Islamic State’s English-language magazines, 2014-2017

Ingram, Haroro. “Islamic State’s English-language magazines, 2014-2017: Trends & Implications for CT-CVE Strategic Communications.” The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague 8, no. 15 (2018) One for the reading list. I look at some of these issues in my next book. "This paper provides a quick reference guide to IS’s English-language magazines released between June 2014 and September 2017 examining key themes and propaganda strategies deployed across three issues of Islamic State News, four issues of Islamic State Report, fifteen issues of Dabiq and thirteen issues of Rumiyah"

'al-Risalah' issue 4

Bridget Johnson, pjmedia.com, Pick Up Five AK-47 Bullets for a Buck, al-Qaeda Magazine Tells Jihadists, January 11, 2017 "The fourth edition of al-Risalah, which is published by al-Qaeda in Syria, features a full-page graphic of a grenade composed of typewriter keys with the quote, "Half of jihad is media.""

'ISIS Really Wants You To Know It’s Operating In Bangladesh'

Buzzfeed, ISIS Really Wants You To Know It’s Operating In Bangladesh, 13 Apr 2016 " In the latest issue of its propaganda magazine Dabiq, ISIS features both a Bengali jihadi and a man it claims is leading its operations inside the country. "

Research: 'Cyber Terrorism Project'

BBC News, The online terror propaganda battle "Gaining control of the online propaganda battle could be the most vital component in defeating Islamist militants ..."

This refers to the work of the Cyber Terrorism Project at Swansea University. I haven't had a chance to scrutinise their work in depth at present, but it looks interesting, including their efforts to code data from various jihad magazines.

For example, see: Cyber Terrorism Project, Online Terrorist Magazines: Preliminary Findings. November 2015

'Counter-Terrorism: The Electronic Jihad'

Strategy Page, Counter-Terrorism: The Electronic Jihad "In April 2014 a Moslem man (Lawal Olaniyi Babafemi) from Nigeria pled guilty in an American court to charges that he had participated in an al Qaeda operation in Yemen to promote Islamic terrorism via the Internet. Babafemi faces up to 30 years in jail for going to Yemen in 2010 and joining al Qaeda. He later returned to Nigeria and was arrested there and extradited to the United States in 2013. He is one of an increasing number of Islamic terrorist sympathizers who stay out of the battleground areas and provide support via the Internet. Terrorist leaders now recognize this sort of support is important for jihad (struggle) and it is encouraged."

'Beware of Imitators: Al-Qa`ida through the Lens of its Confidential Secretary'

Nelly Lahoud, Combatting Terrorism Center, Beware of Imitators: Al-Qa`ida through the Lens of its Confidential Secretary, Jun 04, 2012 "I should write a history of the jihadis in my time as I witnessed it and not as it is perceived by the West or those who disagree with us,” explains Fadil Harun regarding his motivation to publish his two-volume manuscript al-Harb `ala al-Islam: Qissat Fadil Harun (The War against Islam: the Story of Fadil Harun). The spirit driving Harun’s manuscript is to produce a corrective history of al-Qa`ida distinguishing it from jihadi groups acting in its name. He believed that unlike al-Qa`ida, many jihadi groups have deviated from the true path of jihad: they lack a sound ideological worldview and many of their operations, particularly those which involved resorting to “tatarrus” (i.e., the use of non-combatants as human shields), are in breach of what he deems to be “lawful jihad.” This report is a study of al-Qa`ida’s ideology, organizational structure, strengths and weaknesses through Harun’s lens and in light of captured battlefield documents." Also see (from the same source) al-Harb `ala al-Islam: Qissat Fadil Harun Part 1 and Part 2 Note: I had some problems accessing some of these links - but found them accessible via the CTC front page

'Al-Qaeda Airlines 'Magazine''

MEMRI,Jihadi Forum Member Posts Second Issue of Al-Qaeda Airlines 'Magazine' Analyzing a Decade of Terror, 16 May 2012 widely reported pdf

aQ magazine

MEMRI, Weapons and Explosives Expert Publishes First Issue of 'Al-Qaeda Airlines' Magazine, Dedicated Entirely to Home Manufacture of Chloroform Refers to Abdallah Dhu Al-Bajadin

"Al Qaeda home-delivers magazine in Pakistan"

'Special delivery':

Press Trust of India/ndtv.com, Al Qaeda home-delivers magazine in Pak: Report, 9 Jan 2012 "Al Qaeda continues to preach jihad or 'Holy War' through an Urdu monthly magazine that is delivered to homes in cities across Pakistan by post, according to a media report on Monday.

"The 200-page magazine, Hiteen, is named after the battlefield where Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi defeated the Crusaders and features articles that preach jihad and praise Osama bin Laden."

'Congress tries to counter terrorist social media propaganda'

AHN/GantDaily.com, Congress tries to counter terrorist social media propaganda, 5 Dec 2011 "So far, U.S. government efforts against online recruiting by jihadists have involved tracking the information to see who is publishing it. Government public relations personnel also counter extremist propaganda with public information campaigns. "The subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence wants to know what more can be done without trampling free speech."

Inspire magazine #7

Aaron Y. Zelin, Jihadology, al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula’s al-Malāḥim Media releases Inspire Magazine Issue #7, 27 Sep 2011

'Inspire' V

Inspire issue 5 is now out. I haven't read my copy yet, so here are some pointers:

ABC News, Al Qaeda Tries To Grab A Piece of Arab Revolutions, 30 May 2011 "Al Qaeda, which some U.S. officials had called irrelevant to the revolts sweeping the Arab world, has made a slick bid to claim the revolutions with the newest issue of its English-language magazine."

wbtv.com, Former Charlotte man publishes 5th edition of Al-Qaeda online magazine, 1 Apr 2011 [leads to brief video report, apologies for the pre-clip advertising!]

Steven Stalinsky, Issue V of 'Inspire,' the English-Language Magazine of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula – A General Review "On March 29, 2011, Al-Malahem, the media wing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released the fifth issue of the English-language jihadist magazine Inspire.

"The cover of the 70-page issue, which is dated Spring 1431/2011, depicts a globe rotated to show the U.S. sinking into a body of water. The cover story is by Sheikh Anwar Al-Awlaki, and is titled "The Tsunami of Change.""

Peter Bergen, CNN, Al Qaeda responds to CNN, 31 Mar 2011 "In the fifth issue of Inspire magazine, a slick Web-based publication, heavy on photographs and graphics that, unusually for a jihadist organ, is written in colloquial English, Awlaki hit back at CNN on Tuesday."

Al-Shamikha

The Week, 'Jihad Cosmo': An al Qaeda women's magazine


"Al Qaeda has launched a women's magazine called Al-Shamikha, which translates to "The Majestic Woman." It combines beauty and fashion tips with terrorist-related content. The first issue's cover featured a photo of a sub-machine gun with a smaller insert of a veiled woman."

Widely covered story (with reports of varying quality); as with all magazines, difficult to determine the 'authenticity' of this. It's not the first jihad oriented magazine to focus on this sector.

'A New Role for Jihadi Media'

The Investigative Project on Terrorism, A New Role for Jihadi Media, 11 Jan 2011: "Aspiring jihadis need to improve their media skills, such as operating websites and developing their own video sites that resemble YouTube, to be more effective in their fight against the West, according to a new article circulating on a variety of Islamist Internet forums. Improved media, author Abu Sa'd al-'Amili writes, will help increase recruitment of American and Western jihadis, and conduct 'continuous psychological media war' against the West."

[Tip: Spectator, Psy-war against the west, 12 Jan 2011]

'Jihadi media'

Ali K Chishti, Daily Times, Jihadi media is booming, 12 Jan 2011 [part 1 of 2] "The media is viewed by terrorist organisations as one of the fronts of jihad against their enemies. The media platform most favoured by activists and supporters of jihadis is both the print and the electronic media with a large presence on the Internet as well. These jehadis disseminate their message via various websites, magazines and disks in different languages targeting diverse audiences worldwide. While such organisations also utilise the media for military and operative purposes for services of jihadi fighters in the field, their primary use of this medium is for indoctrination and propaganda."

'Inspire' magazine

Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, The 'Vanity Fair' of Al Qaeda, 26 Nov 2010 "An offshoot group in Yemen is producing Inspire magazine, an online propaganda periodical with color photos and interviews with celebrity jihadists. Experts say the target audience appears to be disaffected Muslims in the English-speaking world."

Al-Qaida In Yemen

Dina Temple-Raston, NPR, For Al-Qaida In Yemen, Targeting U.S. Is Personal, 18 Nov 2010 "Counterterrorism officials are trying to solve the mystery of why AQAP — more than any other arm of al-Qaida — seems to have such a visceral dislike of the United States." [includes audio]

Inspire 2

globaljihad.net, New edition of 'Inspire', jihadi magazine published "The second edition of the Jihadi internet INSPIRE MAGAZINE was posted by Sada al-Malahim media branch in the web, on Monday 10/11/2010, the eve of the tenth anniversary of the USS Cole attack."

Magazine for children

Carol Sanders, winnipegfreepress.com, Kids' magazine promotes a kinder Islam: Winnipeg mom created the glossy publication, 28 Aug 2010 "It's a labour of love," says Rawia Azzahrawi, who has a master's degree in Arabic language and literature and three children aged 14, seven and five. "We needed it... I scanned the Internet to subscribe to a magazine for my kids."

"Traditionally, print materials for kids about Islamic history and Arabic language instruction have been dry and "boring," she says. There was nothing appealing, or presented in a "fun and attractive" format, so she decided to create something that was."

Jury considering evidence

NPR, Grand Jury Focuses On N.C. Man Tied To Jihad Magazine, 18 Aug 2010 "A federal grand jury in Charlotte, N.C., convened to consider evidence against Samir Khan, a 24-year-old North Carolina man who is thought to be the editor of Inspire, a new al-Qaida online magazine."