tracks down hate preacher who inspired London Bridge terror attack
CORNERED at his basement lair, the man accused of inspiring the London Bridge terror attack unleashed a tirade of abuse on the Mirror reporter confronting him.
Dressed in all-American gear, Ahmad Musa Jibril’s Westernised appearance was a far cry from the Islamic robes he wears in videos to encourage followers to “spread Islam by the sword”.
Jibril is believed to have inspired Khuram Butt, 27, to carry out the attack on Borough Market in South London, which left 11 dead and 48 injured.
Friends of the killer, shot dead by police following his attack on June 2, said the ex-KFC and London Tube worker, known as Abz, was radicalised by the American.
Pals claimed the Arsenal fan had been inspired to murder while watching online clips of Jibril’s hardline sermons.
The Mirror found the hate preacher at a home where he is believed to have laid low since his name was linked to the bloody massacre in London.
When our reporter demanded answers about his evil calls “to wage a holy war” and “to hate and kill nonMuslims”, he screamed: “F*** off. Get the f*** off my property.”
Again, when pressed for an answer, he screamed: “F*** off. F*** off. I have cameras everywhere.”
After lunging at our man, the convicted Michigan-born fraudster shouted “Stay there” before going inside. But Jibril then refused to come out. Just as the investigator left, a small number of Jibril’s supporters were arriving and they followed him in several 4x4 trucks. Jibril lives in the basement of a house owned by his sister, where he is free to record carefully worded YouTube rants for which he cannot be prosecuted under American Freedom of Expression laws.
The house sits in a respectable cul-desac in Dearborn, Michigan, where we saw a Range Rover parked at one of the many well-kept homes. Roughly a third of the city of Dearborn claims some Arab heritage, according to the US census bureau.
It’s a multicultural community that appears to embrace the American Dream of hard work and success.
It’s a far cry from areas in Detroit just a few miles away, where deprivation stalks much of the city.
Locals our reporter met who were aware of Jibril in their midst despise him and what he stands for.
One sneered that Jibril was a “Terror Troll” who brought shame on respectable Muslims.
Another told the Mirror: “It’s a disgrace such evil is allowed to be on our doorstep where our children play.
“He spews his hatred about the country in which he was born and that gave his family the chance to live in freedom.
“He shames America and I can’t understand why President Trump hasn’t dealt with him yet.
“Jibril makes America hate again. We want him gone from our streets and stopped from inspiring terror on us and our closest allies.”
In London, one friend of Jibril was so disturbed by what Butt, who carried out the attack with Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba, had been watching he contacted authorities.
He said: “Abz used to listen to a lot of Musa Jibril.
“I heard some of this stuff and it’s very radical. I am surprised this stuff is still on YouTube and is easily accessible.
“I phoned the anti-terror hotline. I spoke to the gentleman. I told him about our conversation and why I think he was radicalised.”
However, he was not arrested and was allowed to keep his passport.
“I did my bit, I know a lot of other people did their bit,” the friend added.
During the London Bridge attack Butt
led the rampage after driving a rented van into a crowd before jumping out and randomly stabbing people they encountered.
Police killed all three attackers. At least two of the men were known to British intelligence and law-enforcement officials, raising questions about whether anything could have been done to prevent the assault.
Jibril’s alleged call for jihad in 2005 led US prosecutors to call him a man who “encouraged students to spread Islam by the sword, to wage a holy war” and “to hate and kill non-Muslims”.
The Michigan-based extremist is known as the “cheerleader” for wannabe jihadis and is said to have inspired thousands of young westerners to take up arms and head to Syria to fight alongside ISIS. Islamic State has inspired over 140 terrorist attacks in 29 countries other than Iraq and Syria since the terror group declared its caliphate in 2014. At least 2,043 innocent people have been killed.
The terror group also inspired this year’s bombing by Salman Abedi at the Manchester Arena which left 22 dead.
From his home, the selfproclaimed sheik produces internet lectures advocating a Salafist version of Islam that praises jihad.
According to the deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, Jibril’s “prominence is second only to [the late Yemeni-American cleric] Anwar al-Awlaki” among Englishspeaking ISIS supporters.
Jibril, who has his own channel on YouTube, spreads his messages from the safety of the States – the country he despises – where his speech is protected because of how seriously the US takes freedom of expression under the Constitution. The two exceptions to the First Amendment are “fighting words”, said to someone to which any reasonable person would respond with violence, and incitement to violence.
The latter case only applies if it can be shown the speech is intended to produce “imminent lawless action” and is likely to do so. Neither of these apply to Jibril, who has been careful not to call explicitly on Muslims to join ISIS.
Until he breaks the exceptions the FBI are powerless to stop him. Jibril has praised Syrian rebels, comparing them to those fighting on behalf of Islam.
In one YouTube sermon he says: “When your brothers in Syria speak, everyone today needs to shut their mouth and listen because they’re proving themselves to be real men.”
Jibril and his father, Musa Abdallah Jibril, 66, were convicted of bank fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and other counts. Ahmad was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison; his father, to four years and 10 months.
As part of his probation, Jibril was banned from using social media but he was allowed to return in April 2015.
Evil is on at our door, where our kids play. He spews hatred NEIGHBOUR ON LIVING NEAR AHMAD MUSA JIBRIL