How Much You Conspire; It Is In Your Best Interest To Reconcile With Islam"
Abu 'Abdallah, Emir of the Hamza bin Abd Al-Muttalib Brigade, the Suburbs of Aleppo: "We bear a message of truth, good, and justice to all people. So why is there such fear of Islam?
"Oh reasonable people of the West, you should benefit from Islam. You suffer unbearable social and economic crises. Oh people of France, do you agree to being thus subjected to persecution and injustice? Your governments used to sponsor these [Arab] governments. This is the truth, whether you accept it or not. Your governments' intelligence agencies used to support these governments.
"Why do you describe us as extremist terrorists? Now you are realizing that in all areas, the Islamic system is reasonable. We believe that our happiness in this world and the world to come depends on the instating of the shari'a. Therefore, we will not shy away from striving for its implementation.
"When the West labeled the Taliban as terrorist, it mobilized 33 countries with their armies to occupy one quarter of Afghanistan. The people ruled by the USSR were now ruled by the coalition. Why didn't they wait for the Taliban to demonstrate its civilized conduct? Maybe it would have been good, and they could have benefited from it.
"They immediately said that this was a country of terrorism. Their media became politicized. It showed how the Taliban was implementing Islamic punishments by killing women, shooting at women... I think those things harm the West rather than benefit it.
"Islam will survive, no matter how much you conspire. It is in your best interest to reconcile with Islam." [...]
Abu Ahmad, Emir of Ahrar Al-Sham Brigades, Aleppo: "As Mujahideen, We Have No Problem Waging War Against America And The West"
Reporter: "At nightfall, the people remaining in the town emerge, and even the children carry weapons, insisting on their freedom and on toppling the regime."
Children, led by adult: "We respond to your call, oh Allah."
[...]
Reporter: "Death from a shell or a sniper bullet lurks for the people of Aleppo at any moment."
Fighter: "We respond to your call, oh Allah.
"We respond to your call, oh Allah.
"We respond to your call, oh Allah.
"We respond to your call, oh Allah."
Reporter: "'We respond to your call, oh Allah' is the resounding cry of the foreign fighters in the face of fire from enemy tanks.
"This is a fighter from the foggy capital of London."
[Abu Sayyaf the Libyan (see image above), coming from England, shown shouting "Allah Akbar!"]
Fighter: "No, no. Don't take my picture."
Reporter: "Some of the foreign fighters refuse to reveal their identity, out of fear of persecution by the security in their home countries.
[...]
"Not far away, the comrades talk about the U.S. plot to take over their revolution, and about their plan for after the toppling of the Al-Assad regime. There is no alternative to an Islamic caliphate."
[...]
Abu Ahmad, Emir of the Ahrar Al-Sham Brigades, Aleppo: "We don't care about the West. If they want to fight us, we will fight for the sake of Allah. Anyone who dies for the sake of Allah and is accepted by Allah as a martyr has nothing to regret. That is our hope – that Allah will accept us as martyrs.
"As mujahideen, we have no problem waging war against America and the West. But we want the average man on the street to understand the trap that is set. He must understand that the West does not have our best interests at heart. [The West] says that they will send arms, but until now, no arms have arrived. We received 30 bullets apiece, and they sent two or three rifles.
"What the West wants is for us to make slow progress, destroying the regime's stockpiles of weapons. They want no weapons to be left in Syria. The tanks we destroy and the airplanes we down – the West is afraid that the Islamists will keep them for themselves, and so they want us to destroy them.
"The West could have ousted Al-Assad if they really wanted – but they don't want to.
[...]
"Our Prophet Muhammad, who is our role model, fought the Quraysh tribe, even though it included his uncles and other family members. We are prepared to fight even our own people in order to exalt the word of Allah. We do not fear the West, America, or any other country.
"For 40 years, we [Muslims] have been incurring the wrath of the Lord, and things were getting worse, not better. Even though this is a country with great resources, we can't even buy a loaf of bread. We need to try a different path. Common sense tells you that if you tried a certain path and failed – why not try a different path, which might be successful? We will take the path of the Lord, Allah willing." [...]
Abu Ahmad, Emir of Ahrar Al-Sham Brigades: We Don't Believe In Borders Between Islamic States; "Even In The West, Many People Are Joining Islam"
Reporter: "Do you believe in borders between Islamic states?"
Abu Ahmad: "No, we don't. These borders were delineated 40-50 years ago for the obvious reasons of disintegrating and weakening us. Even in the West, many people are joining Islam. I believe that once they see our correct Islam, we will not have any need to fight.
"We have an example to follow. In the days of the Prophet's companions, Islam reached China by means of commerce. Not everything must be done through war. Once they see that my behavior as a Muslim is proper and honorable – I believe that the Islamic state will spread to all corners of the world.
[...]
"America deceives Russia and China. It toys with them more than it toys with us. America made Russia and China 'the other side' so that when Bashar Al-Assad is ousted, the Syrian people will hate Russia and China vehemently."