| Part of a series on |
| Jihadism |
|---|
 Islam portal |
Jihadi tourism, also referred to asjihad tourism orjihadist tourism, is a term sometimes used to describetravel to foreign destinations with the object of scouting for terrorist training.[1]US diplomatic cables leaked in 2010 have raised concerns about this form of travel.[2] Within intelligence circles, the term is also sometimes applied dismissively to travellers who are assumed to be seeking contact with extremist groups mainly out of curiosity.[3]
In previous times, several people fromBritain andFrance along withMiddle East travelled to joinSoviet–Afghan War.
British police characterized a visit toPakistan byhomegrown terrorists,Mohammad Sidique Khan andShehzad Tanweer, asjihadi tourism, and doubted that they were actual terrorists. Sidique Khan and Tanweer were reported to have metAbd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, one ofal-Qaeda’s most experienced commanders, in November 2004, when he tasked them to plan an attack inEngland.[4] Khan and Tanweer were later two of the four suicide bombers in the7 July 2005 London bombings.[3]
Neoconservative authorLaurent Murawiec has alleged that wealthy young men fromSaudi Arabia have travelled toAfghanistan andPakistan for jihadi tourism.[5]
TheAl-Quds Mosque inHamburg, whereMohamed Atta often prayed,[6] became a hub for jihadi tourism prior to its closure, asIslamic militants gathered to meet those with connections toterrorist organizations inAfghanistan.[7][8] It was discovered by German authorities that 10 of the mosque's members had travelled to the border region ofPakistan andAfghanistan.[9] In 2010, the mosque was closed by German security officials following suspicions that the mosque was again being used as a meeting place forIslamic extremists.[10][11][12]
Leaked US diplomatic cables have alleged that British and American Muslim citizens are travelling toSomalia to undergo training forterrorist attacks in the UK.[13][14][2]
