A British news organization linked a Seattle woman to recruitment for the Islamic State, citing her posts on social media.
British television network Channel 4 traced the Twitter account @_UmmWaqqas to “Rawdah Abdisalaam, a twenty-something female believed to be from Seattle,” according to the report.
Reporters for the network said @_UmmWaqqas had more than 8,000 followers before her account was shut down and was one of the most influential accounts linked on the social network site to the Islamic State on Twitter.
Along with pictures taken from various Seattle locations — including photos that appear to be taken from West Seattle and I-5 — Channel 4’s report says that the operator of the Twitter account “defends ISIS brutality; she justifies the burning to death of the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh as ‘an eye for an eye.'”
According to Channel 4, Umm Waqqas’ Twitter contact information has been in an online travel guidebook and she has been in contact with Islamic State recruits before they cross the border into Syria.
The report says that she has been in close contact with people who have left Britain to join radicalized groups in Syria before and after their departures, and urged people over Twitter to join the Islamic State.
A former FBI official told the network that activity may have crossed from advocacy to actively becoming an ISIS recruiter.
Friends told reporters with Channel 4 that she may have left the Seattle area, but that her whereabouts could not be independently verified.
I’m sorry to say this but the spectacles of hate need to be removed. I dare anyone on here to google Islamic research foundation and spend a few minutes looking at what you find. I am sure that you will find that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance, justice, kindness, charity, love and worshiping one God.
The prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) was verbally abused, ridiculed, had objects thrown at him, spat at and even beaten. He reacted by having mercy on people and treating them with patience and kindness throughout his life.
When we differ in our opinions, we shouldn’t be abusive or threatening. This was not the way of the prophet Mohammed ( PBUH) with believers and disbelievers. Thank you.