British jihadi urges other Muslims to join him and wage what he claims is a ‘five-star’ jihad in Syria
The call came in an article penned in English under the name Abu Salman Al-Britani which was published online on Tuesday
A BRIT jihadist has urged other Muslims to join him and wage what he claims is a "five-star" jihad in Syria.
The call came in an article penned in English under the name Abu Salman Al-Britani which was published online on Tuesday.
Al-Britani revealed that he expected to be dead within three months of arriving in Syria but was surprised at what he encountered.
He said: "I thought I was coming to live in the mountains and starvation would be widespread.
"I would participate in a couple of battles, and 2 or 3 months after (my arrival) I would be killed and be made Shaheed [martyred]..."
He added: "Even though we may face certain hardships in Al-Sham, the Jihad in Syria is far more comfortable compared to what we hear of the Jihad in other lands.
"So much so that the Veteran Mujahideen have called it a five-star Jihad because in the other countries where they had made Jihad the conditions were much harsher – be it the lack of movement, the living conditions, the sustenance, etc..."
Britani warned that there were hardships to endure, however, but the reward at the end of the day was a place in paradise.
He said: "If a brother becomes homesick he may even end up missing the corner store that he used to purchase from, that is how strong the feelings can be.
"But we should never forget that at the end of this life you are rewarded with whatever you give up for the sake of Allah, and accordingly you will find something better in the Hereafter."
Britani added: "...you find brothers coming to Al-Sham thinking the Mujahideen will break into Damascus tomorrow.
"So when the Mujahideen end up facing military difficulties and retreat from certain areas instead of making gains, such as the situation we faced in Southern Aleppo or on the coastal region (the outskirts of Lattakia), then some brothers get depressed or lose morale and begin having second thoughts."
He claimed that militant group were currently making advances on the city of Hama and hope to take it soon.
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Britani also claimed that a new generation of pious Muslims had sown the seeds of a new Islamic nation in Syria.
He said: "You look at any of the Islamic groups in Al-Sham and you will find the vast majority to be brothers in their teens or 20s.
"The congregations in the Masajid [mosque] throughout the liberated territories are getting larger and larger by the year...
"I and many brothers here believe that the future is bright In Sha Allah [god-willing] as we only see goodness from the upcoming generation. "
He signed off by saying: "We ask Allah to guide us to what pleases him and to give us the ability to endure the road of Hijrah [migration] and Jihad, and reward us in the Akhirah [afterlife]".
The piece, titled "A bounty more valuable than that which you sacrifice", was written for a new group established by non-Islamic State foreign fighters in Syria.
Called Al-Fursan Media, it is regarded as an offshoot of the jihadist group Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham (JFS), which includes many foreign fighters in its ranks.
JFS used to be called Jabhat Al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) before it re-branded itself after cutting its ties with al-Qaeda.
Many British fighters in Syria first fought with Nusra before going on to join ISIS.
The emergence of the article may indicate that jihadist groups not linked to ISIS are trying to capitalise on its difficulties and siphon off potential new recruits.
The group is under immense pressure militarily and the once porous border with Turkey has been sealed, blocking the main entry route for incoming jihadists.
The term "five-star jihad" was first used by a British fighter from Portsmouth, Ifthekar Jaman, who was killed in December 2013 soon after giving an interview to the BBC's Newsnight programme.
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