Jihadists are regarding Donald Trump’s Presidential victory as a positive step which will send more recruits their way.
Islamic State (IS) supporters and Taliban commanders told Reuters that Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric will help them to enlist more fighters – particularly disaffected youth in the West.
Of Trump, Abu Omar Khorasani, a top IS commander in Afghanistan, said: “This guy is a complete maniac. His utter hate towards Muslims will make our job much easier because we can recruit thousands.”
Trump’s campaign included proposals that included banning Muslims from entering the country and heightened surveillance of mosques across the nation.
Khorasani added: “Our leaders were closely following the US election but it was unexpected that the Americans will dig their own graves and they did so.”
Iraq’s powerful Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr slammed Trump over his “escalating statements... against Islam and Muslims,” and criticised him for not distinguishing between radical and moderate Muslims.
In written statement, the influential anti-U.S. cleric responded to the outcome of the US presidential election saying “Even if the president changed, the (US’s) hostile policies against the world will not change.”
He added: “He does not differentiate between extremist and moderate Islamist trends and, at the same time, he overlooks (the fact) that his extremism will generate extremism in return.”
He urged the American people “not to be affected by the radicalism of their president”, warning that they would otherwise “suffer from the international isolation because of the reckless policies which is unacceptable to every mind and every religion.”
Al-Sadr signed of his statement with “Peace be on the American people,” as well as, “You have to know that Israel will remain our first enemy.”