More so than at practically any other time in the previous few years, communications from al-Qaeda and affiliated movements have been full of calls for financial support from followers. The most dramatic pleas for money emanate from al-Qaeda affiliates and fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan, yet leaders from several jihadist battlefields have been issuing statements of financial need. Although calls to support fighters both materially and spiritually are a reoccurring theme in messages sent out by jihadist leadership, requests for aid have been a growing component of communications from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Gaza.
The message that jihadists require financial backing from supporters has been issued on multiple levels, both through al-Qaeda's leaders and from communiqués allegedly presenting messages from combatants on the battlefield, particularly in Afghanistan. In these communiqués, fighters often glorify the battle while exhorting readers to contribute to their efforts. Often, messages from leaders and soldiers describe financial considerations as the major limiting factor of their activity in the region, lamenting opportunities for attack that the mujahideen had to pass up due to financial constraints. Occasionally, communiqués include a detailed description of the costs entailed by the mujahideen, cataloguing the approximate price of weapons and supplies.
One of the most striking examples of the calls for financial support came in an audio message from Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (AKA Sheikh Saeed), the head of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.The speech, titled “Advice to the Turkish People” and released to jihadist forums on June 10, 2009, directs Turkish listeners to view themselves as part of the greater Islamic community. Speaking of Muslim solidarity, al-Yazid called on Turkish listeners to support their “brothers” fighting in Afghanistan. The lecture is notable as one of the first times that a leader of al-Qaeda has directly called upon viewers of a specific nationality for support in Afghanistan. After admonishing listeners over their moral and religious obligations to support the mujahideen, al-Yazid states that the organization needs money, noting:
| “Certainly, money is required for jihad. The jihadi battlefields need a lot of equipment... Moreover, in many of His verses, He kept jihad performed with one’s money higher than the jihad done with one’s life. It is so except in only one verse. The reason is the importance of jihad with money. Jihad with money is the base of the jihad with life. If a mujahid does not have enough money to buy his weapon, his food, his drink, and his tools for jihad then he can not do jihad under these conditions..." | ||
Devoting a substantial portion of the nine-minute and forty-three second address to fundraising, Yazid argued that supporting the jihad through donating money is more virtuous than fighting in battles. Broaching the issue, al-Yazid noted the needs of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan by highlighting that financial constraints limit the group's efficacy. Attempting to convince listeners both of al-Qaeda's needs and the religious rewards for donating money to the jihad, al-Yazid stated:
| “Thus, many verses encourage donations and jihad with money which is obligatory. The same way that jihad with one’s life is obligatory, jihad with one’s money is obligatory. And we, here in Afghanistan, are needy of money. And the reason for the weakness of the operations here is the inadequacy of equipment. Many of the mujahideen are sitting and not doing jihad because of shortage of money. We are even unable to prepare the brothers who are willing to sacrifice their life for the Cause of Allah due to the insufficiency of equipment. Then, fear Allah and be ambitious for jihad with money for the Cause of Allah. Perform this duty – the duty of doing jihad for the Cause of Allah with money – which is obligatory on you.” |
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Al-Yazid's message to supporters has been echoed, although less strongly, in the issuances of other members of the organizations' leadership, notably by al-Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden and second-in command Ayman al-Zawahiri. Highlighting their attempts to cultivate support and fundraising from diverse Muslim communities, both al-Yazid and al-Zawahiri distributed their addresses with at least one language other than Arabic. Although speaking in Arabic, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid's audio message contained Turkish-language subtitles.
A recent audio message from Usama bin Laden, the head of al-Qaeda, exhorted followers to support jihad in Pakistan both by overthrowing the Pakistani government and by directing their charitable donations to jihadists in Pakistan. The audio message was released in two versions: one on June 3, 2009 to al-Jazeera and the second, in a slightly different version, on July 11, 2009 to jihadist forums. As with previous messages emanating from leaders in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, the version released on jihadist message boards were accompanied by an Urdu version of the audio and both Arabic and English-language transcripts. During the course of arguing that all Muslims must support the jihad, bin Laden claimed that the portion of a Muslim's religiously commanded charity (Zakat) donated to jihadist efforts should equal the size of the American effort against jihadisim. Announcing that the focus of the perceived Western battle against Islam has shifted to Afghanistan and Pakistan, bin Laden encourages listeners to donate to the region in larger amounts:
| “I encourage my whole Muslim Ummah to stand by the Mujahidoon and help them all over the world, taking note that the leader of international forces of infidelity has announced that the main battlefield in the war against our nation has shifted to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thus, the share of Zakah and support in this region must be in accordance to the size of the Christian Crusade against it.” | ||
In an English-language audio-message released to jihadist forums on July 14, 2009, Ayman al-Zawahiri addressed Pakistani listeners, urging them to support al-Qaeda. Zawahiri released two versions of the message: one with an English audio track and another dubbed into Urdu. Both were accompanied by Arabic and English transcripts. Speaking of Pakistan, he argued that the United States' military and political encroachment on Pakistan places the country's future in danger. Outlining these dangers to Pakistan, Zawahiri identified the mujahideen as Pakistan's only chance for survival.
Having established the importance of the mujahideen and their activities in Pakistan, he reminded followers of their responsibilities towards the jihad. Zawahiri indicated that despite whatever resources al-Qaeda may have, their success remains wedded to the level of material support that they are able to muster, stating:
| “It is the individual duty of every Muslim in Pakistan to join the mujahideen, or at the very least, to support the jihad in Pakistan and Afghanistan with money, advice, expertise, information, communications, shelter, and anything else that he can offer” | ||
Not confined to al-Qaeda affiliated movements in Afghanistan and Pakistan, calls for funding have also been originating from leaders in Iraq. In an April 20, 2009 interview released by the al-Furqan Foundation, Islamic State of Iraq's (ISI) War Minister Abu Hamza al- Muhajir called on Muslims to direct their remaining assets towards the ISI. Claiming that the global financial crisis cost Arab businessmen 2,500 billion dollars, he suggested that funding the jihad in Iraq is a more secure and meaningful form of investing than in more traditional investments. Although not stated as such, the text of the interview implies that the finances of ISI donors may have taken a fall, thus prompting the ISI to appeal for new sources of funding.
| “My second message is for Muslim businessmen. We say Arab businessmen have lost in the current financial crisis 2500 billion dollars... So what are you waiting for? Are you going to remain hand-tied till the American-European beast comes to swallow what remains of your belongings?.... Beware of their usurious banks. In addition to them being forbidden by Shariah, you will not be able to regain any of your money if the crisis becomes more severe. The opportunity is before you to support your mujahideen children to stand in the face of this beast, to break his strength... with one tenth of one tenth of what you lost in the previous period. Securing capital and making profits is in supporting the mujahideen in the Cause of Allah. And above that, it is the order of your Lord and it is support of your faith. The most important of these fronts that you completely let down for more than two years is the front of Iraq. May complaints be made to Allah.” | ||
In calling for additional funding, messages from alleged fighters reiterate, and often magnify, the calls of al-Qaeda leaders. Many of the most detailed reports claiming that the mujahideen have a precarious financial backing originate in communiqués attributed to individuals claiming to be fighters on the ground in Afghanistan and fighting for Taliban-affiliated movements. These messages describe the jihadists' living situation, underscoring the consequences of poverty on their efficacy. Often pleas for funding are preceded by reports about the physical and moral joys of life as a mujahid, and reminders of religious responsibilities incumbent on followers who remain at home.
In a message posted to jihadist forums on July 7, 2009, an alleged Saudi jihadist identified as “Abu Shayma” updated followers of the successes of the Taliban in the Western provinces of Herat, Farah, and Nimruz in Afghanistan, while also portraying dire financial need on the part of the Taliban. Indeed, the message states that he is only detailing the poverty of the group after “Taliban leaders asked me to post them for Muslims to know that we need money very badly so that we expel the infidels”
Abu Shayma paints an image of the Taliban division he is fighting with as gravely reduced in efficacy because they do not have needed resources. In an incident described by the communiqué, the division was unable to capitalize on provisions in a supply convoy stolen from coalition troops because they could not afford enough gas to keep the trucks going. Pleading for readers to send money for the group, Abu Shayma writes;
| “I have plenty of news which is happy but at the same time, make every ardent individual weep for our material situation. We received news of the passage of a big convoy guarded by the apostates, a convoy of big trucks carrying supplies for the infidels. Praise be to Allah, we took our weapons, got ready, and got on our vehicles. When we got on the highway, the vehicles stopped. Why? Do you want toknow why the vehicles stopped? [It is] because they needed gas. We would ride for about an hour in the desert till we arrive to the mountains and ambush the convoy there. But we do not have money to buy gas for the vehicles. If the people of the villages do not feed us, we do not have money to feed ourselves. If we do not seize apostate vehicles after killing them or after their escape so that we sell them and buy weapons with that money such as RPG shells and the Ashtadu to attack the Americans the next day…” | ||
Similarly, the message depicts both the leader and individual combatants as unable to afford weapons or the materials needed to keep their guns operating. According to the communiqué, the division's leader had gone deeply into debt in an attempt to furnish the fighters with equipment, noting:
| “Our leader, Mullah Mansour, may Allah protect him, is one of the migrants from Asia. He is our leader and he does not own weapons. That is, he carries a Kalash[nikov] that is either from a mujahid who is ill or from one of the village population and then he will return it to him later. He also owes four thousand dollars he borrowed from his neighbours in the country to buy a vehicle for the brothers who marched with him. I also see that some beloved Taliban march with us without weapons because they do not have money. They do not have four hundred dollars to buy a Kalash[nikov]… | ||
There are some beloved Taliban who carry a Kalash[nikov] with one cartridge. That is, they do not have money for bullets and so on. Allah willing, I will resume later.”
Despite the recent focus on appeals for funds, smaller organizations operating in Afghanistan have faced many of the same concerns for some time, as demonstrated in a video released by the Islamic Jihad Union on May 15, 2009. The video, distributed on Turkish forums, depicts a fighter identified as “Abu Muslim al-Kurdi” reading his will in anticipation of carrying out a suicide bombing in Khost province on June 4, 2008.
During the course of the video, al-Kurdi urged followers to donate to jihad, claiming that operations – including his own suicide bombing- are being curtailed due to lack of funds.Concluding his appeal for money, al-Kurdi summarized his call by noting that “we are sacrificing our lives, and you should sacrifice your possessions
The video describes both inexpensive as well as costly weapons, emphasizing that even small donations could be used to purchase weapons and bullets for attack Western armies.
Discussing equipment used for the insurgency, al-Kurdi detailed some of the equipment costs faced by the IJU:
| “About 7 or 8 of these bullets cost about 1 dollar. So, if the poorest person donates 1 dollar he will know he bought 7 or 8 bullets... As you can see, jihad is done with heart and soul with possessions and with lives. It is not like helping a beggar... It differs for every individual’s financial abilities, be it 100 dollars or 200 dollars a month… "Today a grenade costs 10 dollars, and BM costs how much?” {Another individual responds, “60 dollars.” Imagine that a BM was used to target a tank, the worst case scenario it will kill at least 2-3 American soldiers. Today a mortar shell probably costs about 20 dollars?” {Another individual responds, “Yes, 20 to 25 dollars.” Anyway, so today I will perform a martyrdom-seeking operation, Allah willing. You will see in a couple of days. I do not want to perform a martyrdom-seeking operation with only one or two tons of explosives, I would like to use more explosives but unfortunately this is a matter of money. Fear Allah! We are sacrificing our lives, and you should sacrifice your possessions…” |
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Despite widespread reporting and suspicion that the Taliban and jihadist groups in Afghanistan are funding their operations through profits derived from the drug trade, jihadist leaders and combatants continue to seek financial support from followers around the world.
The Global Islamic Media Front, a jihadist media organization, contributed to calls to financially support battlefields of jihad in a “very urgent” message distributed through jihadist forums on January 11, 2009. The message asks how jihadists could be effective against the enemies of Islam without material support and argues that funding jihad is a critical responsibility under Islamic law. The article attempts to equate the Qur’anic commandments making charity (Zakat) incumbent upon Muslims with financing jihad, arguing that it is best to spend charity in support of Allah, claiming:
| “... Allah who enabled the human with money imposed duties and obligations on him, with regard to money... He obligated the caregiver to spend on those he cares for and imposed Zakat [charity]. And among the ways of Zakat is spending in the Cause of Allah. In the Cause of Allah, if it comes from the language of the street, means jihad in the Cause of Allah. Allah indeed imposed a jihad regarding money. The Messenger of Allah, peace and prayers of Allah be upon him, said: “Fight the polytheists with your money, your tongues, and your souls. Your spending, O Muslim, on jihad, your equipping the mujahideen, and supplying them with what they need is not a secondary matter. Rather, it is a religious duty. It is also a rise for this Ummah and its life. Without that, that is, without doing jihad with money, the soul, and the tongue, the Ummah will remain a plunder for the infidels and the unjust. Its Shariah will remain dysfunctional, its faith humiliated, and its scholars in prison. Spending on jihad today is a critical matter. On it rest the life of this Ummah, a life that pleases Allah, glory and elevation for the word of Allah, victory of the believers, and disgrace for the infidels, the apostates, and the enemies of Allah.” |
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Calls for support represent a frequent component of the messages from jihadist leaders to their supporters around the world. However, recent demands for financial and material aid differ notably from past requests which have typically taken the form of intangible moral and spiritual support for jihadists and the battle. Unusually, communications from al-Qaeda and affiliated movements have not focused upon spiritual support, in the form of requesting that followers devote their prayers to combatants, or attempts to recruit additional fighters. Rather, many recent messages have focused on requesting aid in order to equip and maintain the fighters already engaged in battle.