Radicalized online

Terror teenagers were fans of this hate preacher

The teenagers who planned an attack on a Taylor Swift concert at the Ernst Happel Stadium were enthusiastic fans of the online hate preacher Abdul Baraa (right).

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Screenshot youtube.com/@abulbaraatube1927, APA/FLORIAN WIESER)

Not only Taylor Swifts fans, who were left disappointed but at least unharmed after the Vienna concert was canceled, emulate their idol on various social media channels. Those young Islamists who wanted to kill as many people as possible also found their questionable role models online. 

They had "big plans" and wanted to kill as many infidels as possible: the suspected members of a terrorist cell who planned an attack on one of Taylor Swift's concerts radicalized themselves online. 

TikTok instead of a basement mosque
Instead of backyard and basement mosques, TikTok and co. are the new platforms used by radical hate preachers. In the case of the Swift terrorists, it was a Berlin Salafist in particular who is himself being targeted by the authorities.

Abdul Baraa has 96,100 subscribers on YouTube and around 80,000 followers on TikTok.

(Bild: Screenshot youtube.com/abulbaraatube1927)

Abdul Baraa, real name Ahmad Armih, had run a mosque in the German capital. This was searched in the past on suspicion of terrorist financing and later closed. The 51-year-old is considered one of the most influential online preachers, with tens of thousands following him on YouTube and TikTok. 

Toxic messages allowed terror plans to grow
"In his statements and with his activities, Abdul Baraa spreads his Salafist world view, which runs counter to the free democratic basic order. In addition, in his sermons he constructs a conspiracy of the Western world against Islam; for him, Muslims are always victims," wrote the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution in a report.

The main suspect Beran A. (small picture). He gave himself the combat name "Mo" in reference to the Prophet Mohammed.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Eva Manhart, zVg)

According to a report in "Bild", these toxic messages are also likely to have contributed to the terror plans in the minds of the boys who are to be remanded in custody on Friday. The 19-year-old main suspect and the 17-year-old co-accused were taken to the Wiener Neustadt prison.

An 18-year-old has now also been arrested and a 15-year-old has been detained and questioned. However, he is not currently suspected of the crime and is being treated as a witness.

Islam influencers in the sights of the authorities
In addition to Abdul Baraa, other German Salafists are also active on TikTok and YouTube, including Pierre Vogel and Ibrahim El-Azzazi, who calls himself "Sheikh Ibrahim". In short clips, they pretend to answer religious questions, but a closer look reveals the radical views of the Islam influencers. For example, Ibrahim El-Azzazi refused to be in the picture with Y Collective reporter Selma Badawi in a documentary because she was unveiled.

Although the "Sheikh" occasionally comments on the essential question of which type of iced tea is better, he otherwise shines with Stone Age rules of conduct. He is also already being targeted by the German authorities and is currently on trial for assault and sexual abuse of his own wife, as reported by Die Welt. 

TikTok Salafist Ibrahim El-Azzazi alias "Sheikh Ibrahim" (left) and the German preacher Pierre Vogel

(Bild: Screenshot TikTok, AFP)

Former boxer Pierre Vogel has described IS terrorists as "freedom fighters" and is considered one of the most influential preachers on the German Salafist scene. Switzerland has already banned him from entering the country, and Vogel recently claimed via TikTok that Austria had also imposed such a ban on him.

According to Vogel himself, he is one of the brains behind the Koran distribution campaign "We love Muhammad", a follow-up project to the "Lies!" campaign, which was banned in Germany in 2016.