The Mannan family left the UK freely to make a new life with the Islamic State (image Bedfordshire police)
The letter allegedly released by the Mannan family who state why they left the UK to make a new life in Syria comes as no surprise to those of us that have followed Muslim migration to join jihadi groups and live in the Islamic State (IS).
IS came to world attention in June 2014, when it announced the founding of a “caliphate” state based on Sharia (Islamic law) following the rule of Allah (God) as opposed to man-made laws. The Caliph (head) of IS is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Over the past year the presence of IS has been felt in a number of countries and their influence continues to spread. Followers have claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks on Shia mosques and attacks such as the Bardo Museum attack and the killings on a beach at Sousse. IS has proven itself media savvy after it started to launch a series of ever more horrifying videos via social media sites punishing those they viewed as enemies of Islam.
Relatives of the Mannan family reported their disappearance earlier this year after they failed to arrive at Heathrow airport. According to police, they had taken a flight to Bangladesh (10th April) and travelled onwards to Istanbul (11th May), the Mannans never completed the last part of their itinerary back to the UK. The BBC list the family as follows,
- Muhammed Abdul Mannan, 75, and his wife Minera Khatun, 53
- Their daughter Rajia Khanom, 21, and sons Mohammed Zayd Hussain, 25, Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19, Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker, 31, and his wife Sheida Khanam, 27
- Mohammed Saleh Hussain, 26, and his wife Roshanara Begum, 24, along with three children, aged between one and 11
The letter detailing reasons for abandoning the UK was released to selected media via IS linked accounts on Twitter and can be read in its entirety below,
PRESS RELEASE DATED 3RD JULY 2015
FROM THE MANNAN FAMILY IN THE LAND OF KHILAFAH
In the name of Allah the Merciful and especially Merciful
We release this statement to confirm that, indeed we are in the Islamic State. A land that is free from the corruption and oppression of man made law and is governed by the shariah, the perfect and just laws of Allah subhanAllah wa Ta’la.
Yes, all 12 of us and why should this number be shocking, when there are thousands and thousands of Muslims from all corners of the world that are crossing over land and sea everyday to come to the Islamic State? That are willingly leaving the so called freedom and democracy that was forced down our throat in the attempt to brainwash Muslims to forget about their powerful and glorious past and now present.
Or is it shocking that those attempts have clearly failed? That regardless of being born and bred in the west, the epitome of democracy, our Islam was not washed away? And despite the totalitarian rules that are in place, Muslims are still awaking to their obligations?
Don’t be shocked when we say that none of us were forced against our will. In fact it is outrageous to think that an entire family could be kidnapped and made to migrate like this. It wasn’t by the command of a single person in the family but by the command of the Khalifah of the Muslims. Who has called all Muslims, whether young or old, single or in families, to make hijrah to the state of Islam. A land that has established the Shariah, in which a Muslim doesn’t feel oppression when practising their religion. In which a parent doesn’t feel the worry of losing their child to the immorality of society. In which the sick and elderly do not wait in agony, tolerating the partiality of race or social class.
Alhamdulillah for the establishment of the Khilafah.
We say to those that are concerned for our safety to put your hearts at rest for we feel safer than we have ever felt before. We call all Muslims, to rush to the command of your khalif. Race to your state. Race to what will give you honour in this life and the hereafter. Hasten to the obedience of Allah. Do not fear losing the life you built for yourselves by making hijrah but fear losing your Imaan and Islam whilst residing in darul kufr and not making hijrah.
‘Verily! As for those whom the Angels have taken (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory to them), they (angels) asked them, “In what condition were you?”. They replied, “We were weak and oppressed on earth”. The Angels asked, “Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to migrate therein?” Such men will find their abode in Hell – what an evil destination!” [Chapter Nisa:97]
We pray Allah saves from such a fate and guides us all to be obedient to His commands. Ameen.
The Mannan Family in the Islamic State
End
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The reasons for leaving the UK presented by the Mannan family may shock many Brits but Muslims experience of “freedom and democracy” has in reality meant shrinking freedoms, discrimination, increased surveillance and wrongful imprisonment. Remember individuals like Moazzam Begg, initially vilified in the media who suffered in Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh prison and after years of being detained was released without charge from both.
The government Prevent strategy, a counter -terrorism initiative introduced to tackle radicalization in the UK cannot hope to have much success it is so out of touch with ground realities. In fact according to tweets released by Cage (an independent advocacy organisation working to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror) it is failing miserably and they have called on the government to abolish the programme.
Exclusive** CAGE publishes leaked PREVENT training DVD. #CAGEleaks http://cageuk.org/press-release/cage-publishes-leaked-prevent-training-dvd …
In the interest of greater public debate and scrutiny, CAGE has made this PREVENT training module available to the public. #CAGEleaks
‘Assumption that a few videos can be used to train public sectors workers in a complex political issue is naive and dangerous’. #CAGEleaks
“CAGE calls upon the Gov’t to abolish PREVENT; it has failed to deliver in the past 8 years, it is discredited, it is toxic…” #CAGEleaks
Instead of addressing the role of the state and its institutions in radicalizing citizens, the years of British involvement in wars and occupation such as in Iraq and Afghanistan, support for Israeli atrocities and a controversial drone programme, the blame is placed almost entirely on the public.
Muslim migration to Islamic State and other areas is set to increase. So called “British values” are full of double standards and hypocrisy and are often mocked on social media. Whereas in the past the government could pass off journeys to join those inspired by Jihad (Holy War) as limited to “disillusioned young men” “misfits” “on the margins of society” it is increasingly women and entire families. The state in fact has failed to realize in recent years that often those leaving to fight abroad (before the Syrian conflict) and later to serve the Islamic State have often been well educated professionals, doctors, engineers, teachers that left their “safe and secure” life behind. Dr Mirza Tariq Ali for example left the NHS to join the Taliban (he was later “martyred” in a US drone strike).
We must surely ask what is going wrong in the UK, the oppression and social injustice felt by Muslims when a family states they are willingly leaving all behind to start again in what many Brits views as a shockingly brutal Islamic State. Today we hear how two of the three teenage girls Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15 who left Bethnal Green in February to travel abroad have allegedly now married men from IS.
British government must face, difficult though it may be to swallow, that many of the atrocities committed by IS are little more than copycat actions following the years of suppression and alleged terror and torture carried out by the UK and its allies across the world. This is something the government is not only unwilling to face but is now in the mode of deflecting all responsibility for radicalization firmly at the feet of Muslim communities. Muslims are now expected to apologize for every act of terror carried out globally while states hide behind an often warped rhetoric to manipulate the masses.
Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.
Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog 