Monday, June 29, 2015

Women-owned restaurants on Facebook do roaring business

arabnews.com, Women-owned restaurants on Facebook do roaring business "Several women in Qatif started to sell food and sweets through social media websites in a step to supplement their income and utilize their free time."

Islamic State: downloadable apps

Washington Times, Islamic State uses downloadable apps to hide attack plans, recruit followers interesting article, albeit with an emphasis on putting blame on Edward Snowden.

Round-up: Attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia

National, 25 killed in ISIL-claimed mosque bombing in Kuwait

Guardian, Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France stun three continents 

Independent, Kuwait mosque explosion: 'Isis' bombs Shia Muslims during Ramadan Friday prayers

Daily Mail, Pictured: The man ISIS claim slaughtered tourist on Tunisian beach

Telegraph, Were Tunisia, France, Kuwait attacks co-ordinated by Islamic State for Ramadan? 

Muslims formed 'human shield' to stop gun maniac shooting more dead

Daily Mail  'An attack upon the nests of fornication, vice and disbelief in God': ISIS's chilling words after Tunisian massacre which killed 38 as they warn 'worse is to follow'

NY Daily News, France terror suspect sent selfie with severed head: officials

IBTimes, ISIS Releases Audio Clip Purporting To Be Of Kuwait Shiite Mosque Bomber "The posthumous statement reportedly consisted mostly of Koranic verses and was posted on social media channels used by ISIS. In the clip, the speaker slammed Shiite Muslims and threatened revenge for insulting Islam, Reuters reported. However, the authenticity of the statement could not immediately be verified, the report added."

Jihadi swapped affectionate messages with man who helped him to Syria

Daily Mail, Jihadi swapped affectionate messages with man who helped him to Syria "A teenage jihadist swapped loving messages with the man who helped him to go to Syria in which they called each other 'cutie', 'honey' and 'babe', a court heard."

'ISIS and the Lonely Young American'

Rukmini Callimachi, New York Times. ISIS and the Lonely Young American "Alex’s online circle — involving several dozen accounts, some operated by people who directly identified themselves as members of the Islamic State or whom terrorism analysts believe to be directly linked to the group — collectively spent thousands of hours engaging her over more than six months. They sent her money and plied her with gifts of chocolate. They indulged her curiosity and calmed her apprehensions as they ushered her toward the hard-line theological concepts that ISIS is built on." Excellent article from NYT on the role of social media in the 'radicalisation' process.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Saudi TV series uses new weapon against ISIS: satire

Saudi TV series uses new weapon against ISIS: satire - CNN.com "The Arab world has gone mad over Al Qasabi's 45-minute satirical TV series "Selfie" -- which is shown by MBC, the Middle East Broadcasting Center -- and discussion of the show is all the rage on social media." Here's the MBC website: سيلفي

6 essential apps for Ramadan

6 essential apps for Ramadan, The National "With Ramadan under way, here’s a round up of six top-rated apps that can help you to achieve your goals during the holy month – from keeping you up to date with prayer times to providing a variety of iftar recipes."

The secret world of Isis brides

Guardian, The secret world of Isis brides: 'U dnt hav 2 pay 4 ANYTHING if u r wife of a martyr' "What draws western women to Islamic State’s violent jihad? Nabeelah Jaffer spent months talking to British and American ‘sisters’, before and after they travelled to Syria. How were they convinced by promises of a ‘perfect’ society and life as a martyr’s widow?"

Me and Abu Taubah

BBC News, Me and Abu Taubah - BBC News Nina Arif's discussions with Abu Taubah via WhatsApp.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Monday, June 22, 2015

Video: Child preaches at Grand Mosque

emirates247.com, Video: Child preaches at Grand Mosque "A YouTube film published in the Saudi daily Ajel showed a man was adjusting the boy’s dishdasha (gown) and head cover before he started his sermon." Many people were recording this on cell-phones, etc.

"Mohammed Emwazi Flees"

IB Times, Jihadi John: Isis Chief Executioner Mohammed Emwazi Flees to Libya, 22 Jun 2015 "British national Mohammed Emwazi, who after being featured in several beheading videos earned the title of 'chief executioner of Isis' aka 'Jihadi John', is believed to have fled to Libya after his real identity was revealed, according to UK intelligence agents."

Inside the Islamic State by Malise Ruthven

Inside the Islamic State by Malise Ruthven review of Abdel Bari Atwan's "Islamic State" book (which I plan to read over the summer, and post comments on).

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Google wants to be Muslims’ go-to source for all things Ramadan

Quartz, Google wants to be Muslims’ go-to source for all things Ramadan "Google is taking its YouTube videos, traffic data, and information about local businesses and neatly packaging them into a Ramadan guide for observing Muslims.



"The web app, called My Ramadan Companion, includes local tips and other relevant information, such as the time for sunset, to help Muslims plan their days during their 30 days of fasting."

Friday, June 19, 2015

The Dark Web as You Know It Is a Myth

Joseph Cox, The Dark Web as You Know It Is a Myth | WIRED  "The ‘dark web’ may be close to becoming a household name. After the conviction of Ross Ulbricht, the owner of the drug marketplace Silk Road, and a stream of articles claiming that the Islamic State is using secret websites to plan out attacks, this hidden part of the Internet is being talked about more than ever.



"But for the most part, the story you’ve been sold about the dark web is a myth."

Censoring ISIS’s online propaganda isn’t working out very well

Henry Farrell, washingtonpost.com, Censoring ISIS’s online propaganda isn’t working out very well

How to Survive in the West: A Mujahid Guide.

Matthew Gault, War Is Boring, Discussion about How to Survive in the West: A Mujahid Guide.

Tapping into the potential of digital islamic services: report

albawaba.com, Tapping into the potential of digital islamic services: report details here and report here: Deloitte, The Digital Islamic Services landscape: Uncovering the Digital Islamic Services opportunity for the Middle East and the World as a pdf.

Countering Islamic State Exploitation of the Internet

David P. Fidler, cfr.org, Countering Islamic State Exploitation of the Internet "The use of social media and other Internet-enabled communications by the self-proclaimed Islamic State is pushing the United States and other democracies to react to the abuse of liberal freedoms by illiberal forces. A leading response—fostering more online speech against extremism—relies on the "marketplace of ideas" and raises few problems with respecting the right of free expression, but questions about its effectiveness persist. By contrast, content-based measures, such as taking down violent videos and suspending social-media accounts, generate concerns about free speech, as well as skepticism about the contribution such measures make in the fight against the Islamic State." Full report available here [pdf]. Haven't read it yet!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Cardiff student pleads guilty to terror charge

Cardiff student pleads guilty to terror charge - BBC News "Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse QC said in the weeks following the demonstration, Choudhury accessed websites about travelling to Syria and another one that was entitled "10 reasons to join ISIS"."

Moon-sighting season

Guardian, As Ramadan approaches, the moon-spotting arguments begin "“This is not a problem of religion but a problem of egos,” said Tahir Ashrafi, a high-profile cleric. “The solution is to demolish these moon committees and give it to scientists to decide.”"

Eight essential apps for Muslims observing Ramadan

Guardian, Eight essential apps for Muslims observing Ramadan

Exposure - Jihad - A British Story

itv.com, Exposure - Jihad - A British Story "A personal investigation by Deeyah Khan into the roots of Islamic radicalism in Britain, including interviews with former extremists who embraced hatred and fought jihad." Attracting mixed reviews; I haven't seen it yet, so cannot comment.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

The fake battle that fooled IS supporters - and their opponents

The fake battle that fooled IS supporters - and their opponents - BBC News "A fake battle, invented in a hail of tweets by a London man, has tricked both so-called Islamic State's supporters, and their opponents, supporters of Shia militia fighters in Iraq."

Yemeni Al-Qaeda leader 'killed in US air strike'

Yemeni Al-Qaeda leader 'killed in US air strike' | Al Jazeera America "Al Qaeda in Yemen said its leader Nasir al-Wuhayshi was killed in a U.S. bombing, in a statement posted online Tuesday morning.



""Our Muslim nation, a hero of your heroes and a master of your masters left to God, steadfast," senior operative Khaled Batrafi said in the video, vowing that the group's war on America would continue."



Also see: CNN, Al Qaeda's second in command killed in Yemen strike; successor named

FB UAE

Facebook launches Emirati cartoon sticker pack for Ramadan | The National "Jonathan Labin, head of Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Facebook, said the launch of the stickers coincided with the start of Ramadan, which has seen an increase in use of the social media website in recent years."

Friday, June 12, 2015

Alaa Esayed case

Daily Mail, Iraqi woman dubbed 'the Twitter terrorist' is jailed, 11 June 2015 "A 'Twitter terrorist' who posted more than 45,000 messages supporting ISIS, including pictures which showed corpses of those killed in Syria, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years."

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Vanguard unit of hacktivists Anonymous meets 'Islamic State' on cyberfront

DW.DE, Vanguard unit of hacktivists Anonymous meets 'Islamic State' on cyberfront, 5 Jun 2015 " In recent months, a self-described "elite branch" of the hacktivist group Anonymous has upped the ante in the fight against "Islamic State" (IS). In a statement, Ghost Security (GhostSec) announced its intent to "eliminate every piece of ISIS propaganda from the Internet in an effort to slow down ISIS recruitment online.""

How a new Pakistani comic is challenging religious extremism

fusion.net, How a new Pakistani comic is challenging religious extremism "Unlike here in the U.S., comic books have historically been something of a luxury item in Pakistan. Rather than investing in a large-scale physical distribution model, CFX opted to publish Paasban through Apple and Google’s app stores to get themselves onto young people’s phones and tablets directly (you can sign up for a beta on the website.)"

Schools monitoring pupils' web use with 'anti-radicalisation software'

Guardian, Schools monitoring pupils' web use with 'anti-radicalisation software' "Software flags up trigger words and phrases such as ‘jihadi bride’, ‘jihobbyist’ and ‘you only die once’"

Islamic State magazine Dabiq withdrawn from sale by Amazon

Islamic State magazine Dabiq withdrawn from sale by Amazon - BBC News "Four different volumes were available for sale on the site, but in a statement to the BBC, Amazon said the product had now been removed."

The Islamic State may be trying to raise funds using Bitcoin

astroawani.com, The Islamic State may be trying to raise funds using Bitcoin " In Internet messages posted late last month, an individual dubbed "Abu Ahmed al Raqqa" made an appeal to supporters of the Islamic State, asking them to send funds to the militant group so it could continue its plan to expand its "caliphate.""

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Narcissism and terrorism: how the personality disorder leads to deadly violence

Guardian, Narcissism and terrorism: how the personality disorder leads to deadly violence "What do Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis, Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz, Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, and Isis killers Mohammed Emwazi and Jake Bilardi have in common? Delusions of grandeur, a fear of failure and a need for admiration." Have yet to read this in full

eGranary Digital Library

aljazeera/maktoob, Nigerian offline library opens access to all "The eGranary Digital Library - also known as The Internet in a Box - has been developed by a US-based non-profit called the WiderNet Project.

""It gives me up-to-date information unlike the normal library, where textbooks sometimes are outdated," Abubakar Mohammed, a final year law student at Ahmadu Bello University, told Al Jazeera."

US Army Website Hacked, Say Officials

AFP/ndtv.com, US Army Website Hacked, Say Officials "The US Army's official website was hacked Monday with messages denouncing Washington's training of rebel fighters inside Syria, but no data was stolen, officials said."

Tajikistan ends block on Facebook, YouTube

dnaindia.com, Tajikistan ends block on Facebook, YouTube prompted by Islamic State defector "Local Internet providers restored access to blocked websites that also included the Russian social networks Odnoklassniki and VKontakte, as well as popular independent news agency Asia Plus, following pressure from the United States."

Saad Lamjarred

yourmiddleeast.com, VIDEO: Moroccan star Saad Lamjarred's latest smash hit breaks record on YouTube

Friday, June 05, 2015

How France Let the Charlie Hebdo Killers Go Free

Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica/thedailybeast.com, How France Let the Charlie Hebdo Killers Go Free

Instagram restores account dedicated to Iran's revolutionary leader Khomeini

i24news.tv, Instagram restores account dedicated to Iran's revolutionary leader Khomeini "The @Emamkhomeini account, which published rare or unseen photos of the Islamic Republic's founder, had 100,000 followers before it was removed in late May."

‘Charlie Charlie Challenge’ in UAE

Khaleej Times/maktoob, Students warned against playing ‘Charlie, Charlie’ "Called the ‘Charlie Charlie Challenge’, the game went viral over the Internet earlier this week and even caught up with school students in the UAE.

"Parents and teachers of UAE schools are cautioning students against a game promising contact with spirits and demons as it leaves them scared and traumatised."

U.S. Concerned Over Access To Websites In Tajikistan

rferl.org, U.S. Concerned Over Access To Websites In Tajikistan "In its June 4 statement, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe urged the Tajik government "to lift any restrictions" on RFE/RL's Tajik- and Russian-language websites, Facebook, and other Internet news and social-media sites."

How do you undermine the Islamic State brand?

prweek.com, How do you undermine the Islamic State brand? "A Foreign Office spokeswoman told PRWeek: "The UK is leading a comprehensive programme to undermine ISIL’s narrative and highlight the extreme brutality and criminality of this organisation. It is vital we expose the vast gap between ISIL’s propaganda and the harsh reality of life on the ground to those potentially vulnerable to recruitment.""

'Terror on Twitter'

Terror on Twitter: How Islamic State uses social media to draw recruits (+video) "The US government is battling a “new generation of terrorists” who are using social media to quickly and effectively spread their violent ideology far beyond the battlefields of Syria and Iraq to the streets of Europe and America, senior intelligence officials told Congress on Wednesday."

Islamic State has 'best cyber offence' of any terrorist group

Islamic State has 'best cyber offence' of any terrorist group | ZDNet ""ISIS [also known as Islamic State] came onto the scene very quickly, but they already have arguably the best cyber offensive capability of any extremist movement out there, and it's still early days," Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure said."

Militant's selfie backfires

Telegraph, 'Moron' militant's selfie leads to US air raid on Isil unit " Intelligence specialists in Florida were able to identify the man’s precise location and conduct a successful air strike in less than twenty four hours, according to reports quoting US air force general Hawk Carlise.



""The [airmen are] combing through social media and they see some moron standing at this command," Gen Carlisle said."



Also see  US General tells how social media fails have helped agents identify Islamic State targets "Defensetech.org reports the general as saying the Islamic State officer was “In some social media, open forum, bragging about the command and control capabilities for Daesh, ISIL. And these guys go: ‘We got an in.’ So they do some work … Long story short, about 22 hours later through that very building, three JDAMs (guided bombs) take that entire building out.”"



Thought they might have kept it quiet.

Wednesday, June 03, 2015

ISIS revamps recruitment, with savvy, professional broadcasts

Lori Hinnant, Associated Press/rudaw.net, ISIS revamps recruitment, with savvy, professional broadcasts "The newscast's tone sounds much like National Public Radio in the United States. But this is Al-Bayan, the Islamic State radio targeting European recruits — touting recent triumphs in the campaign to carve out a Caliphate — and it represents a major headache for Western powers trying to curtail the IS influence."

Islamic State recruits Westerners with promise of Muslim utopia

washingtontimes.com, Islamic State recruits Westerners with promise of Muslim utopia

Tweets as weapons

DW.DE,
Tweets as weapons: How 'Islamic State' is fighting its battles... digitally, 3 Jun 2015
"Terrorist organization "Islamic State" is more than just simply savvy when it comes to using the internet as a propaganda tool. But what can be used to fight against such a profound social media strategy and smart users?" Also see DW.DE, Interview with an 'IS' fighter, 3 Jun 2015

Saudi Arabia presses 'YouTube imams' to toe the line on Yemen

csmonitor.com, Saudi Arabia presses 'YouTube imams' to toe the line on Yemen "Popular Muslim clerics are using social media to stir dissent beyond the purview of government-controlled mosques and satellite TV stations. Saudi Arabia is sensitive to criticism of its war in Yemen."

Monday, June 01, 2015

'Services improve under IS in Mosul'

'Services improve under IS in Mosul' - Al-Monitor "IS treaded carefully when it came to the Internet and communications. At the end of November 2014, IS disabled telecommunication towers in Mosul. As a result, all mobile networks became almost completely dysfunctional, and they remain so. The Iraqi government reportedly decided to suspend Internet service in the city to prevent IS from using it to spread its messages. In response, IS allowed Internet service providers to resume their operations through satellite networks outside the control of Iraq's National Communications and Media Commission."

Denmark - election

Guardian, Denmark’s radical parties vie for power as terror casts a shadow over poll

Journey of a Teen-Age Jihadi

newyorker.com, Journey of a Teen-Age Jihadi long article, but recommended