Abubakar Shekau in a propaganda video
We reported it yesterday
that in a 10-minute audio message, the erstwhile leader of Boko Haram,
Abubakar Shekau, reacted to the viral news of the Islamic State
terrorist group, ISIS, replacing him with Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the
new leader for the Nigerian insurgent group.
Shekau in the message, said he was deceived, but he will never
stray from the ideology of the Jama’atu Ahl as-Sunnah li-Da’awati
wal-Jihad which he said had a basis in the Quran, adding that nothing
would deter the sect from pursuing it's cause even if they are called
‘kwawarij’ meaning those that opposed arbitration as a means to chose a
new leader.
In a swift response, Abu Musab al-Barnawi released his audio tape
in which he reiterated that Abubakar Shekau had deviated from the path
they had chosen.
In the full audio tape which was obtained by Sahara Reporters,
al-Barnawi said Shekau had violated Islamic tenets by killing fellow
Muslims, including members of the terrorist Islamist group, living a
life of luxury with his wives, neglecting and starving women and
children, and failing to provide food and weapons for insurgent
fighters.
Below is the full transcript:
“[Shekau] was boasting that if we attempt to escape from his
empire his men will kill us. He is a liar. I am not the only one that
left, but eight of us left, all kitchen cabinet members. And right now
two other top members are on the way to join us. We are all here. The
issue of Islam is not personal, there is no sentiment in Islam, and that
is why we are here. Nobody can dare us or stop us from it, no matter
how he brags. Here we are on our own. Can’t you see how we left your
empire? We left women and everything and just left with guns on our
shoulders. We would have crushed anyone that stood on our way.
“We said we would not touch anyone but just go on our way to
our religion. We will fight for the cause of Allah and work against
personalizing Jihad and against unjustifiable killings and shedding of
blood. We are out because you came out with your own cassette. We want
our people to know proper Islam because Allah in the Quran forbids
killings without justification. Just like Allah gave us power to kill
infidels, there are those he said we shouldn’t kill without reason.
“In the Quran, Allah forbade Muslims from killing one
another…and he also taught against killing in secret. If it is serious
punishment, it must be public for people to know and witness it. But
once you see killings in secret, there is something fishy and this is
what we noticed with Shekau. What he is doing is not Islam. He said we
should follow him and we agreed, but we later realized it is another
thing and we said no. We have to stick to the Quran and what Allah said,
not [follow] someone’s waywardness.
“We have vowed to say the truth. If we will be killed, let us
be killed. If we will be eaten, let us be eaten up and if we will be
roasted, let us be roasted. We will not leave our fellow brothers in the
dark; this message of mine will get to Sambisa Forest. It will get into
Shekau’s house. We have agents that will convey the message no matter
how he dislikes it.
“Almighty Allah is against killings of Muslims. Allah is saying
better heaven and earth fall than innocent soul of a Muslim, but you
have Shekau who likes killing our own people. He is always boasting that
he will kill, he will kill. Okay, continue to kill, you will also be
killed. Who will dwell here forever? Everybody will die. You will also
die someday. And there is no one that will die without reaching his day
of death. You can see we are here alive, all of us here sitting. Anyone
that Allah did not kill you cannot kill him. The same way, you cannot
stop anyone Allah willed his death.
“That is why when someone boasts to kill a man, the man asks
him, ‘Why are you in a haste?’ The man says, ‘If my time has come, you
will not stop me from going.’ There are several verses that forbid
killing of a fellow Muslim unjustifiably. Our vow that we will practice
Islam is real. That is why we left our parents, homes, our cars and
everything and came to this forest. How can we then agree to see you
bringing strange ideologies?
“In one of our Shura meetings, someone asked Shekau how he felt
about Muslims running away from their own land to the land of the
infidels for their own safety. Shekau said [the Muslims] are also
infidels and should be killed like the infidels. These people are not
infidels, they are Muslims running for their lives, and he insisted that
they are infidels and should be killed. Shekau is ignorant of the fact
that it is forbidden for a Muslim to be killed after being chased out of
Islamic Caliphate to a strange land and [when the Muslim] has not taken
part in any conspiracy against Muslims. [Shekau] is ignorant and needs
to be taught the rudiments of Islam. Islam is not his creation. Only
Allah defines who is a Muslim and who is an infidel. Even if you travel
to a foreign land, you have no jurisdiction to say who is who until you
have a basis. Anywhere you go you can’t say who is who. You can’t kill
and take away people’s properties.
“We fled from him with our religion for good. It is there in
the books, when you are not allowed to do Islam you have the liberty to
flee and follow what you know is right. Shekau, we did not touch you,
don’t touch us. If you touch us we will touch you and we are many
against you. We have people in your house and even your present hideout.
You don’t know us enough; we are ready for anyone to kill us, even if
it is infidels, for so long as we will make heaven and be before Allah.
That is why we are countering the false ideology you are spreading.
“[Shekau] said he is looking for our information. We also have
your information and we are close to you. What kind of thing is this?
There were states we captured as part of the Islamic Caliphate and you
allowed men to be looting property. We told you and you did not take
action. We don’t know this brand of Jihad; you kill children, women and
bomb people. We should be looking for infidels and not our own people.
How can we be killing people in the mosques when there are churches,
barracks? It is nonsense and Allah will ask you [about it] if you don’t
repent. Another thing is, [Shekau] is interpreting verses with his own
opinions and the cassettes are being spread. Stop interpreting the Quran
with your own opinion. We who lived with [Shekau] knew his conduct.
What is not in the Hadith, he will insist that it is there. Kai, Imam,
all these interpretations are your own creation. Please go and seek
education and knowledge from those that know.
“Nobody should believe him. People should seek understanding
and not depend on his lies. Haba Imam, have you forgotten our past? Is
this how we started? You forgot your days in our learning place with
your two items of clothing, learning under the tree? And today you are
arrogant and killing your own people because you have now got an empire?
“You forgot how you rushed to pass a verdict over the case of a
man over sheep? And you rushed a judgment that saw the man’s hand
amputated. The same thing happened in Bama. Five of us were sitting, and
the issue came up of some fighters who married slaves. He quickly said
they should be killed. The killings spread to eleven persons. Later on,
the allegation turned out to be false. Some fighters murmured and said
there would be no peace with his injustices. And all these are not part
of Islam. People complained of several acts, but because [Shekau] was
enjoying power he refused to take action. Who killed the Malam in Banki?
Is it not you that killed him? The same thing happened to a man you
brought inside and killed.
“You forgot one day I told you that your wives are not aware
that their husbands are alive. You dismissed me with a wave of hand. And
you said their husbands should be killed. Is it not you that killed
them? Are you not the one that killed Malam Abdulmalik? He is popularly
known as Baba Abdulmalik, and you killed him. And you are killing them
secretly when, in Islam, there is nothing like secret killings even of
an infidel. Even if it is Buhari that comes to you following an
agreement, if you killed him, it is not Islam. Even if it is an infidel,
if you killed him it is not Islam. If you are afraid of their treaty,
tell them we are enemies, instead of drawing people close tokill them.
“Where did you see the judgment of Allah secretly done? And you
said you are following Allah. Is it the Prophet that said this? This is
not Islam, Shekau.
“You killed Ameer Falluja because he was close to Abdulmalik.
When he entered, he never came out. The same way, you killedBagomna
because he bought a house in Amchide. If someone bought a house, is that
a reason to kill him? With your hand you killed him. Bagomna came on a
bike, and you just killed him. When we asked you why you said since he
went to war he did not return. You are a liar; you killed him on your
own. Is this Islam? Are you sure it is Islam you are doing, killing war
commanders, and killing clerics?
“You killed Mustapha, you killed Kakaali, and you told women
that they died in the war, but insiders knew that you killed them. It
was Aliyu that you asked to call one of them. You remember where you
used to stay in one location. On getting there one day they called the
man guarding the place. When he came, you killed him. When the second
[man] appeared you repeated the same. From that moment did we not start
failing and losing the war? You can’t think and repent. When we fought
infidels in Baga, did you remember the bravery [the men you killed]
exhibited? Did you do half of their gallant fight? You are just sitting
down; they will bring you cars, money, and other valuables and you still
have the guts to betray them.
“The same way you killed one man on trivial grounds that he was
gossiping. Yet his contribution to this cause was incredible. He was
producing guns, and you just wasted him. And you wanted to kill one
Aliyu and something happened. You wanted him killed, but failed and he
succeeded in killing one of the two you sent to kill him. Is this Jihad?
Is it not you that killed Mujaheed? Is it not you that killed Umar? Is
it not you that killedAbumariam? Abumariam and Mujaheed were killed
together by you. What did they do to you? Can’t people tell you the
truth? That is why some of us that want to tell you the truth fled so
that you don’t kill us. And now that we are away, you can’t kill us
unless we kill ourselves. We believe in Allah and have our own
battalions. Send your agents and see a surprise. None of them can come
here; we will finish them. You also killed Abdullahi because of a dream.
You keep telling people rubbish about leaders that killed their
fighters. Those leaders killed in the open, but you killed secretly.
“When Malam Umar was going to honor [Shekau’s] invitation, he
called me and explained that Shekau had sent for him, but he had sent
words pleading for forgiveness. When he told me, I said he should
believe in Allah and submit to his faith. When Umar went, [Shekau] came
out and asked for a knife and a dagger. Very close to the river [Shekau]
killed Umar. Is this Allah’s verdict? This is Haram for Shekau to make
Muslims kill their brothers. Shekau be careful, we are not part of this;
I repent and will never follow you. I will never go back. If you fear
Allah, you should better repent. We have revolted against your ideology
and now cling to the real ideology of Allah. We are not part of a
caliphate of injustices and shedding of blood. We are not part of a
religion that is not dictated by Allah. We are with our leader, [ISIS
commander] Al-Baghdadi. If you say you will not follow him, we will know
the truth. Anyway, you have revolted and are deceiving people. You even
said it in your cassette that you were forced; that you only bear fake
allegiance fearing that there would be an internal revolt against you.
Shekau killed many fighters, and we have exposed a few [of his victims].
“Another case of Shekau’s insensitivity is abandoning fighters
to hunger [as well as] women and children who go without food while he
is enjoying with his own family.
“Last year, 20 children died of malnourishment. Recently, 15
babies died in one day due to starvation. I have a recorded message
here, and I will play it here for all to hear.
(The audio was played and Shekau was heard saying the following: “That
children are dying, let even 100, 000 die now. Nonsense, am I the one
holding them? I can only do what I can. Am I here to breed babies? You
came disturbing me. Who told you my duty is to look after babies? Who
told you my duty is to look after fighters? If this is what you are
talking about, then it is you that should look after me. Is this what
Quran said? What do you mean?”).
Abu Musab al-Barnawi message continued:
“Hear him saying that it is not his duty. Let us teach you,
Imam. It is your responsibility to look after fighters and ensure their
welfare. Go and study the Quran. It is not me that wrote, but it is
there in the Quran. Anything that was given to you, you must provide for
the welfare of the fighters. Imagine him in the cassette I played
saying Allah said fighters should feed him. Tell us where in the Quran
Allah said we should feed you? We know it is your responsibility to feed
us and give us money for chicken and all our needs. This is the truth,
Imam.
“Even [when fighters] advance towards enemies, [Shekau] doesn’t
make logistics available. The other time, we lost plenty of gas and
fuel tofire. Before, you ruled over us, but now we are free. Another
thing that made us leave you is because you don’t listen to your
cabinet. If we follow Shekau, we will never make heaven. That is why we
left. Stop giving opinionated fatwa.
“You don’t listen and accept our views. Even [Boko Haram
founder, killed in 2009] Mohammed Yusuf, he would write his Friday
preaching and table it before us for debate and scrutiny. We would
collectively go through and work on it. But you refused [to do the
same]. Are you more educated than Mohammed Yusuf? Is it not in my place
that you were studying with your two items of clothes and under a tree
in Maiduguri?
“Another thing is Shekau doesn’t make weapons available for
fighters. People fighting a war are left with no weapons. We have lost
many territories in our emerging Islamic caliphate to infidels because
of your laxity. You are the cause.
“This was the beginning of our revolt against you. If you leave
us alone, we will leave you alone. If you continue antagonizing us, we
will also continue. If you repent, we will accept you and embrace you.
You should repent and fear Allah. This is the open letter to you.
“In our Shura meetings, there was a complaint that jihadists’
wives were taken away while they were fighting for Allah. What did you
do? You did nothing, and fighters saw how you don’t bother about their
welfare. You just go home and sleep with your wives and slaves while we
are suffering. We are not with you.”
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