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A larger number of English-language forums, static websites, and blogs espouse jihadist thought and encourage radical or extremist conversations but are careful to stay within the limits of American First Amendment protections. The number of these sites is estimated to be between the hundreds and the low thousands.

Within the last couple of years, these English-language outlets have become important incubators for the radicalization of American Muslims. They have also caused fundamental changes in the patterns of radicalization, which, combined with the U.S. war on terrorism, have led to shifts in the profile of American jihadists generally and American terrorists in particular.

ISLAMIC AWAKENING

IslamicAwakening.com is jihad for beginners. It describes its aim as “correcting” Muslims who have gone astray, fighting off the “ideological onslaught” against Muslims, and “[reviving] the abandoned and forgotten obligations without which the victory to the Ummah remains impossible”—a reference to jihad, which often called the “forgotten duty.”3

The site has an extensive news and commentary section and a lively forum. Much of the discussion is devoted to Islamic life, culture, and jurisprudence, but the most active area by far is the “Politics, Jihad and Current Affairs” forum.4 Participants in the IA forums skirt the edge of legality but rarely cross over. Moderators keep a lid on discussions about committing terrorism or threats of violence. Within those parameters, participants on the site are palpably angry.

One forum topic, which the moderators keep at the top of the first page of posts, is titled “America is a sick place” and consists of links to news stories showing various immoral acts by Americans, such as murder, child abuse, and sexual promiscuity.5 (The fact that Muslim countries such as Yemen and Saudi Arabia have similar problems, including a massive trade in child slaves who are often sexually abused, does not have its own topic.6)

Other topics, selected from a range over time, included

• Fatwas from Anwar Awlaki

• “Are we Muslims or Munafiqeen [hypocrites]?”

• “Long live the Mujahideen!”

• “Atrocities of the real terrorists” (meaning Americans)

• “Israel using nude female soldiers to seduce Palestinian youth”

• “Where to find jihad videos?”

• “Fatwa on jihad in Chechnya”

Some of this material is repurposed from other, more aggressive jihadist sites; other topics are based on news stories. In some cases, topics reprint individual letters and e-mails from jihadist clerics such as Anwar Awlaki or from Muslim prisoners accused or convicted of terrorism.

The overall effect of all this posting by users based mostly in the United Kingdom and the United States is to create a giant echo chamber of complaints of Muslim victimization, as well as explicit jihadist incitement, including overt examples and “precursor” rhetoric such as comments on the misdeeds of Americans, both individually and collectively. Disliking America does not make one a jihadist sympathizer, but virtually all jihadist sympathizers dislike America.

The forum boasts of such celebrity members as the American founders of the radical website Revolution Muslim, al Qaeda propagandist Samir Khan, and would-be jihadists Zach Chesser, Daniel Maldonado, and Tarek Mehanna.

REVOLUTION MUSLIM

When you widen the circle out from the members of the Islamic Awakening forum, it doesn’t take long to arrive at Revolution Muslim.

Spun off from a British extremist group, Revolution Muslim and its lesser-known offline affiliate, the Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS), are based in and around New York City, with supporters and members scattered throughout the country.7 The core group is usually fewer than twenty people, and the names often change, due to vicious “office politics” and backbiting among key members.8 Adherents and fans are believed to number in the thousands.9

Both groups claim to be nonviolent political organizations that oppose U.S. policies and corrupt Arab regimes, while promulgating an aggressive