Anwar Al Awlaki [new] Jun 2026

During his time in the U.S., he served as an imam in several mosques, including the Denver Islamic Society and the Rabat Mosque in San Diego. Following the 9/11 attacks, he moved to the East Coast to serve as a Muslim chaplain at George Washington University.

He returned to the United States for college in 1991, eventually earning a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, an M.A. in Education Leadership from San Diego State University, and doing doctoral work at George Washington University. anwar al awlaki

His magazine, Inspire , which he helped found with Samir Khan, became a seminal text for homegrown extremists. The magazine included articles such as "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," which was used by the Tsarnaev brothers in the Boston Marathon bombing (2013) and by perpetrators of other attacks globally. During his time in the U

Al-Awlaki's involvement in terrorism began when he started preaching in radical mosques and advocating for violent jihad. He became a prominent figure within al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), rising through the ranks to become one of its most influential leaders. He was involved in planning and inspiring several terrorist plots, notably: in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, an M

In death, Awlaki became a martyr figure for jihadist movements. His lectures continue to circulate widely on YouTube, Twitter, and encrypted messaging apps, serving as the primary radicalizing material for "lone wolf" actors in the West. He is widely considered the most effective English-language propagandist in the history of jihadist terrorism.