Introduction
Radical U.S.-born Yemeni-American cleric and leading Al-Qaeda figure Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in September 2011, was an important mentor for jihadis, inspiring lone wolf attacks such as the November 2009 Fort Hood shooting, the attempted Christmas Day 2010 airplane bombing over Detroit, and the 2010 attempted Times Square bombing. [1]
Most of Al-Awlaki's sermons and teachings can be found free of charge on jihadi forums, and there are countless videos of him on YouTube; however, some of his seminal works are also offered for sale by Amazon, the world's largest online retailer.
In one of his major works, "44 Ways to Support Jihad," Al-Awlaki noted the importance of "spreading the writings of the mujahideen and their scholars," including by "posting material online," "setting up websites that publish such works," and "guiding others towards such websites." He also notes: "To counter the fact that no publishers or media outlets are willing to risk sponsoring their works, it falls upon the mujahideen and their sympathizers to do that work. It is therefore our responsibility to spread their knowledge." [2]
Al-Awlaki continues to inspire jihadis to this day. Most recently, at a December 18, 2012 detention hearing in Florida for Raees Alam Qazi, arrested on terror charges the previous month, prosecutors said that the suspect had told police that he had tried to contact Al-Qaeda; they added that he was motivated by Al-Awlaki's lectures. [3] Prior to that, on October 22, 2012, three alleged "senior members" of a British Muslim terrorist cell went on trial for a plot to carry out "another 9/11" in the UK, with up to eight suicide bombers. The prosecutor in that case stated that the defendants were jihadis influenced by Al-Qaeda, especially Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al-Awlaki, [4] and media reported that they were allegedly inspired by Al-Awlaki's anti-West sermons. [5] These lectures and sermons, as noted, are freely available online.
Al-Awlaki In Amazon's Kindle Store
Below is a screen shot of the page for Al-Awlaki's book The State of the Ummah, offered by Amazon for the Kindle:
Al-Awlaki's The State of the Ummah – $5.00 for Kindle[6]
Other Al-Awlaki Products Sold By Amazon
Below are screen shots of pages of other Al-Awlaki products for sale on Amazon.com: [7]
CD-Rom of collected writings of Al-Awlaki: Allah is Preparing Us for Victory: Collection of Writings by Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki, $45.00, sold by third party Quest Living[8]
Audio cassette Lives of the Prophets, Vols 1-4. $34.64-$167.34, sold new and used by five different third-party sellers[9]
New
Used
Search results for "Al-Awlaki" on Amazon.com[10]
Amazon Book Sellers Involved In Profiting From Al-Awlaki's Books
Names/accounts listed as "sellers" of Al-Awlaki publications include "azsidd," "stephanie2004," "any_book," and "envelopes." [11] Another seller, Quest Living, describes itself on its Amazon page as "an eco-friendly manufacturer and distributor of products to help uplift and improve your life, your home, and your journey." [12]
Amazon Guidelines For Content Sold On Its Website
Amazon's guidelines for content it sells, detailed on its Content Guidelines page, [13] are vague when it comes to violence and terrorism. They state, inter alia, that:
"Items sold on Amazon.com must follow our content policy and guidelines.... Producers or sellers of items are expected to conduct proper research to ensure that the items created to be sold on Amazon.com are in compliance with all local, state, national, and international laws. If Amazon.com determines that the content of an item is prohibited, we may summarily remove or alter it without returning any fees the listing has incurred. Amazon.com reserves the right to make judgments about whether or not content is appropriate."
The guidelines also state clearly: "Illegal items. Items sold on the Amazon.com Web site must adhere to all applicable laws. This includes the sale of items by individuals outside the United States. Some items that may not be sold include any products which may lead to the production of an illegal item or illegal activity."
While Amazon states that it "reserves the right to make judgments about whether or not content is appropriate," it explicitly notes that "items that may not be sold include any products which may lead to... illegal activity."
Contact Information For Amazon.com
Amazon's corporate contact phone number, in Seattle, WA, is (206) 266-1000; its legal copyright contact phone number is (206) 266-4064. It should be mentioned that Amazon.com's customer conditions of use state that anyone using Amazon services must "agree that the Federal Arbitration Act, applicable federal law, and the laws of the state of Washington, without regard to principles of conflict laws, will govern these Conditions of Use and any dispute of any sort that might arise between you and Amazon."
[4] USA Today, October 22, 2012.
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