The 'New Jihadi John' video from ISIS feels like a direct call to recruit British extremists
The new propaganda video from ISIS contains some oddly specific references to Britain, as if it were intended as a recruitment tool for disaffected Islamic extremists in the UK.
It begins, "This is a message to David Cameron," and then goes on to talk about the recent decision by the government to bomb Syria, Cameron's relationship with US President Obama, and the minimum wage in the UK.
As such, it appears to be designed to address Muslims in the UK who are outraged by their country's decision to again go to war in the Middle East. About 700 British people have left the country to join the fight in the Middle East, about half of whom then returned, according to the BBC.
The speaker in the video, dubbed the "new Jihadi John," is wearing military fatigues and a balaclava, and speaks with a British accent.
It also features a small child spouting Islamic State propaganda.
And the gruesome execution of five men.
The men are all British "spies," the video claims, even though none of them speak in English and all of them address the camera in fluent Arabic.
You can see the entire video here but use your discretion - it is gruesome.
The video is heavily edited for style, and features cinematic backing music.
The film begins with the hostages "confessing."
Some of them struggle to speak as if their mouths are dry.
One of them looks distressed.
The hostages are seen from several angles before the narrative cuts to a stony desert scene in which five hooded executioners, including the narrator, stand behind the kneeling prisoners.
"This is a message to David Cameron, Oh slave to the White House, Oh mule of the Jews," the "host" of the video begins.
He continues in a stilted, preacher-like style:
How strange it is that the leader of a small island threatens us with a handful of planes. One would have thought you would have learned the lessons of your pathetic master in Washington and his failed campaign against Islamic State.
It seems that you, just like your predecessors Blair and Brown, are just as arrogant and foolish.
One of the hostages appears to be weeping.
"In fact David, you are more of an imbecile. Only an imbecile would dare to wage war against a land where the law of Allah reigns supreme."
The next part will sound really strange to Western ears: "Only an imbecile would dare to anger a people who love death the way you love life."
Cameron repeatedly referred to ISIS as a "death cult" in the debate on whether to take military action against Islamic State.
Most of the video appears to be a protest against Cameron: "As for those of you who wish to continue fighting under the banner of Cameron under minimum wage ... do you really think your government will care about you when you come into our hands? They will abandon you as they have abandoned these spies."
The video ends with a brief shot of the child and the caption, "Video coming soon Insha'Allah."
Here is the full text of the video:
All praise be to Allah the greatest, the only one worthy of worship, obedience and submission. And may the peace and blessings be upon the prophet Muhammad, the final messenger sent to all of mankind.
This is a message to David Cameron. O, slave of the White House. O, mule of the Jews. How strange it is that we find ourselves today hearing an insignificant leader like you challenge the might of the Islamic State.
How strange it is that the leader of a small island threatens us with a handful of planes. One would have thought you would have learned the lessons of your pathetic master in Washington and his failed campaign against Islamic State.
It seems that you, just like your predecessors Blair and Brown, are just as arrogant and foolish. In fact David, you are more of an imbecile.
Only an imbecile would dare to wage war against a land where the law of Allah reigns supreme. nd where the people live under the justice and security of the Sharia.
Only an imbecile would dare to anger a people who love death the way that you love your life. O, British Government. O, people of Britain. Know that today your citizenship are under our feet.
And that the Islamic State, our country, is here to stay. And we will continue to wage jihad, break borders and one day invade your land where we will rule by the sharia.
But as for those of you who wish to continue fighting under the banner of Cameron on the minimum wage, we say to you, to ask yourself, do you really think your government will care about you when you come into our hands?
Or will they abandon you, as they have abandoned these spies, and those who came before them. Because you will lose this war, as you lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But this time when you lose, your children will pay for your deeds and remember you as the fools who thought they could fight the Islamic State.