Creating an empire behind bars: How 'The Blind Sheik' from 1993 World Trade Center bombing has grown a social media empire while in solitary confinement
Though he is condemned to spend the
rest of his life behind bars and likely in solitary confinement, Sheik
Omar Abdel-Rahman has a prominent online presence with thousands of
followers.
The Blind Sheik, an Egyptian Muslim leader who was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the 1993 World Trade Center bombings, has recruited family members to operate various social media page, from Facebook to YouTube to Twitter.
Part of the sheik’s message is rallying Islamic extremists to rally for his release from prison; another is keeping his followers abreast of his teachings.
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute, which
published a report on the Sheik’s internet presence earlier this year,
the Blind Sheik’s social media accounts are run by his sons and other
devotees out of Egypt.
The February 26 report was recently picked up by the Washington Guardian.
The MEMRI, a non-partisan and non-profit organization, reports that the postings are operated through a server in Chicago.
His own official website, written in Arabic, was created in June of 2010, according to an IP address look-up.
‘The word “right” – Official Site professing sheik Dr Omar Abdul Rahman’ reads the banner across the convicted terrorist’s home page.
According to the report, one of the sheik’s sons, Ammar Omar Abdel-Rahman, runs the website, which also includes documents that claim to support the innocence of his father.
More than 8,000 people have signed the petition to seek his release from prison.
Abdel-Rahman’s Twitter page shows tweets that date to as recently as April 10. ‘Present of the “Shura” agrees delegation to visit Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman in America,’ the latest tweet, written in Arabic, reads.
His Twitter account has more than 9,400 followers.
The sheik’s YouTube page was created August 2, 2011, and has a mere 56 subscribers as of Monday morning, with videos entitled ‘Two deputies of parliament demand to be released’ and ‘Sheik Oamr Abdel-Rahman leads (encourages) Egyptians to overthrow Mubarak.’
A commenter on the video responded: ‘Oh God, give us victory over those who do wrong.’
MailOnline could not verify the authenticity of the sites, though the Facebook page seems to have been taken down.
Facebook told MailOnline in a statement: 'The page was reported and taken down because it is in violation of our terms of usage, specifically that pages will be taken down which praise or support or represent terrorism.'
Steven Stalinsky, the author of the MEMRI report, notes that there was a recent cry for the sheik’s release by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, released the day before last year’s deadly attacks on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
The attack left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead.
The now-defunct Facebook page also showed Al-Zawahiri in a video demanding that the Blind Sheik be released in exchange for an American the terrorist organization kidnapped.
‘By the grace of Allah, (we) have announced that we will not release the American captive Warren Weinstein, Allah willing, until the Crusaders release our captives.’
Weinstein, a 72-year-old American aid worker was kidnapped in 2011 in the eastern city of Lahore in Pakistan. In an appeal last fall, the hostage said that President Obama and the American government ‘have shown no interest in my case.’
The site also comments on the
hostage crisis at the Ain Amenas gas installation in Algeria in January,
where an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group held more than 750 workers –
Algerians, Americans, and others – hostage. At least 68 foreigners were
killed in the natural gas plant attack.
Abdel-Rahman, the former leader of Gama’at al-Islamia, was arrested July 1, 1993 in Brooklyn, five months after the first World Trade Center attack that left six dead. He was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to life in prison a year later.
His organization, which means simply ‘Islamic Group,’ was classified as a terrorist association by U.S. officials.
The sheik was moved from a prison in Springfield, Missouri, to North Carolina in 2007 where he continues to serve out his term.
Along with conspiring to blow up the World Trade Center, Abdel-Rahman was convicted of plotting to blow up both the headquarters of the United Nations and the Holland Tunnel.
His former defense attorney, Lynne F. Stewart, 73, served two years in prison for helping her client smuggle information from prison to his group of followers in Egypt.
The Blind Sheik, an Egyptian Muslim leader who was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the 1993 World Trade Center bombings, has recruited family members to operate various social media page, from Facebook to YouTube to Twitter.
Part of the sheik’s message is rallying Islamic extremists to rally for his release from prison; another is keeping his followers abreast of his teachings.
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman's Facebook page, which
has since been taken down, had more than 5,000 'likes' and was full of
videos, photographs, and messages to his Islamic extremist followers
The Radical Muslim, pictured in 1993, is
currently service a life sentence in a North Carolina prison for his
part in the World Trade Center bombings, and plotting to attack the
United Nations and the Holland Tunnel
The cleric's sons, as well as other radical
followers in Egypt, have been updating the felon's Facebook, Twitter,
and YouTube pages
The MEMRI, a non-partisan and non-profit organization, reports that the postings are operated through a server in Chicago.
His own official website, written in Arabic, was created in June of 2010, according to an IP address look-up.
‘The word “right” – Official Site professing sheik Dr Omar Abdul Rahman’ reads the banner across the convicted terrorist’s home page.
According to the report, one of the sheik’s sons, Ammar Omar Abdel-Rahman, runs the website, which also includes documents that claim to support the innocence of his father.
More than 8,000 people have signed the petition to seek his release from prison.
Abdel-Rahman’s Twitter page shows tweets that date to as recently as April 10. ‘Present of the “Shura” agrees delegation to visit Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman in America,’ the latest tweet, written in Arabic, reads.
His Twitter account has more than 9,400 followers.
The sheik’s YouTube page was created August 2, 2011, and has a mere 56 subscribers as of Monday morning, with videos entitled ‘Two deputies of parliament demand to be released’ and ‘Sheik Oamr Abdel-Rahman leads (encourages) Egyptians to overthrow Mubarak.’
A commenter on the video responded: ‘Oh God, give us victory over those who do wrong.’
Firefighters and rescue crews work outside the World Trade Center in February 1993 after the car bomb
The parking garage of the Twin Towers was bombed in the February 1993 attack, leaving six dead
Facebook told MailOnline in a statement: 'The page was reported and taken down because it is in violation of our terms of usage, specifically that pages will be taken down which praise or support or represent terrorism.'
Steven Stalinsky, the author of the MEMRI report, notes that there was a recent cry for the sheik’s release by Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, released the day before last year’s deadly attacks on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
The attack left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead.
The now-defunct Facebook page also showed Al-Zawahiri in a video demanding that the Blind Sheik be released in exchange for an American the terrorist organization kidnapped.
‘By the grace of Allah, (we) have announced that we will not release the American captive Warren Weinstein, Allah willing, until the Crusaders release our captives.’
Weinstein, a 72-year-old American aid worker was kidnapped in 2011 in the eastern city of Lahore in Pakistan. In an appeal last fall, the hostage said that President Obama and the American government ‘have shown no interest in my case.’
Enlarge
The most recent tweet from Abdel-Rahman's sons and followers was from April 10
The sheik's YouTube page has only 56 followers, and nine videos posted; it was created in August of 2011
The sheik's website, which is originally written in Arabic, has a petition for his release from prison
Abdel-Rahman, the former leader of Gama’at al-Islamia, was arrested July 1, 1993 in Brooklyn, five months after the first World Trade Center attack that left six dead. He was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to life in prison a year later.
His organization, which means simply ‘Islamic Group,’ was classified as a terrorist association by U.S. officials.
The sheik was moved from a prison in Springfield, Missouri, to North Carolina in 2007 where he continues to serve out his term.
Along with conspiring to blow up the World Trade Center, Abdel-Rahman was convicted of plotting to blow up both the headquarters of the United Nations and the Holland Tunnel.
His former defense attorney, Lynne F. Stewart, 73, served two years in prison for helping her client smuggle information from prison to his group of followers in Egypt.