Anwar al-Awlaki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anwar al-Awlaki
أنور العولقي |
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Anwar al-Awlaki in 2008
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| Born |
Anwar Nasser Abdulla al-Awlaki
April 21 or 22, 1971 Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S.
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| Died | September 30, 2011 (aged 40) Al Jawf Governorate, Yemen
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| Cause of death | Drone strike |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Lectures across Asia and the Middle East; Inspire magazine; and spokesman |
| Children | 5 (including Abdulrahman and Nawar) |
| Parent(s) | Nasser al-Awlaki (father) |
Anwar Nasser Abdulla al-Awlaki (Arabic: أنور العولقي, romanized: Anwar al-'Awlaqī; April 21 or 22, 1971 – September 30, 2011) was an American-Yemeni speaker and religious leader. He was killed in Yemen in 2011 by a U.S. government drone strike. This strike was ordered by President Barack Obama. Al-Awlaki became the first U.S. citizen targeted and killed by a U.S. government drone. U.S. officials said al-Awlaki was an important leader for the group al-Qaeda.
Al-Awlaki was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1971. His parents were from Yemen. He spent parts of his childhood in both the United States and Yemen. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he attended several U.S. universities. Al-Awlaki also worked as an imam (a Muslim religious leader). He did this even though he had little formal religious training.
In early 2004, al-Awlaki returned to Yemen. He became a university lecturer after speaking in the United Kingdom. Yemeni authorities arrested him in 2006. He stayed in prison for 18 months. He was then released without a trial.
After his release, al-Awlaki's messages began to openly support violence. He also criticized the U.S. government's policies towards Muslims. He was linked to people involved in attacks, like the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and an attempted bombing on Northwest Airlines Flight 253. In November 2010, the Yemeni government tried al-Awlaki in his absence. They accused him of planning to kill foreigners and being part of al-Qaeda. A Yemeni judge ordered him to be captured. U.S. officials said that in 2009, al-Awlaki was promoted to a "regional commander" role within al-Qaeda. He often called for jihad (a holy struggle or effort) against the United States. In April 2010, President Barack Obama decided to target al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki's father and civil rights groups challenged this decision in court. The U.S. used drones in Yemen to find and kill him. They tried at least once before succeeding. Al-Awlaki was killed on September 30, 2011.
In June 2014, a government document was made public. It said that al-Awlaki's killing was a lawful act of war. However, groups that protect civil rights called it an "extrajudicial execution." They said it went against al-Awlaki's constitutional rights. The New York Times wrote in 2015 that al-Awlaki's public talks and videos became more influential after his death. They inspired more violent acts than before he died.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Anwar al-Awlaki was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1971. His father, Nasser al-Awlaki, was studying at U.S. universities at the time. His father was a Fulbright Scholar. He earned a master's degree in agricultural economics in 1971. He later got a doctorate and worked at the University of Minnesota. Nasser al-Awlaki also served as Agriculture Minister in Yemen. He was also the President of Sana'a University. Yemen's prime minister from 2007 to 2011, Ali Mohammed Mujur, was a relative.
The family moved back to Yemen in 1978. Anwar was seven years old then. He lived there for 11 years and went to Azal Modern School.
Religious Background
Al-Awlaki's Islamic education was mostly informal. He spent short periods with different scholars. He would read and think about Islamic writings. Even without much formal religious training, al-Awlaki became known as a public speaker. His audio recordings were very popular. Some Muslim scholars wondered about his popularity. He spoke English very well, which helped him reach many people. But he did not have deep formal Islamic study.
His Ideas
While in prison in Yemen after 2004, al-Awlaki read the works of Sayyid Qutb. The New York Times described Qutb as a founder of the modern "anti-Western Jihadist movement." Al-Awlaki read many pages of Qutb's books every day. He said he felt like Qutb was with him in his cell, speaking directly to him.
A terrorism expert, Evan Kohlmann, said in 2009 that al-Awlaki was a key figure for people who wanted to commit acts of violence in their home countries. Kohlmann noted that al-Awlaki's good English, his open support for jihad, and his use of the internet were a strong combination. He called one of al-Awlaki's lectures, "Constants on the Path of Jihad", a "virtual bible" for individuals acting alone. Philip Mudd, who worked for the CIA and FBI, called him a "magnetic character" and a "powerful speaker." He attracted young Muslim men to his talks, especially in the US and UK.
U.S. officials and some media called al-Awlaki an Islamic fundamentalist. They accused him of encouraging violence. Documents found from Osama bin Laden's hideout showed that the al-Qaeda leader was unsure about al-Awlaki's qualifications.
His Works
The Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation said al-Awlaki's ability to write and speak English helped him encourage English-speaking Muslims to violence. Al-Awlaki mentioned in his essay 44 Ways to Support Jihad that most writings on the topic were in Arabic.
Written Works
- 44 Ways to Support Jihad: This essay was written in January 2009. In it, al-Awlaki stated that "hatred of kuffar (non-believers) is a main part of our military belief." He also said that all Muslims must take part in jihad. This could be by acting themselves or supporting others. He advised Muslims to stay physically fit to be ready for conflict. U.S. officials consider this a key text for al-Qaeda members.
- Al-Awlaki also wrote for Jihad Recollections. This was an English online publication.
- Allah is Preparing Us for Victory: A short book from 2009.
Lectures
- Lectures on the book Constants on the Path of Jihad by al-Ayiri. These talks were about jihad without a specific leader.
- In 2009, the UK government found 1,910 of his videos on YouTube. One video had been watched over 164,000 times.
- The Battle of Hearts and Minds
- The Dust Will Never Settle Down
- Dreams & Interpretations
- The Hereafter—16 CDs
- Life of Muhammad: Makkan Period—16 CDs
- Life of Muhammad: Medinan Period—18 CDs
- Lives of the Prophets (AS)—16 CDs
- Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (RA): His Life & Times—15 CDs
- Umar ibn al-Khattāb (RA): His Life & Times—18 CDs
- 25 Promises from Allah to the Believer—2 CDs
- Companions of the Ditch & Lessons from the Life of Musa (AS)—2 CDs
- Remembrance of Allah & the Greatest Ayah—2 CDs
- Stories from Hadith—4 CDs
- Hellfire & The Day of Judgment—CD
- Quest for Truth: The Story of Salman Al-Farsi (RA)—CD
- Trials & Lessons for Muslim Minorities—CD
- Young Ayesha (RA) & Mothers of the Believers (RA)—CD
- Understanding the Quran—CD
- Lessons from the Companions (RA) Living as a Minority—CD
- Virtues of the Sahabah—video lecture series
Images for kids
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A robot drawing
See also
In Spanish: Anwar al-Awlaki para niños
