Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Report: Two times as many British Muslims fighting for ISIS as with U.K. armed forces
Hot Air ^ | August 20, 2014 | Noah Rothman

Posted on 08/20/2014 7:07:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Americans were made acutely aware of the threat posed by Western jihadist fighters joining the ranks of ISIS in Syria and Iraq when a man with a London accent beheaded James Wright Foley as part of a taped ultimatum to President Barack Obama.

Inexplicably, President Barack Obama chose not to even abstractly address the nature of that threat, even though he plans to personally chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on precisely this subject next month.

A July intelligence estimate suggested that up to 3,000 ISIS militants were of European origin and 1,500 of those are young British Muslims, according to Birmingham MP Perry Barr. Framing the problem of Europe’s failure to assimilate its Muslim minorities perfectly, a new report indicates that there are more British Muslims fighting with Islamist militants in the Middle East than there are in the British armed forces.

According to the Ministry of Defense, there are only around 600 British Muslims currently serving in the Armed Forces, making up approximately around 0.4% of total personnel. 4.3% of the British population are Muslim.

The UK Foreign Office said that they believe over 400 individuals have travelled to Syria since the uprising began, but said that they could not give exact numbers.

However Mahmood described such low estimates as “nonsense” and said that the British government was failing to deal with the problem of home-grown extremists. “We’ve not concentrated on the prevention work, we haven’t invested enough in de-radicalisation. It’s tragic, somebody’s got to wake up to it.”

It is not an unfounded concern.

In August, 2013, two homegrown disaffected British Muslim men took to the streets of London where they beheaded a U.K. solider.

“We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you,” said Michael Adebolajo, a British citizen of Nigerian origin, with a thick East London accent after attacking the solider.

While the threat of homegrown terror may be diminished for now as the most critical front appears to be in Syria and Iraq, Western governments are smart to prepare for the worst. If ISIS cannot be stopped in the Middle East, the worst is almost certainly on its way.


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Military/Veterans; Religion
KEYWORDS: britain; isil; isis; islam; jihad; muslims; sharia; ukmuslims
I'll bet the same is true in Canada, France and here.
1 posted on 08/20/2014 7:07:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’m not sure I’d WANT a Muslim fighting next to me. . .

Paging General Greene. What’s his opinion?


2 posted on 08/20/2014 7:09:32 PM PDT by Swordmaker (This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users continue...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Link to the full-text Free Republic thread.


3 posted on 08/20/2014 7:25:18 PM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Direct result of “tolerance” and multiculturalism. Fiendish concepts.


4 posted on 08/20/2014 7:25:37 PM PDT by hulagirl (Mother Theresa was right)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Had a strange thought reading this thread.

BenghaziBarrySoebarkah had a head in his possession...

But, he returned it to the British as soon as he got in office.


5 posted on 08/20/2014 7:56:32 PM PDT by Mortrey (Kenites occupy the White House)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Well, they’re not really British.


6 posted on 08/20/2014 8:00:37 PM PDT by Aetius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson