Revolution Muslim's Younus Abdullah Muhammad Arrested In Morocco

Revolution Muslim's co-founder and primary spokesman Younus Abdullah Muhammad was arrested in Morocco early Friday, according to Islam Policy, the Web site successor to the original Revolution Muslim.

Muhammad, also known as Jesse Morton, was charged earlier this month with transmitting threats in relation to Revolution Muslim's 2010 threats against the creators of South Park for a two-part episode satirizing death threats over the depiction of the Prophet Mohammad.

Read the criminal complaint

According to the affidavit, Mohammed recruited Zachary Chesser to write for RevolutionMuslim.com in early 2010, after Chesser had littered the Internet with a variety of provocative postings in favor of terrorism and jihad against the West. Chesser was promoted to administrator on the site in April 2010.

After the initial posting, which was written by Chesser, both Mohammed and Chesser worked together to refine a written response in an effort to parse the language of the post and cast it as a "warning," rather than a "threat," which fooled no one.

Morocco does not have a standing extradition treaty with the U.S., so it will be interesting to see what went into this move, and the trial itself may shed significant light on how Revolution Muslim works and what links it may or may not have with overseas terrorist organizations.

Several members and associates of Revolution Muslim have already been arrested and convicted for various crimes relating to terrorism, but this is the first time a significant leader of the group has been prosecuted.

Revolution Muslim's other founder, Yousef Al Khattab, also known as Joseph Cohen, departed from the group in 2009 and has since criticized the group's endorsement of violence and expressed regret for his role in the group's activities. Al Khattab is currently living in New York City, according to postings on his personal blog.

The statement on Revolution Muslim read:

Early on Friday morning brother Younus was arrested by Moroccan authorities, his currently being held and is awaiting extradition to the United States. His arrest comes in the long line of Muslims who have been imprisoned for speaking out against the United States. It is part and parcel of the US war on Islam. It is a war, being waged on two interlink fronts.

One front is the military front, where the US uses its ‘hard power’ it dominate, and coerce the Muslim world into conforming to its interest. We see this taking place in many of our lands, from Iraq to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and many other places.

The other front is the ideological front where the US tries to change the beliefs and perceptions of Muslims, indeed to change Islam itself. To this end the US attempts to snuffle out voices of dissent, voices of truth. Whilst at the same time promoting those voices of compromise, who for whatever reason are willing to cooperate in the distortion of the truth of Islam. All this amounts to nothing more than a programme of intimidation, a systematic attempt to silence Muslim dissent, but we will not be silenced.

For much more about Revolution Muslim and its links to terrorism, buy J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, out now!

Labels: Revolution-Muslim, South-Park, Younus-Abdullah-Mohammed, Yousef-Al-Khattab, Zach-Chesser

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