Jihadi Jake

Jihadi Jake
Born Jake Bilardi
1996
Craigieburn, Victoria, Australia
Died (aged 18)
Ramadi, Iraq
Cause of death
 Suicide bombing
Nationality Australian
Other names White Jihadi
Abu Abdulla al-Australi
Years active 2014 – 2015
Known for Coordinated suicide bombing in Ramadi, Iraq
Religion Sunni Islam

Military career

Allegiance ISIL
Years of service 2014 – 2015

Jake Bilardi (1996 – 11 March 2015) renamed to Abu Abdulla al-Australi, commonly known as Jihadi Jake, was an 18-year old Australian suicide bomber considered among the youngest recruited from a Western nation. Bilardi has been labeled by the international media as a baby-faced White Jihadi,[1] whose background has been described as radically different from other Western recruits and symbolizes youth issues more than ideological ones.[2][3]

Early life

Bilardi was born and raised in Craigieburn, Victoria, Australia. Raised an atheist, Bilardi was the youngest of six children, an avid football fan, and had been described by his father, John, as shy and lonely. There have been claims that Bilardi was a victim of a form of bullying known as happy slapping in school.[4][5]

Radicalization

According to Bilardi's blog, he first expressed admiration for the Mujahideen after reading about abuses committed by United States forces against Muslims in the Middle East. He became radical after his mother died of cancer in 2013. By 2014, he openly supported Osama Bin Laden on Facebook. Concerned that the Australian government was monitoring him, Bilardi turned to building explosives in the event he would not be able to leave the country.[6] He discovered acquiring explosive materials was more difficult than leaving the country and left in 2014 for Iraq[7][8] after contacting an al-Qaeda recruiter from Jabhat al-Nusra, in August of that year.[9]

Death

Bilardi died in a coordinated suicide attack in Ramadi, Iraq on 11 March 2015. The Iraqi Army stated Bilardi's attack was unsuccessful, killing only himself. ISIL used his death as propaganda, to shame boys from Muslim families into joining the conflict in Syria and Iraq.[10][11] According to a friend, Bilardi was concerned his family would "spend eternity in hell" for being non-believers.[9]

Reaction

Bilardi's radicalization was comparably different from other recruits. Unlike others, he was raised an atheist and from a Western family background. Professor Greg Barton, director of the Centre for Islam and the Modern World, considers Bilardi a self-radical motivated by underlying mental health issues instead of religious zealotry.[12][13] Miranda Devine of the Daily Telegraph believes Bilardi was radicalized by the "banality of life", suggesting vulnerable and impressionable teenagers need strong guidiance, otherwise terrorism becomes a possible outlet.[14]

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, commented on Bilardi’s death as an “absolutely horrific situation”,[15] stating, “it’s very, very important that we do everything we can to try to safeguard our young people against the lure of this shocking, alien and extreme ideology.”[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Liam Quinn, Sarah Dean, Louise Cheer, and Sarah Michael (2015-03-13). "Teen jihadist travelled to Middle East with 'a job to do'". Mail Online. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  2. ↑ Angela Shanahan (2015-03-14). "Young minds need truth about jihad to prevent another Jake Bilardi". The Australian. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  3. ↑ Crowcroft, Orlando (2015-03-11). "Iraq: Isis claim Ramadi suicide bomber was Australian teen jihadi Jake Bilardi". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  4. ↑ John Carney; Frank Coletta (2015-03-22). "'The buck stops here with me,' says teenage jihadi's father". Mail Online. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  5. ↑ "Australian teen 'killed in IS suicide attack' in Iraq". BBC News. 2015-03-12. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  6. ↑ Michael Bachelard, Latika Bourke, Rania Spooner (2015-03-13). "Teen jihadi Jake Bilardi was preparing to bomb Melbourne". The Age. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  7. ↑ Hume, Tim (13 March 2015). "Blog of suspected teen terrorist reveals path to ISIS". CNN. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  8. ↑ Hume, Tim; Lister, Tim; Luu, Chieu (12 March 2015). "Melbourne teen killed himself in ISIS attack". CNN. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dowling, James (2015-04-04). "Jihad Jake ‘was worried his family would spend eternity in hell’". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  10. ↑ Bachelard, Michael (2015-03-17). "Jake Bilardi's death used for propaganda value by Islamic State". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2015-04-09. Brothers and sisters, this brother originated from an atheist family and ended up selling his soul to Allah for a cheap price, to defend this [community] and give victory to this religion, while you sit at home at the comfort of your family born into Islam and not doing anything to stop this oppression, what is the matter with you?
  11. ↑ Dowling, James (2015-03-17). "Jihadi Jake Bilardi was ‘weak’ and ‘sold his soul cheaply’, says Islamic State online propaganda". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  12. ↑ "Jihad Jake's unusual radicalisation". skynews.com.au. 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  13. ↑ Jonathan Pearlman (23 March 2015). "'White jihadi' father: My son had a death wish and threatened family with violence". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  14. ↑ Sparrow, Jeff (2015-03-18). "Miranda Devine is right. Jake Bilardi was radicalised by the banality of life". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  15. ↑ Jared Owens (2015-03-12). "Aussie teen Jake Bilardi carries out suicide bombing says Islamic State". The Australian. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  16. ↑ Safi, Michael (2015-03-11). "Exclusive: blog shows Australian teen reported dead in Iraq suicide attack had planned bombings in Melbourne". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-04-06.

External links