Revolution Muslim is a radical Islamist organization and hate group based in New York City that advocates the establishment of a traditionalist Islamic state, the removal of the current rulers in heavily Muslim populated nations, the destruction of Israel, and an end to what they consider "Western imperialism". It has come under scrutiny for its anti-Western rhetoric and for endorsing the actions of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.[1] They are opposed to depictions of Muhammad.
They operated both on their website (RevolutionMuslim.com) and through street preaching and protests, mostly outside the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.[2][3]
The website was eventually shut down on November, 2010, shortly after the arrest of one of their members and announcing the creation of a new, supposedly more modern, organization called "Islam Policy".[4]
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The group of 5–10 was founded and run by Yousef al-Khattab (born Joseph Cohen), an American Jew who converted to Islam in 2000 after living in Israel and attending an orthodox rabbinical school there, then returned to New York,[2][5][6] where he is said to have worked driving a taxi,[7] operating a pedicab,[8] or running a restaurant.[9] In December, 2009, al-Khattab said he would be temporarily outside of the United States during a protest outside his home in Woodside, Queens planned by the Jewish Defense Organization, after al-Khattab expressed support for Nidal Malik Hasan, accused of the Fort Hood shooting. On December 12, 2009 al-Khattab posted a video on the group's website announcing that he had retired and that the group would be run by Abdullah as-Sayf Jones.[10] However on April 2010 Abdullah as-Sayf Jones left the group after openly proclaiming that he had become a practitioner of Shia Islam.
In addition to their website, the group distributes anti-Israeli literature outside of mosques.[5] The mosques have called the police several times on the group, but no actual violence has been reported.[11] Legal and law enforcement officials in the US monitor the group, but describe its activities as protected by the First Amendment.[5] The Anti-Defamation League has monitored the group since 2006.[5][12]
In 2010, the founders of Revolution Muslim posted a statement from Anwar al-Awlaki, connected to various terrorists including the 9/11 hijackers, the Fort Hood shooter, and the Christmas Day 2009 bomber, on their blog that warned, "America cannot and will not win. The tables have turned and there is no rolling back of the worldwide Jihad movement."[13]
Mia Bloom, political science professor at the Pennsylvania State University’s International Center for the Study of Terrorism, says Revolution Muslim may look amateurish when compared with other extremist websites, but is no less of a threat. “It may lead people who become radicalized by it to turn to other, more dangerous Web sites,” such as those run by terrorist organizations, she said. She characterized their message as “narrow” and “misinformed”.[7]
Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, stated regarding the Revolution Muslim group, "[It is] an extreme fringe group that has absolutely no credibility within the Muslim community, they also cuss you out. In fact, most Muslims suspect they were set up only to make Muslims look bad. We just have very deep suspicions. They say such outrageous, irresponsible things that it almost seems like they're doing it to smear Islam."[14]
In 2009 Revolution Muslim drew condemnation for issuing statements condoning the Fort Hood Shooting. Hours before the event, CNN published an interview and video of Revolution Muslim on their website, in which Younes Abdullah Mohammed preached that U.S. troops as well as the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States were "legitimate targets – until America changes its nature in the international arena," They stated that Osama bin Laden was their role model. "He doesn't seem to have done anything wrong from the sharia (Islamic law)" al-Khattab said, "if I love him as a Muslim, I love him more than I love myself".
CNN aired the video the evening after the shootings, although at the time, no connection was made between the statements and the shooting.[15] Shortly after the attack Revolution Muslim posted a message that included the following: "Major Nidal Hasan M.D., An officer and a gentleman was injured while partaking in a preemptive attack., Get Well Soon Major Nidal, We Love You.” The American Muslim Society strongly condemned the statement.[16]
Colleen LaRose, also known as "Jihad Jane", was an online follower of Revolution Muslim.[1]
The organization protested the South Park episode "200", over that show's depiction of Muhammad wearing a teddy bear costume, which it described as insulting. (eventually the figure in the bear costume is revealed as Santa Claus.) The threat was posted by Abu Talhah al-Amrikee, the username of an emerging Revolution Muslim leader.[12] The Revolution Muslim website said that violent retaliation "will likely happen” to the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and provided the addresses of both Comedy Central's New York office and Stone and Parker's production office in Los Angeles. Although the group characterized it as a warning rather than a threat, it generated considerable attention.[17][18] Abu Talhah al-Amrikee has a history of publicizing terrorist propaganda and promoting violence against non-Muslims through a variety of web sites and blogs. He first commented about his issue with the South Park episode via Twitter the day after the episode aired, tweeting that he prayed for God to kill the show’s creators and “burn them in Hell for all eternity.” [12] Subsequently, the Revolution Muslim website was once hacked, temporarily redirecting web traffic to pictures of Muhammad.[19] The poster of the threat has since been arrested on federal terrorism charges.[20]
On May 1, 2010, a failed car bomb attempt was discovered by the New York City Police Department near the eastern corner of 1 Astor Plaza, the headquarters of Comedy Central parent company Viacom. Some news outlets reported that police are looking into a possible link between the attempted bombing and the warnings of violence against Trey Parker and Matt Stone, although no such link has yet been established.[21][22] Such speculation was also fueled by statements from U.S. Congressman Peter T. King, who described as one possible motive "the whole issue with South Park, which Islamic terrorists were threatening to have retribution for". However, King stressed the theory was "one possibility out of a hundred".[23] NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said of the theory, "We certainly wouldn't rule that out."[24] Revolution Muslim has denied any involvement with the incident. Younus Abdullah Muhammed, who runs the group's website, was in Times Square at the time speaking out against President Barack Obama with a loudspeaker. But he said of the failed car bomb, "What do you think, I commanded somebody to blow up a building in the middle of Times Square? [...] It had nothing to do with the 'South Park' controversy. It was not an attack targeting Viacom."[25] After the threats, well known comedian Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, in defense of the Matt Stone and Trey Parker, told Revolution Muslim to "go fuck yourselves" using a faux-church choir.[26]
The website for Revolution Muslim was eventually hacked and redirected to an image of a Muslim man kissing a boy.[27][28]
Revolution Muslim was eventually shut down in late 2010 due to threats of violence made against British MPs by website posters.