Abu Musab al-Barnawi is the new leader of the deadly Boko Haram group. He attacked his predecessor Abubakar Shekau in a new audio obtained by the Sahara Reporters. He was announced by the Islamic State on August 2 as a replacement for Shekau, who for six years had served as the both leader and face of the deadly sect based in northeast Nigeria.
The new Boko Haram leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, said that Shekau had dishonoured Islamic doctrines by killing fellow Muslims (ISIS, Al Qaeda also kills fellow Muslims), comprising members of the terrorist Islamist group, living a life of luxury with his wives, ignoring starving women and children, and failing to provide food and arms for terrorist fighters.
“We are here to send a message across to Shekau who had released his own cassette and we tag our own ‘REVELATION,’” Al-Barnawi said in his audio remark. The new ISIS-endorsed leader spoke in a confused and caustic manner, addressing his critical remarks at Shekau.
Below are the top highlights from his audio recording:
1. “[Shekau] was boasting that if we attempt to escape from his empire his men will kill us. He is a liar. I am not the only one that left, but eight of us left, all kitchen cabinet members. And right now two other top members are on the way to join us. We are all here. The issue of Islam is not personal, there is no sentiment in Islam, and that is why we are here. Nobody can dare us or stop us from it, no matter how he brags. Here we are on our own. Can’t you see how we left your empire? We left women and everything and just left with guns on our shoulders. We would have crushed anyone that stood on our way.”
2. “We said we would not touch anyone but just go on our way to our religion. We will fight for the cause of Allah and work against personalizing Jihad and against unjustifiable killings and shedding of blood. We are out because you came out with your own cassette. We want our people to know proper Islam because Allah in the Quran forbids killings without justification. Just like Allah gave us power to kill infidels, there are those he said we shouldn’t kill without reason.”
3. “In the Quran, Allah forbade Muslims from killing one another…and he also taught against killing in secret. If it is serious punishment, it must be public for people to know and witness it. But once you see killings in secret, there is something fishy and this is what we noticed with Shekau. What he is doing is not Islam. He said we should follow him and we agreed, but we later realized it is another thing and we said no. We have to stick to the Quran and what Allah said, not [follow]someone’s waywardness.” READ ALSO: Boko Haram coup: 5 reasons why Abubakar Shekau was sacked
4. “Almighty Allah is against killings of Muslims. Allah is saying better heaven and earth fall than innocent soul of a Muslim, but you have Shekau who likes killing our own people. He is always boasting that he will kill, he will kill. Okay, continue to kill, you will also be killed. Who will dwell here forever? Everybody will die. You will also die some day. And there is no one that will die without reaching his day of death. You can see we are here alive, all of us here sitting. Anyone that Allah did not kill you cannot kill him. The same way, you cannot stop anyone Allah willed his death.”
5. “In one of our Shura meetings, someone asked Shekau how he felt about Muslims running away from their own land to the land of the infidels for their own safety. Shekau said [the Muslims]are also infidels and should be killed like the infidels. These people are not infidels, they are Muslims running for their lives, and he insisted that they are infidels and should be killed. Shekau is ignorant of the fact that it is forbidden for a Muslim to be killed after being chased out of Islamic Caliphate to a strange land and [when the Muslim]has not taken part in any conspiracy against Muslims. [Shekau] is ignorant and needs to be taught the rudiments of Islam. Islam is not his creation. Only Allah defines who is a Muslim and who is an infidel. Even if you travel to a foreign land, you have no jurisdiction to say who is who until you have a basis. Anywhere you go you can’t say who is who. You can’t kill and take away people’s properties.”
6. “Nobody should believe him. People should seekunderstandingand not depend on his lies. Haba Imam, have you forgotten our past? Is this how we started? You forgot your days in our learning place with your two items of clothing, learning under the tree? And today you are arrogant and killing your own people because you have now got an empire?”
7. “Where did you see the judgment of Allah secretly done? And you said you are following Allah. Is it the Prophet that said this? This is not Islam, Shekau.”
8. “Another case of Shekau’s insensitivity is abandoning fighters to hunger [as well as]women and children who go without food while he is enjoying with his own family.” READ ALSO: Boko Haram ex-leader Abubakar Shekau cries out betrayal (audio)
9. “In our Shura meetings, there was a complaint that jihadists’ wives were taken away while they were fighting for Allah. What did you do? You did nothing, and fighters saw how you don’t bother about their welfare. You just go home and sleep with your wives and slaves while we are suffering. We are not with you.” 10. We are not part of a caliphate of injustices and shedding of blood. We are not part of a religion that is not dictated by Allah. We are with our leader, [ISIS commander] Al-Baghdadi. If you say you will not follow him, we will know the truth. Anyway, you have revolted and are deceiving people. You even said it in your cassette that you were forced; that you only bear fake allegiance fearing that there would be an internal revolt against you. Shekau killed many fighters, and we have exposed a few [of his victims].”
