A former British boxing champion has released a video, in which he shows support for the Islamic State (IS), claiming the beheadings of American journalists, Steven Sotloff and James Foley, were a form of “retaliation” and were not “unprovoked.”
Mispronouncing Foley’s name as ‘Folly’ and ‘Fooly’, Anthony Small blamed Western powers for the violence being committed by IS (formerly ISIS) militants. He said that the West had “declared war” on Muslims, commenting, “If I was in America, I wouldn’t feel safe.”
In the video uploaded to YouTube, he said, “We have to be objective and non-biased, that the beheading of James Foley, Mr Beheaded infidel, not to be disrespectful to him or his family, I can’t remember his name, Mr Infidel, it wasn’t unprovoked.”
Small said: “I don’t want to say ‘unprovoked’ because they could say I am glorifying terrorism… No state can sit by and allow itself to be attacked in this manner.”
In the 15-minute clip, the 33-year-old calls the US the “United Snakes of America,” and also calls James Foley “Mr Beheaded infidel.”