



Al Qaeda says the United States has another crime to add to its litany of atrocities: support for same-sex marriage.

In the latest issue of Inspire, the Al Qaeda-produced English-language magazine that teaches readers how to cause traffic accidents, torch parked cars, and “make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom,” the terrorist group goes after President Barack Obama for “evolving” on marriage equality. In an infographic titled “The Nation Standing on ‘No Values,” the magazine also goes after “gay congressman” Barney Frank, who is no longer a congressman. It also cites statistics showing American Catholics are less likely to attend Mass and are increasingly supportive of same-sex marriage.

Here it is:

Al Qaeda is a strict “traditional marriage” outfit.

The image calls Frank a “symbol of the American dream,” which appears meant to be insulting. Let us all tremble at the thought of the infinite masses who never thought about being a terrorist before they stopped to consider Obama shifting his position on same-sex marriage.

Why bring this up at all? Al Qaeda “fundamentally believe[s] there is a moral decay because of Western cultural and social norms,” says Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “The issues of Western policy in the region loom larger for sure, but the socio-cultural issues are also important when one goes beyond the surface rhetoric.”

There’s no way to know if Al Qaeda is following the legal developments over same-sex marriage, but it’s certainly fortuitous timing. On Thursday the Obama administration filed a brief to the Supreme Court urging the justices to strike down California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Hat tip: Will McCants