SALAFISM in AMERICA History, Evolution, Radicalization ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS October 2018 Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... ii Glossary of Terms ..................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4 I. Understanding Salafism ....................................................................................................... 6 I.I What is Salafism? .............................................................................................................. 6 I.II Categorizing Salafism ..................................................................................................... 9 Quietists ................................................................................................................................... 9 Activists .................................................................................................................................. 11 Jihadis .................................................................................................................................... 14 I.III Salafism and Extremism ............................................................................................. 17 Government and Official Views of Salafism in the West ........................................................ 17 Scholarly Views of Salafism in the West ................................................................................ 24 II. Salafism in America ........................................................................................................... 32 II.I The Pioneer: Muhammad Syed Adly ........................................................................ 32 II.II America’s Purist Salafis: From Madkhalis to New American Quietists ......... 40 The Quran and Sunnah Society (QSS) ................................................................................... 41 East Orange, New Jersey ....................................................................................................... 50 Implosion of Early American Quietism ................................................................................. 52 The New American Quietists: The TAM Group .................................................................... 56 II.III Activist Salafis in America ....................................................................................... 64 The Islamic Assembly of North America (IANA) .................................................................. 64 The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA) ........................................................... 78 “Americanized” Salafism: The Al-Maghrib Institute and America’s Post-Salafis ................. 89 II.IV American Salafi Jihadis ............................................................................................ 96 Ahmad Musa Jibril ................................................................................................................ 98 Suleiman Anwar Bengharsa ................................................................................................. 116 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 123 Notes ........................................................................................................................................... 126 Acknowledgments This report was made possible by the dedicated and tireless work of the Program on Extremism’s staff. I would like to thank the Program’s Director Dr. Lorenzo Vidino and Deputy Director Seamus Hughes, whose patience and support throughout the research and writing process was invaluable. Also, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to PoE Research Fellows Bennett Clifford, Audrey Alexander, and Jenna Consigli, all of whom contributed significantly through editorial and research assistance. Several of the Program’s research assistants, including Lauren Conroy, Jon Lewis, and Allie Williams, also assisted in editing and verifying the final product. I would also like to thank Hassan Hassan, Mohamed-Ali Adraoui, Tariq Nelson, and Ismail Royer for taking the time to offer crucial insights that I otherwise would have overlooked. The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author, and not necessarily those of the George Washington University. ii Glossary of Terms Aqida/manhaj: Aqida literally means “creed” whereas manhaj means “method.” Aqida is a crucial concept for Salafis, as they attach great value to following the right religious path. Manhaj refers to the specific method of applying the creed that Salafis follow regarding subjects such as worship. While Salafis broadly follow the same creed, their interpretation of methods is how their various strands differentiate. al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ : al-wala’ wa-l-bara’ literally means “loyalty and disavowal.” According to the Salafi interpretation of this concept, Muslims should live their lives completely under the rules of Islam and reject anything that has any basis outside the confines of Islam. Bid’a/tabdi: Bid’a, or “innovation” refers to unnecessary innovation in Islam. Salafis believe that any practice that developed in Islam that is not directly based on the ways that the first believers practiced Islam is bid’a and therefore not authentic. Tabdi, a term rooted in the word bid’a, refers to the declaration of a Muslim as an innovator (mubtadi’). Dar al-Islam/Dar al-Harb: The terms Dar al-Islam, or “territory of Islam” and Dar al-Harb, or “territory of war” refer to the main geographical distinctions in Islam. Although their exact limits and borders vary across time and interpretation, Dar al-Islam is the territory where Muslims rule according to Islam and Dar al-Harb is the territory where non-Muslims rule and Islamic law is not enforced. Da’wa: Da’wa literally means “making an invitation.” Da’wa refers to proselytization and public outreach and represents the act of convincing others to accept Islam. iii Fard al-ayn/ fard al-kifaya: Fard al-ayn, translated as “individual duty,” and fard al-kifaya, literally “sufficient duty,” represent the two forms of duty recognized as religious obligations by Muslims. Duties which every individual Muslim are required to complete, are considered fard al-ayn; duties which only a certain number of community members are required to complete are fard al-kifaya. Fitna: Fitna refers to a dispute between Muslims within a branch of Islam. Hijra: Hijra, meaning “flight or departure,” refers to migration. In its original context, it refers to the journey taken by the original followers of the prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina from 615-620 AD. In the Salafi interpretation, hijra refers to the act of Muslims departing from Muslim-minority countries to Muslim-majority countries or areas being governed under Islamic law. Jihad: Jihad means “struggle.” The method by which this struggle should take place is disputed across Islam. In the context of the Salafi movement, jihad can refer to an internal, personal struggle, a political struggle, or a violent, armed resistance. Those who engage in jihad (usually, in the context of violent resistance) are called mujahidin. Khilafa: Khilafa is the Arabic word for the Caliphate. The reemergence of a Caliphate led by a rightful Caliph and guided by Islamic law is a general, theoretical goal for most iterations of the Salafi movement. However, a specific focus on its re-establishment is more closely associated with Islamist, rather than Salafi, thought. iv Kafir/takfir: Kafir, meaning “unbeliever” or “disbeliever,” refers to a non-believer or someone who is not a Muslim (plural: kuffar.) Takfir is derived from the root “kafir,” and is best translated as “the act of declaring someone to be a non-believer.” Murtad: Murtad, or “one who turns away” refers to an individual who is an apostate. The term is derived from irtidad, literally meaning “relapse or regress,” and refers specifically to a Muslim who has rejected Islam. (plural: murtadin). Munafiq: Munafiq, literally defined as a hypocrite, is someone who outwardly expresses to be a Muslim but secretly acts against the interests of Muslims and Islam. (plural: munafiqin). Rafida: Rafida translates as “rejectionist.” It has been commonly used by Salafi Muslims as a derogatory term to refer to Shi’a Muslims, dating back to the schism within Islam after the death of Muhammad and the refusal of the Shi’a to recognize Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman as the legitimate successors of Muhammad. Taghut: Taghut is best translated as “one who exceeds their limits.” It refers to those who actively rebel against God (plural: tawaghit). Taghut is used by certain strains of Salafis to refer either to secular leaders of Muslim majority countries or to conquering empires that wage war against Muslims. It is frequently used to refer to America, Western European countries, and Russia. Tawhid: Tawhid translates to “oneness of God.” For Salafi Muslims, tawhid is more than the concept that “there is only one God—Allah,” but also that nothing external to Allah should be associated with Allah. Salafis incorporate three