Sunday, November 30, 2014

Istanbul’s Friday sermon focuses on lies, gossip via technological devices

hurriyetdailynews.com - Istanbul’s Friday sermon focuses on lies, gossip via technological devices "The sermon stated that people could forget about upholding their “holy watch” while seated before a computer and could act irresponsibly towards others’ dignities. People who make their tongues into a poisonous arrow through the use of gossip, lies and allegations should remember they will be held accountable for their acts, the sermon added."

Jihadelicious? ISIS shares new pancake recipe

alarabiya, Jihadelicious? ISIS shares new pancake recipe

Hostility in the air after Boko Haram attack

BBC News, Hostility in the air after Boko Haram attack

Support for Isis stronger in Arabic social media in Europe than in Syria

Guardian, Support for Isis stronger in Arabic social media in Europe than in Syria "In Syria, Isis appears to be dramatically losing the battle for hearts and minds with more than 92% of tweets, blogs and forum comments hostile to the militants who have rampaged through the east of the country and western Iraq, seizing large tracts of territory and declaring the establishment of a religious state."

A Jordanian Spins Comic Book Tales to Counter Terrorist Ideologies

NYT, A Jordanian Spins Comic Book Tales to Counter Terrorist Ideologies "Mr. Bakhit, 36, is a Jordanian comic book author and entrepreneur who creates Middle Eastern stories that are an alternative to terrorist ideologies. His field research has included surveys of children in poor neighborhoods in and around the Jordanian capital of Amman and in Syrian refugee camps."

The Jihad Cult: Why Young Germans Are Answering Call to Holy War

The Jihad Cult: Why Young Germans Are Answering Call to Holy War - Spiegel Online

Tens of thousands of Muslims flee Christian militias in Central African Republic

Washington Post, Tens of thousands of Muslims flee Christian militias in Central African Republic

Hackers use defaced sites to build a botnet

Hackers use defaced sites to build a botnet - Cyberwarzone "Hackers and hacktivists are using defaced websites to infect unaware
visitors with malware. The malware allows the hackers to control the
infected device. The AnonGhost hackers are using their defaced websites
to build a botnet by infecting unaware visitors. In a earlier report we
reported that the AnonGhost hackers will be able to hit targets fasters
because Mauritania Attacker has gone active again."

Friday, November 28, 2014

The Caliph, The Fat Sheikh And Their Goats: The Keyboard Warriors Taking Social Media Back From Iraq's Extremists

Niqash - society - The Caliph, The Fat Sheikh And Their Goats: The Keyboard Warriors Taking Social Media Back From Iraq's Extremists  "“There are a large number of actual ISIS sympathisers who
follow me and even retweet many of the jokes,” al-Fatassi says. “Because
the first thing they do when making a Twitter account is search for
“ISIS”. So they end up following me and ISIS Media not knowing we are
both parody accounts.”"

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Syrian electronic army 'hacks' Independent, OK Magazine and NHL

Guardian, Syrian electronic army 'hacks' Independent, OK Magazine and NHL "The Syrian Electronic Army has “hacked” a number of high profile sites, after the group apparently exploited a fault with a content delivery network (CDN)."

'Blood Jihad 2'

IB Times, ISIS Child Training Camp In Iraq Shown In New Video 'Blood Jihad 2' "Training in Raqqa has two tracks: A 45-day “legitimacy training” and three months of “war course,” or a combined 45-day program during times of intense battles, a spokesperson for the anti-militant activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, recently told IBTimes."

Purple Rain blog: UKIP Mistake Cathedral For Mosque

hopenothate, Purple Rain blog: UKIP Mistake Cathedral For Mosque "South Thanet UKIP branch have been left with egg on their face after making a huge mistake on the social network Twitter."

Terror suspect posts image of baby

BBC, Terror suspect posts image of baby "A terrorism suspect [Abu Rumaysah] who skipped bail in London has apparently released an image he claims shows him with his newborn son in the Islamic State (IS)."

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Britons jailed over Syria terror camp

BBC News, Britons jailed over Syria terror camp, 26 Nov 2014 "Mohommod Nawaz, 30, and Hamza Nawaz, 24, both from Stratford, east London, were sentenced to four-and-a-half years and three years respectively."

Swing Sets and Death in Syria: A Visit to an Aleppo Playground

Spiegel Online, Swing Sets and Death in Syria: A Visit to an Aleppo Playground

Western Media Is Obsessed With Kurdish Female Fighters Battling ISIS

Ruwayda Mustafah Rabar, Global Voices, Western Media Is Obsessed With Kurdish Female Fighters Battling ISIS, 19 Nov 2014 "International media agencies and activists alike have pushed images of female Peshmerga in their coverage and on social networking sites. The idea of women in uniform, heavily armed, fearless and fighting alongside men seems to be enticing, perhaps even captivating because it is perceived to be one of the strongest messages of defiance in the face of ISIS — a notoriously brutal Al Qaeda offshoot responsible for mass killing of Iraqi soldiers, Syrian soldiers, aid workers, journalists and the kidnapping, rape and forced marriage of women. In the group's Mosul manifesto, ISIS requires the confinement of women to their homes, unless absolutely necessary."

Why journalists should approach #ISIS tweets with caution

CJR, Why journalists should approach #ISIS tweets with caution "ISIS’ social media presence is also a massive phenomenon that warrants careful research and reporting beyond its instrumental use as a primary source. The tweets are more than a megaphone—they are a sign of ISIS’ ambition, part of what set the group’s declared state-building project apart from the sect-like secrecy of its forerunner, Al-Qaeda." The same applies to academics.

The Origins of ISIS (Islamic State)


from Brookings Institution

Why ISIS supporters can't stop tweeting about Ferguson

vox.com, Why ISIS supporters can't stop tweeting about Ferguson "Since the news of Darren Wilson's non-indictment broke last night, some Arabic language journalists noticed something curious: pro-ISIS Twitter users were all over the Ferguson discussion. "It's horrible," Joyce Karam, the Washington Bureau chief for Al-Hayat, writes. "Most of the tweets when you look up "فيرغسون" ([Arabic] for Ferguson) are ISIS driven.""

Soldiers, Spies, Cyberwarriors: '@War' In The Internet Age

Discussion of a new book: NPR, Soldiers, Spies, Cyberwarriors: '@War' In The Internet Age "The book looks cyberspace as war's "fifth domain" (after land, sea, air and space). [Shane] Harris covers topics like the NSA, the role of cyber warfare in the Iraq troop surge of 2007, China's "rampant" espionage on American corporations — and the U.S. government's strategy of playing the victim."

Patronato Postcard: A Visit To Chile's Little Palestine

worldcrunch, Patronato Postcard: A Visit To Chile's Little Palestine non-tech, but interesting

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Egyptian Cyber Army: The hacker group attacking ISIS propaganda online

Mashable, Egyptian Cyber Army: The hacker group attacking ISIS propaganda online "Last week, less than 24 hours after ISIS social media accounts posted a threatening message from the group's leader, the audio recording was replaced with a song and its transcript with a logo resembling that of the Egyptian military, accompanied by a writing in Arabic that read "Egyptian Cyber Army.""

Hunting the Taliban, Crossing Continents

Hunting the Taliban, Crossing Continents - BBC Radio 4



"Mobeen Azhar reports from Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, where police are at war with the Taliban. Given rare access to the work of the police by a Senior Superintendent in Karachi's Criminal Investigation Department, Mobeen joins officers on a night time raid in search of the men who train suicide bombers. He meets a suspect in custody who brags about planting bombs and describes how he urges teenage boys to sacrifice their lives in violent jihad. Mobeen also talks to a businessman who was kidnapped for ransom and meets the families of police officers who have been killed by the militants.



"Assassinations linked to political parties have blighted the city for over a decade but today, more than 70 groups representing the militant Taliban are also fighting for control. This guerrilla war, once confined to the tribal belt of Waziristan has moved into Karachi with devastating results."

Friday, November 21, 2014

French jihadis

Zee, Jihad lures teens from unsuspected corners of France ""Religion is very much an accessory. It`s an Islamist community, but it could just as easily have been anarchist, or anti-fascist," [Marc] Sageman told a news agency.

"It was a point underlined recently when it emerged that would-be jihadists bought the books "Islam for Dummies" and "The Koran for Dummies" over Amazon before leaving Britain last year."

'Report Jihad'

Mirror, 'Report Jihad' button promised by UK internet providers to help tackle online extremism "Internet service providers in the UK including BT, Virgin, TalkTalk and Sky have pledged to introduce a 'report Jihad' button to make it easier for customers to flag extremist materials."

Jihad + poetry

RFE/RL, 'What Rhymes With Islamic State?' Militants Express Ideology Through Poetry "In one recent poem about Syria, published on the khilafa.org website, which is run by Chechens in the Latakia-based Khalifat Jamaat faction, the Daghestani author criticizes such "armchair warriors," who he says post pictures of food on social media instead of defending hungry children in Syria."

Monday, November 17, 2014

Kenya arrests

alarabiya.net, 200 arrested as Kenya police raid suspected Al-Qaeda linked mosques "One man was killed Monday as Kenyan security forces arrested more than 200 people and seized weapons in raids on mosques accused of links with Somalia's Al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab militants, police said."

Iran to have Internet ‘smart filtering’ within months

alarabiya.net, Iran to have Internet ‘smart filtering’ within months, 14 Nov 2014 "Iran will have “smart filtering” within six months to weed out Internet content the authorities deem offensive or criminal, the telecommunications minister said on Friday."

Doha-based Qardawi rejects UAE blacklisting

alarabiya.net, Doha-based Qardawi rejects UAE blacklisting, 17 Nov 2014 "The International Union of Muslim Scholars and its chairman, Qatar-based Egyptian cleric Youssef al-Qaradawi, expressed “astonishment” on Monday at being designated a terrorist body by the United Arab Emirates."

Say hello to Zilzar.com, the Islamic answer to Amazon

just picked this up from a couple of weeks ago: Guardian, Say hello to Zilzar.com, the Islamic answer to Amazon see zilzar.com (screenshot left)

Boko Haram - opinion piece

Jacob Zenn, Washington Post, Boko Haram is acting increasingly like the Islamic State. Why don’t we treat it that way?, 13 Nov 2014 "The United States may have “insurgency fatigue” as a result of unsettled scores in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, let alone the enduring conflicts in Libya, Mali, Somalia and elsewhere. But Nigeria is a longtime ally of the United States, and effective global leadership in West Africa is needed to halt Boko Haram’s momentum. Only then can students like those in Yobe State, Chibok and elsewhere have the opportunity to craft a future for themselves and their country."

ISIS at RISK

tabsir.net » ISIS at RISK "The more the media spreads news about ISIS or ISIL or IS or Da’ish, the crazier it gets. The current Wikipedia entry is one of the longest I have ever seen. But let’s take a reality check here. ISIS is a digital creation as much as a successful terrorist operation that feeds the current media frenzy with Islam and terrorism."

ISIS/Kassig

Independent, A new Isis video – but a different ending. What could it mean? "The video that appeared on Sunday confirmed to show the head of the American aid worker Peter Kassig at the feet of a hooded killer of Isis is at once similar and dissimilar to the tapes we have seen before announcing the killing of Western hostages. Common to all of them is their savagery."

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Islamic State sets sights on Saudis

BBC News, Islamic State sets sights on Saudis "In a 17-minute audio message, purportedly from its elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group sets its sights firmly on Saudi Arabia, birthplace of Islam and the world's largest oil producer and exporter."

Friday, November 14, 2014

KSA

Malay Mail, Free Saudi cyber activists, demands media watchdog, 14 Nov 2014 "Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged Saudi authorities today to drop charges against dissidents jailed in recent months over their Internet activity."

Jordan

Yahoo News, Jordan takes Islamic State battle to Internet, mosques ""Jordan is waging a war against jihadist ideology and amended the anti-terrorism law... because the Internet has become the main tool for mobilising and recruiting" militants, said analyst Hasan Abu Haniya." Also listen to Radio 4, The World Tonight from last night on Jordanian issues

Jihadis who travel to Syria could be barred from UK return for two years

Guardian, Jihadis who travel to Syria could be barred from UK return for two years "Suspected jihadis, including teenagers, who travel to Syria will be prevented from returning to Britain for two years and only allowed to re-enter if they consent to face trial, home detention, regular police monitoring or go on a deradicalisation course."

The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research

digitalislam.eu, The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research "The Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research released its new issue (Vol. 7, Issue 1, 2014), edited by Noureddine Miladi from the Qatar University. The issue focuses on representation of Muslims in the British media and the future of traditional media in the Middle East region."

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

IS Mosul Net Hit

Coalition Airstrikes Demolish IS Internet Network in Mosul | BAS NEWS " The Iraqi authorities also revealed that during the airstrikes, the internet network of Islamic State in Mosul has become the target and coalition jets has destroyed the network."

Opinion re IS

How social media is helping Islamic State to spread its poison - Telegraph " In the post-Snowden world, this has become immeasurably more difficult – not least because the whistle-blower’s revelations prompted many of the world’s leading social media companies to tighten up their security arrangements, primarily to reassure customers that their private activities were safe from the activities of intelligence-seeking eavesdroppers."

IS Iceland

washingtonpost.com, Why the Islamic State is interested in Iceland, 14 Oct 2014 I just picked up on this, although it came out a few weeks ago

Tech groups aid terror, says UK spy chief

Tech groups aid terror, says UK spy chief - FT.com  also see Robert Hannigan, FT.com, The web is a terrorist’s command-and-control network of choice. Radio 4 also had a piece on this yesterday [4 November] on PM (about 15 minutes in): Themes discussed would be familiar/obvious to many readers of this blog, I expect.

Monday, November 03, 2014

British-Iranian woman jailed for a year for trying to watch volleyball game





Guardian, British-Iranian woman jailed for a year for trying to watch volleyball game "Ghoncheh Ghavami, 25, a law graduate from London, was found guilty of spreading “propaganda against the regime” following a secret hearing at Tehran’s revolutionary court." Here's a related Amnesty International page

Reading list: Media Evolution on the Eve of the Arab Spring

palgrave.com, Media Evolution on the Eve of the Arab Spring, Edited by Leila Hudson, Adel Iskandar, Mimi Kirk, "Leading scholars of Arab media come together to offer unparalleled insight into the communication environment that preceded the political and societal ruptures that shook the Arab world 2010-2011. Examining the role of competing publics, the state's ability to construct meaning, and social and political change in the region, they unsettle oversimplifications of much of the existing literature and examine numerous precipitating conditions, including, political stagnation, civil engagement, new media, rural and urban divides, Islamist blogospheres, video games, Turkish and Syrian dramas, mediated diplomacy, and diaspora." Looks interesting. Out at the end of the year. Expensive!!

'15 Progressive Islamic Facebook Pages'

patheos.com, 15 Progressive Islamic Facebook Pages That You Should Really Check Out! "When was the last time you came across a very enlightening post from a mainstream Islamic page that completely changed your paradigm, or at least made you think differently? If you only follow mainstream Islamic pages, chances are that it may very well have been a long time ago (if ever). I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some pretty terrible experiences with popular Islamic pages. And, let me tell you why." Opinion ... define 'progressive'.

Who is the 'Angel of Kobane'?

BBC News, Who is the 'Angel of Kobane'?, 3 Nov 2014 "Thousands around the world on social media have shared the image of the "Angel of Kobane" or "Rehana", a Kurdish fighter who has become a symbol of resistance against Islamic State. According to the stories, she's slain as many as 100 Islamic State fighters. Only one hitch: she's probably not who people think she is."

Whose side is Turkey on?

LRB · Patrick Cockburn · Whose side is Turkey on?

Uprising could trigger Isis undoing, says study

Guardian, Uprising could trigger Isis undoing, says study "A large-scale uprising from people living under the totalitarian regime of Islamic State (Isis) is the most likely trigger that will lead to the undoing of the self-declared caliphate, according to an authoritative report into the jihadi group by the former head of counter-terrorism at MI6."