Pictures from our brother at the http://jihad313.wordpress.com/ blog
Keeping the faith
The unmistakable black-and-white flag of al Qaeda juts from a rusted iron barrel at the entrance to Jaar. The flag bears the Arabic inscription of the iconic Islamic statement of belief, the shahada: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his messenger” atop a full moon. The symbol is ubiquitous throughout Jaar.
Jihadi militants — some men, some boys, all packing Kalashnikovs, hand grenades or daggers — patrol Jaar’s dusty roads on motorcycles given to them by Ansar al-Sharia.
Sharia prison
Red lines, and the consequences of crossing them, are clear cut in the Islamic Emirate of Waqar. “If you steal food from the market because you are hungry, we will not cut the hand. But of course we look at context,” an Ansar al-Sharia member said. “For example, if you steal during prayer time, or if you steal more than something like $65, then we cut.”
Feasting with al Qaeda
After several tense and uncertain minutes upon my arrival to Jaar, while soldiers were verifying the purpose of my visit, an elder Ansar al-Sharia member looked directly at me and said, “no problem, no problem.” He and his comrades then made clear that I was their guest for the day, and insisted that we feast together. Sitting cross-legged on a concrete floor cordoned off from the rest of the building, we palmed handfuls of rice and grilled meat into our mouths, followed by freshly cut apples, oranges, and bananas.
Discussion turned to the never-ending war between al Qaeda and the U.S. government. “Until America stops forcing democracy on us, we will continue to fight,” one Ansar al-Sharia member said. “We don’t want democracy. We want to be left alone.”
