The State and Islamic clergy must stop radicalisation among the Muslim youth

hindustantimes.com, The State and Islamic clergy must stop radicalisation among the Muslim youth "A collapse of the so-called Caliphate will trigger an exodus of trained mercenaries towards the lands they came from. Are we prepared to handle them?" op-ed

The Orlando Massacre and the Conundrum of Online Radicalization

David Fidler, Net Politics, The Orlando Massacre and the Conundrum of Online Radicalization "Radicalization stories commonly involve online components, but they also exhibit a diversity that complicates understanding how extremist material on the internet influences radicalizing individuals. Typically, other factors are involved when someone embraces terrorism. Information about Mateen is still emerging, but understanding his decision to slaughter people at an LGBT night club while declaring allegiance to the so-called Islamic State confronts the confusion and complexity often experienced in trying to make sense of other radicalization cases."

Internet Security Firm: 'Cyber Jihad' Is Coming

newsmax.com, Internet Security Firm: 'Cyber Jihad' Is Coming  "Islamic terrorists are arming themselves with the technical tools and
expertise to attack the online systems of Western companies and other
infrastructure, warns a study from the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology."

Hacker admits he gave military members’ data to the Islamic State

washingtonpost.com, Hacker admits he gave military members’ data to the Islamic State

Kosovar hacker pleads guilty in US court to aiding Islamic State

csmonitor.com, Kosovar hacker pleads guilty in US court to aiding Islamic State 'A Kosovar who was extradited to the US earlier this year, Ardit Ferizi admitted in a federal court in Virginia to providing material support to Islamic State and to breaking into the computer network belonging to an unidentified US retailer.



'Data that Mr. Ferizi stole from the computers included information on more than 1,000 American government employees and military personnel that Islamic State propagandists included in hit lists that it spread to supporters via Twitter, hoping to inspire attacks.'

Anonymous hacks ISIS's Twitter

Techly, Anonymous hacks ISIS's Twitter, makes it as fabulously gay as humanly possible "A hacker by the name of WauchulaGhost has been responsible for the majority of the attacks."

YouTuber’s Prank ‘Experiment’ on Islamic vs Christian Terrorism Makes Internet Explode

mediaite.com, YouTuber’s Prank ‘Experiment’ on Islamic vs Christian Terrorism Makes Internet Explode "Understandably enough, some people were unamused."

'Live-streaming' attack

Standard, Isis fanatic 'live streamed brutal knife killing of senior police officer and his wife on Facebook' "A terrorist pledging allegiance to Islamic State posted video and photos on Facebook during the brutal knife murder of a senior police commander and his wife at their home in France."

The Complicated Pain of America's Queer Muslims

theatlantic.com, The Complicated Pain of America's Queer Muslims, 14 June 2016 "In the midst of a post-Orlando debate that pits Islamophobia against homophobia, LGBT members of the Islamic community find themselves trying to balance multiple identities." online element to this discussion

#Orlando shootings

This is a summary of stories, specific to this blog's core themes, relating to the attack in Orlando, Florida.  

Guardian, Orlando shooting – as it happened

VOA, Orlando Shootings Illustrate IS Potential to Radicalize From Afar, 13 June 2016 "“Radical individuals in many Western countries enjoy a large degree of autonomy and freedom of movement,” said Houzan Mahmoud, a London researcher on Islamic militancy in the Middle East and North Africa. "She told VOA that governments and intelligence agencies need to take more preventive measures to be ready for the unpredictable. "“Radicals [in the West] are allowed to utilize all platforms to spread their ideology,” she said. “They use colleges, mosques, media outlets and social media sites to radicalize people.”

Guardian, Being suspicious of Muslims won't stop terrorism – video

Amanullah De Sondy, Washington Post, LGBT Muslims do exist, and they are grieving. It’s time for acceptance

The Intercept, Stop Exploiting LGBT Issues to Demonize Islam and Justify Anti-Muslim Policies

Independent, Orlando attack: Muslims join hundreds who answer call to donate blood

Telegraph, Omar Mateen's imam says he was known at the mosque for being aggressive

Heatstreet, Reddit Mods Locked Threads, Banned Users After Orlando Shooter Revealed to Be Muslim "Reddit’s r/news, the subreddit that exists for the sole purpose of discussing and sharing breaking news, locked multiple threads and deleted others on articles pertaining to the Orlando shootings after it was revealed that the shooter was Muslim. When a thread is locked users can no longer comment. The moderators blamed it on “brigading” and “hate speech,” but they also blocked people from sharing useful information on blood donations and ways to help."

Reuters, Wolf dens, not lone wolves, the norm in U.S. Islamic State plots

foreignpolicy.com, Are There Any More ‘Lone Wolves’ in the Age of the Islamic State? "The gunman who slaughtered innocents in Orlando didn’t need any specific orders from Islamic State commanders. The group’s hateful ideology was enough."

Yahoo! News, After the Orlando Shooting, a Muslim Man's Post Is Going Viral for the Best Reason

Telegraph, Orlando shooting: Gunman Omar Mateen 'was a regular at LGBT nightclub Pulse' and 'used gay dating apps'

16 things Muslims who are fasting during Ramadan can relate to

Soofiya Andry, Metro, 16 things Muslims who are fasting during Ramadan can relate to, 6 June 2016 "So to get started during the Islamic holy month, here’s 16 little things people who are observing it can totally relate to." Includes references to social media...

App for Ramadan

Share the meal with refugees on Ramadan - CNN Video

World's Muslims mark beginning of Ramadan 2016

aljazeera.com, World's Muslims mark beginning of Ramadan 2016 "The Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on Monday for most of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims."

#30Days30Writers

patheos.com, Ramadan 2016 – #30Days30Writers, A Special Altmuslim Ramadan Series "We have spent the past few months soliciting bloggers, leaders, students, writers, activists, Islamic scholars and everyone in between to join our special Ramadan 2016 #30Days30Writers series. It’s a unique Ramadan series we are hosting here on Altmuslim (on Patheos Muslim), where 30 different voices will be featured over the course of the holy month – one every day."

Looking For Halal Love? Here is a Website for People Who Want Second Wives

PhoneWorld, Looking For Halal Love? Here is a Website for People Who Want Second Wives

Islamic scholars agree on a shared lunar calendar for Muslim world

Daily Sabah, Islamic scholars agree on a shared lunar calendar for Muslim world "The International Hijri Calendar Union Congress wrapped up Monday in Istanbul, hopefully marking the end of a long-standing conflict dividing the world's Muslims. Scholars from across the globe convening for an event hosted by Turkey's state-run Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB) agreed to adopt a single Islamic lunar calendar. The landmark move is particularly important regarding the observance of religious holidays and especially concerns the fasting month of Ramadan which begins next week, as Muslims will hopefully celebrate the sacred festivals on the same day." Let's see how it works in practice ...

Uber gets $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia

CNN Money, Uber gets $3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia " According to Uber, 80% of its customers in Saudi Arabia are women, since women are not allowed to drive themselves."

'Wi-Fi Fatwa'

Washington Post/Independent, Saudi scholar issues fatwa against stealing WiFi, 1 June 2016 ""We do not need a religious edict to pinpoint such basic things,” a Saudi blogger noted, according to the Gulf Times. “Private property should remain private, especially [since] the owner paid money for the services. Nobody should just take advantage.""

Sweden prosecution

Reuters/Daily Mail, Sweden convicts man of preparing suicide bomb attack ""The man had gathered information on bomb-building from the Internet and downloaded propaganda from IS," the Attunda District Court said. "He is now sentenced to five years in prison for preparing to commit a terrorist crime.""

IS "sex slaves on the internet"

SMH, Islamic State fighters appear to be selling sex slaves on the internet, 30 May 2016 "The photos were taken down within hours by Facebook, and it is unclear whether the account's owner was doing the selling himself or commenting about women being sold by other fighters. But the unusual posting underscores what experts say is an increasingly perilous existence for the hundreds of women who are thought to be held as sex slaves by the Islamic State."

'FajrUp'

[App Review] A New Way to Wake up for Fajr with 'FajrUp' - ProductiveMuslim.com "“As-salatu khairon min al-nawm” (Prayer is better than sleep). My father used to wake me up saying this. He wouldn’t stop until I wake up. It always never took me more than 30 seconds to wake up and say “Alhamdulillah!”



"It was interesting for me to observe how the new and free app, FajrUp, seemed to create a similar experience for the users. We snooze or dismiss alarms we set to wake up for fajr, but what’s interesting about this app is that you’re not relying on an alarm; you will actually be receiving a phone call from someone to wake you up!"

Has the Iran-Saudi cyberwar already started?

Has the Iran-Saudi cyberwar already started? - Al-Monitor "Numerous Iranian media outlets reported May 25 that the website The Statistical Center of Iran was hacked and temporarily put out of use. News agencies wrote that the hackers were “outside of Iran” but little else was known about them. Some websites speculated that either the Islamic State (IS) or Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia conducted the attack. The low-level attack, which was followed by two attacks on Saudi Arabian statistical websites May 26, raised the question in Iranian media whether Saudi-Iranian cyber wars have begun."

Salam Browser: Putting the world’s first ‘halal’ web browser to the test

asiancorrespondent.com, Salam Browser: Putting the world’s first ‘halal’ web browser to the test

e-halal

The Star Online, e-Halal.com to generate RM300m turnover in first year of ops "e-Halal.com, a comprehensive commerce directory portal supported by worldwide halal trustmark, is expected to generate RM300 million in turnover in its first year of operations."

ISIS propaganda collected in real time

phys.org, ISIS propaganda collected in real time

'Islamic State's Ability to Inspire Violence Worries US Officials'

VOA, Islamic State's Ability to Inspire Violence Worries US Officials

#BritainsBiggestMosque

#BritainsBiggestMosque is currently trending, based on Channel 5's programme this evening

Jordanian website turns to satire to combat heavy news

middleeasteye.net, Jordanian website turns to satire to combat heavy news, 23 May 2016 "There are few regions on Earth where the truth is harder to bear than the Middle East. The daily news of air strikes, suicide bombings and entire cities under siege is more than most people can countenance.

"That is why one website has begun packaging the news with a dose of comedy, to get Arabs to engage more with what is happening around them. That website, al-Hudood (The Limits), is a kind of Arabic equivalent of the Onion. It uses satire to reveal serious and often dark realities about the world we live in." 

Some good examples on this website from al-Hudood.

Malaysia should ban Ramadan ads that commercialise Islam

S M Mohamed Idris, President of Consumers Association of Penang, Free Malaysia Today, M'sia should ban Ramadan ads that commercialise Islam, 26 May 2016 "Iftar or breaking fast traditionally in the home with family members or in a mosque in a spiritual environment, has been turned into a “feast with a 100-dish spread” and for “corporate entertainment”. Prophet Muhammad broke his fast with only three dates."

I'm doing some research on halal issues at present, for a forthcoming Summer Academy at UWTSD, so found this interesting.

World Islamic Forum condemns spread of Islamphobia, extremism

ABNA, World Islamic Forum condemns spread of Islamphobia, extremismm 26 May 2016 Section 8 reads: "The Forum also voices its concern over those harboring violent and extremist thoughts abusing the mass media, the Internet, and satellites, resorting to freedom of speech; the Forum, furthermore, condemns any form of discrimination, restriction, or censorship applied against independent media;"

How hard-partying soldier Mathew Stewart became an al-Qaida militant

Guardian, How hard-partying soldier Mathew Stewart became an al-Qaida militant "Guardian Australia has interviewed several of Stewart’s former army colleagues, who recalled the young soldier’s steady unravelling from drug abuse, his experiences in East Timor, and relentless bullying by two of his section commanders. The men, all since retired from the army, are torn between revulsion at Stewart’s acts and an enduring sense of comradeship with a man they insist “had nothing dark in him”."

Hollywood directors asked by US government to help combat allure of Islamic State on social media

itv.com, Hollywood directors asked by US government to help combat allure of Islamic State on social media "Assistant attorney general since 2013, [John] Carlin’s responsibilities includes monitoring terrorist activity on social media and what he described as “crowd sourced terrorism” whereby those linked to the Islamic State in the Levant contacting young people in America and encouraging them to commit acts of terrorism “no passport and no travel required”."

‘Islamic’ smartphone, version two

MalayMail, And now, Dr Zakir Naik presents ‘Islamic’ smartphone, version two, 24 May 2016 " Called the Peace Mobile 2, the phone claims to be “the world's only authentic Islamic android smartphone” and offers Islamic themes for its hundreds of wallpapers, ringtones and over 80 hours of the popular Mumbai-based televangelist’s talks through its PeaceTV application in three languages, including English."

The product page is here: peacemobile2  

This is not a product endorsement (although I wouldn't mind taking a look):

Selfie Star Goes From Hero To Hate-Monger

vocativ.com, Selfie Star Goes From Hero To Hate-Monger "A young Muslim woman whose audacious selfies in front of anti-Islamic protestors earned her global acclaim is now under fire for a series of anti-Semitic remarks she allegedly made in the past."

IS Tech issues

Jack Detsch, Taylor Luck, Yahoo Tech, How Islamic State militants attempt to outwit spies, 20 May 2016 "The Horizon group, which first appeared in February to provide technical support to IS, calls on militants to secure their smartphone communications by installing virtual private networks, which increase security while using the Web, and a handful of security and privacy apps available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store."

American ISIS Defector: 'I've Let My Nation Down'

NBC, American ISIS Defector: 'I've Let My Nation Down'

Geolocating ISIS

ABC, #ISIS supporters geolocated by citizen journalists after coordinated image campaign, 23 May 2016 "An attempt by Islamic State (IS) militant group supporters to demonstrate a worldwide network of members by sharing photographs from major cities has backfired with internet users tracking down where the images had been taken."

The Religion of Social Media: When Islam Meets the Web

theislamicmonthly.com, The Religion of Social Media: When Islam Meets the Web "To get a better understanding of reasons people self-disclose religious views on social media, various Muslims were given the opportunity to express their views on the subject."

24/7 watch on online activity in Bangladesh

thedailystar.net, 24/7 watch on online activity in Bangladesh, 19 May 2016 "While the establishment of the network will assist law enforcement agencies in tracking criminal activities, it will hand enormous power to the government to establish control over people's online activity. It may encroach on citizens' private life."

'What Islamic State women want'

SImon Cottee, Foreign Policy, What Islamic State women want "Over the past year, I have spent an unhealthy amount of time tracking the social media activities of Western English-speaking female Islamic State supporters as part of a wider research project on the subculture of Western jihadism. (Most of their accounts have since been shut down.) And what these women - or at least the more brazen and vocal among them - want they have made abundantly clear. Far from being slaves to their sexual desires or victims of the predatory machinations of men, many Western women join or aspire to join the Islamic State because they want to - because the Islamic State, unlike the secular liberal democracies in which they live, makes sense to them and reflects their fundamental moral and political convictions."

'We are Iranians': Rediscovering the history of African slavery in Iran

middleeasteye.net, 'We are Iranians': Rediscovering the history of African slavery in Iran "Iranian-Canadian scholar Behnaz Mirzai has spent 20 years researching the African diaspora in Iran, a little-known slice of Iranian history." non-tech, but interesting!

UK to deploy 'up to 50' soldiers to battle IS in Libya: Report

middleeasteye.net, UK to deploy 'up to 50' soldiers to battle IS in Libya: Report, 16 May 2016 "The Mail also reported that Britain’s Royal Air Force has carried out “electronic warfare” against IS by jamming communications signals in the group’s Libyan stronghold of Sirte."

Islamic State in India

Balasubramaniyan Viswanathan, geopoliticalmonitor.com, Will Shafi Armar’s Death Harm Islamic State in India?, 13 May 2016 " ... given the access to technological advancement facilitated by internet, organizations built on virtual networks such as the Junood al Khalifa-e Hind may not be affected by the death of its key leaders or removal of key nodes as perceived by security planners. Removal of a node in a virtual network could spawn more controls and checks within the network, which could increase the difficulty to infiltrate these virtual networks in future. Though, Shafi Armar’s death is going to slow down the activities of Islamic State in India, it is not good enough to stop it from regrouping in the future."

An American ISIS Cell: The Story of 3 U.S. Recruits

NBC News, An American ISIS Cell: The Story of 3 U.S. Recruits, 16 May 2016 demonstrates the significance of the net within recruitment patterns (although it is not the complete picture).

Iran Arrests 8 for ‘Un-Islamic’ Online Modeling

VOA News, Iran Arrests 8 for ‘Un-Islamic’ Online Modeling "A spokesman of the Iranian Centre for Surveying and Combating Organized Cyber Crimes, Mostafa Alizadeh, told the BBC that "sterilizing popular cyberspaces is on our agenda. We carried out this plan in 2013 with Facebook, and now Instagram is the focus." He said there would be more actions in the near future." Also see BBC News, Iran arrests eight for 'un-Islamic' Instagram modelling

Al Qaeda’s online magazine tells terrorists to target U.S. business leaders in their homes

washingtontimes.com, Al Qaeda’s online magazine tells terrorists to target U.S. business leaders in their homes, 15 May 2016

Activists beam ISIS flag on to Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Berlin

Daily Mail, Activists beam ISIS flag on to Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Berlin, 16 May 2016

This Is How ISIS Uses The Internet

Sheera Frenkel, buzzfeed.com, This Is How ISIS Uses The Internet, 13 May 2016 "Abu Majad figured that when ISIS came for him, it would be with a knife on a dark street, or a bomb planted on his car. The 34-year-old had been living in southern Turkey since fleeing Syria nearly three years ago and knew that his outspoken stance against ISIS — online and in his hometown in northern Syria — had put him in the terrorist group’s crosshairs. What he wasn’t expecting was to wake up on the morning of March 29 to a virus planted by ISIS within a seemingly innocuous email attachment."

Iran's Dating Revolution

Radio Times, Unreported World, Iran's Dating Revolution " Under Iran’s strict Islamic laws sex outside marriage is illegal. Even so, half the population between the ages of 18 and 35 aren’t married and the government is concerned they’re not “playing by the rules”. It’s tackled what they describe as a marriage crisis by setting up an online dating agency." Previews a forthcoming Channel 4 TV programme, on tomorrow.

Saudi officials were 'supporting' 9/11 hijackers, commission member says

Guardian, Saudi officials were 'supporting' 9/11 hijackers, commission member says, 12 May 2016 "A former Republican member of the 9/11 commission, breaking dramatically with the commission’s leaders, said Wednesday he believes there was clear evidence that Saudi government employees were part of a support network for the 9/11 hijackers and that the Obama administration should move quickly to declassify a long-secret congressional report on Saudi ties to the 2001 terrorist attack."

'Ustad Metal'

The Star, Ustad Metal: Muslim cleric by day, band singer by night, 8 May 2016 "Metal music, with its dark lyrics and themes of death and doom, is very much alive - and thriving even - in Muslim-majority Indonesia. This is despite growing Islamic conservatism in the country, where rising intolerance has led to violence between mainstream Muslims and non-Muslims as well as religious minorities, including the Shi'ite and Ahmadiyah sects." And here's a clip from a couple of years ago:

'Voice of the Caliphate'

Zia-U-Rahman Hasrat, Noor Zahid, VOA, IS Radio Broadcasts Re-emerge in Afghanistan, 10 May 2016 "The radio channel, which broadcasts from a remote mobile transmitter in the mountains along the Pakistan border, has returned with new programming to its lineup. It can now be heard in the Arabic and Punjabi languages besides its former programs in Pashto and Dari, the two official languages of Afghanistan. The programs encourage people to join IS and air religious chanting."

Isis-inspired Muslims 'plotted to behead British citizens after fatwa issued'

Evening Standard, Isis-inspired Muslims 'plotted to behead British citizens after fatwa issued', 10 May 2016 "The alleged terror cell shared gruesome pictures of beheadings they had downloaded from the internet as well as images of the killers of Drummer Lee Rigby, the Old Bailey heard."

IS Arabic language teaching app

Guardian, Islamic State releases children's mobile app 'to teach Arabic', 11 May 2016 "The app called Huroof – meaning alphabet or letters in Arabic – has ‘tank’, ‘gun’ and ‘rocket’ among the vocabulary taught."

The Indonesian Muslim ‘cyberwarriors’ who are battling Islamic State online

AFP/SCMP, The Indonesian Muslim ‘cyberwarriors’ who are battling Islamic State online, 9 May 2016 "Armed with laptops and smartphones, some 500 members of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) – one of the world’s biggest Muslim organisations – are seeking to counter the Islamic State group’s extremist messages."

ISIS: A History.

LSE Review of Books, New & Noted: ISIS: A History. Fawaz A. Gerges. Princeton University Press. 2016.

Muslim Leaders Wage Theological Battle, Stoking ISIS’ Anger

NY Times, Muslim Leaders Wage Theological Battle, Stoking ISIS’ Anger, 8 May 2016 "As the military and political battle against the Islamic State escalates, Muslim imams and scholars in the West are fighting on another front — through theology."

'Abu Wahib'

WSJ, Islamic State Commander Killed in Iraq, Pentagon Says, 9 May 2016 "The extremist commander achieved renown in particular as one of Islamic State’s image-obsessed Internet-savvy leaders, appearing in flamboyant propaganda footage crafted to present the group as uncharacteristically heartless and savage." Refers to 'Abu Wahib' (a nom de guerre for Shaker Wahib al-Fahdawi), who has been declared deceased several times in the past.

Footage from within Islamic State attack cell yields secrets

AP/Daily Mail, Footage from within Islamic State attack cell yields secrets, 5 May 2016 "Filmed by a young French Muslim journalist who infiltrated the group with a hidden camera, the Canal Plus documentary takes an extraordinary inside look at the group, which called itself the Soldiers of Allah. The cell was nominally led by a young ex-convict who called himself Abu Oussama, who speaks dreamily about his coming death, the palace that awaits him in paradise, the winged horse made of gold and rubies, and the women: "I'm not making this up, I swear," he breathes."

What’s behind the killings of bloggers, activists and professors in Bangladesh?

PBS Newshour, What’s behind the killings of bloggers, activists and professors in Bangladesh?, 3 May 2016 "In Bangladesh, progressive voices have been swept up in a growing wave of unprecedented violence. A week ago, Bangladesh lost one of its foremost LGBT activists, the latest victim in a pattern of targeted killings that in April alone claimed four lives. "

IS Spain

Daily Star, Brit spies take out ISIS terror cell 'plotting attack on tourist hotspots' "The cell used internet chat rooms and messaging apps to recruit jihadis in order to carry out savage attacks on popular resorts, cops said."

Australian jihadists

news.com.au, Australian jihadists are being ‘martyred’ in the Middle East. Here’s a few of those we know most about, 5 May 2016 "Inspired to wage violent jihad on behalf of Islamic State, more than 100 Australians are now international outcasts."

IS Files

Mark White, Sky News, IS Files: The Families UK Jihadis Left Behind, 4 May 2016 "Sky News knocks on the doors of addresses in the documents and finds relatives of British recruits are confused by their leaving." Report + videos

IS Bombards Social Media With Propaganda in Russian

VOA, IS Bombards Social Media With Propaganda in Russian "The Islamic State (IS) is bombarding social media with Russian language propaganda aimed at attracting new recruits from targeted audiences."

Terrorists prefer to chat on Telegram and email with Gmail

Jose Pagliery, CNN Money, Terrorists prefer to chat on Telegram and email with Gmail, 3 May 2016 "The free, mobile chatting service Telegram -- which is anonymous and encrypted -- is used by 34% of jihadists whose communications were the subject of a study by cybersecurity firm Trend Micro (TMICF)."

UK's covert propaganda bid to stop Muslims joining Isis

Guardian, Revealed: UK's covert propaganda bid to stop Muslims joining Isis, 2 May 2016 "In a sign of mounting anxiety across Whitehall over the persuasiveness of Islamic State’s online propaganda, a secretive Home Office unit has developed a discreet multimillion pound counter-messaging operation that it says privately is running at “industrial pace and scale”."

Radical Islam in Dagestan

Economist, Radical Islam in Dagestan: Russia’s crackdown on Salafis may be breeding extremism "Since last autumn, the authorities in Dagestan have ramped up pressure against Salafis. They have reason to worry: as Moscow launched air strikes in support of Syria’s government, the Islamic State (IS) declared a holy war on Russia, took credit for downing a Russian passenger jet over Egypt and released a video threatening “a sea of blood” in Russia itself. Officially, some 900 Dagestanis have left for Syria. Independent experts say the true figure may be as high as 4,000."

IS 'hit list'

Telegraph, Islamic State threatens to expose British military secrets after publishing US Air Force 'hit list', 1 May 2016 "The group, which calls itself the "Islamic State Hacking Division", said in its online posting: "In our next leak we may even disclose secret intelligence the Islamic State has just received from a source the brothers in the UK have spent some time acquiring from the Ministry of Defence in London as we slowly and secretly infiltrate England and the USA online and off.”"

'Pain, Confusion, Anger, and Shame: The Stories of Islamic State Families'

ICSR Report – Pain, Confusion, Anger, and Shame: The Stories of Islamic State Families "For every jihadist that has traveled to Syria, Libya, or other places where the group calling itself Islamic State (IS) has attemptedto take root, there is a family affected by what their sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, husbands or wives, have done. Their feelings and reactions are the subject of this paper."

Women's Orchestra in Kabul

US warns of links between Islamic State, Boko Haram

AP/Daily Mail, US warns of links between Islamic State, Boko Haram, 20 Apr 2016 "At "Ground Zero" in Africa's counterterrorism fight, senior U.S. officials warned of deepening links between the Islamic State and Boko Haram and prodded Chad's ruling strongman to introduce reforms for the sake of long-term stability."

The Islamic State’s Online Strategy and Violent Extremism in Africa

David Fidler, Into Africa: The Islamic State’s Online Strategy and Violent Extremism in Africa, 19 Apr 2016 "Military campaigns in Iraq and Syria have re-taken territory from the Islamic State and damaged it in other ways, including its ability to finance military operations. As counter-attacks continue in the Middle East, the Islamic State’s activities in Africa, especially North Africa, are increasing. These activities include a defining characteristic of the Islamic State—its use of the Internet and social media to strengthen its control of territory and advance its extremist agenda. This aspect of the group’s efforts in Africa has garnered less interest than the number of its fighters in North Africa or its territorial foothold in Libya. However, the Islamic State is applying its online strategy in Africa, which raises questions about how to respond to this development."

'Islamic State's' most wanted - Part 1: The takeover

BBC, 'Islamic State's' most wanted - Part 1: The takeover, 20 Apr 2016 [use this link to take you to the other parts of the series] "What happens when you resist the world's most violent jihadis?"

What Kind of Person Becomes a Violent Jihadi?

BBC News, What Kind of Person Becomes a Violent Jihadi? "For decades researchers, academics and psychologists have wanted to know what kind of person becomes a terrorist. If there are pre-existing traits which make someone more likely to kill for their beliefs – well, that would be worth knowing. In this edition of The Inquiry – part of the BBC World Service Identity Season – we tell the story of that search for a ‘terrorist type’. It’s a story which begins decades ago. But, with the threat from killers acting for so-called Islamic State, finding an answer has never felt more pressing." [it's note just about the internet!]

'Counter-terrorism drive for public to report online Isis propaganda'

Guardian, Counter-terrorism drive for public to report online Isis propaganda, 15 Apr 2016 "British counter-terrorism officials are launching a campaign to try to drive back Islamic State’s efforts to use the internet to foster extremism. Isis has turned the internet into a frontline of its jihad, using it to spread propaganda to gain recruits and embolden its supporters. However, 300 items a day are being taken down by a special police unit."

'Living Level-3'

islamicommentary.org, Graphic Novelist Joshua Dysart Spotlights the Darkness of Iraq with Living Level-3 "New York Times best-selling graphic novelist Joshua Dysart has written about serial killers, about superheroes, and about the supernatural. Now, with Living Level-3, he brings his talent for dark themes to the real-life humanitarian crisis in Iraq. “Comics & Dialogue” had the opportunity to speak with him about goals of this online graphic novel, its challenges, and the social issues that comics can uniquely address."

'Overwhelming majority of Arabs youth reject ISIS, poll finds'

alarabiya.net, Overwhelming majority of Arabs youth reject ISIS, poll finds, 14 Apr 2016

"The survey, undertaken by PR agency Asda'a Burson Marsteller, interviewed 3,500 youths aged 18-24 from 16 Arab countries, including Egypt, Algeria and Saudi Arabia."

al-Qaduli

Michael Weiss & Hassan Hassan, Daily Beast, Everything We Knew About This ISIS Mastermind Was Wrong, 15 Apr 2016 "He was one man, not two. He had at least seven names, and was mistakenly pronounced dead four times. But the fog surrounding ISIS’s No. 2 is finally beginning to part."

.krd

Reuters, Iraq's Kurds declare independence in cyberspace with .krd domain name, 14 Apr 2016 "The new top-level domain ".krd" gives Kurds a separate space in the virtual world at a time when they are gaining legitimacy on the ground through their alliance with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State."

#towerlives

BBC Wales, #towerlives: Butetown's festival of storytelling - links through to several interesting videos, interviews and discussions relating to Butetown. Also see #TowerLives on Twitter "#towerlives is a week-long festival of storytelling and music, on air and on the ground, around the council estate tower blocks of Butetown in Cardiff." Recommended!!

'ISIS Has Hit List of Western Muslim Leaders'

counterjihadreport.com, ISIS Has Hit List of Western Muslim Leaders, 13 Apr 2016 "The latest issue (number 14) of the Islamic State’s propaganda magazine, Dabiq, published April 13, contains a hitlist of Muslim leaders in the West, specifically naming 21. A 22nd (Nihad Awad of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Council on American Islamic Relations) is pictured, but not named."

'Hashtag fail? #BringBackOurGirls two years on'

AFP, Hashtag fail? #BringBackOurGirls two years on, 13 Apr 2016 "On the ground, 219 of the 276 girls are still missing, their Government Girls Secondary School is a broken ruin and Chibok is desperate for development."

'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. "

'How To Lose Your Mind To ISIS And Then Fight To Get It Back'

Mike Giglio & Munzer al-Awad, Buzzfeed, How To Lose Your Mind To ISIS And Then Fight To Get It Back, 11 Apr 2016, "It’s far easier to join ISIS than to leave. Members of a hidden community of ISIS defectors recount how they were pulled into the grip of extremism — and their struggle to escape. Mike Giglio and Munzer al-Awad report for BuzzFeed News from the Syrian border."

Bakraoui brothers

mashable.com, ISIS claims Paris and Brussels attacks began with Bakraoui brothers "Dabiq, the slick online propaganda magazine published by the Islamic State (ISIS), provides news details in an issue released Wednesday on the group's role in the March 22 attacks in Brussels and links to the Paris attacks."

'The reluctant jihadi'

Guardian, Robert F. Worth, The reluctant jihadi: how one recruit lost faith in Isis "[But] ... some of the true believers who arrived in the Islamic State were discovering that life there was not quite the paradise they had imagined. A new narrative – of disillusionment, of horror, of black comedy – was slowly leaking out from the inside. Abu Ali would become one of its voices."

#HalalChallenge

Vice. Munchies, The #HalalChallenge Encourages Racism Via Pork, 12 Apr 2016, "The creators of the #HalalChallenge say that the slaughter of animals according to Islamic law is a form of cruelty. The Qur’an dictates that an animal must fully bleed out; in practice, animals are sometimes killed without sedation methods like stunning. But the movement has attracted various right wing anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant supporters, and critics say the campaign is racism in disguise. The German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports that the organizer of Bonn’s anti-immigration movement as well as the founder of Hooligans Against Salafists have cheered the #HalalChallenge online."

'China tech companies pledge to tackle content that promotes terrorism'

Guardian, China tech companies pledge to tackle content that promotes terrorism, 12 Apr 2016 "China says it faces a serious threat from groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which operates in China’s restive far western region of Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people, where hundreds have died in violence in recent years."

Islamic State nets millions selling plundered antiquities online

SMH, Islamic State nets millions selling plundered antiquities online, 8 aPR 2016 " Islamic State is more often associated with images of antiquities being destroyed in Palmyra and Nimrud, than with cultural heritage preservation. But previous reports of the group selling looted artefacts in the Middle East are now understood to be part of a multimillion-dollar revenue stream managed with the help of the internet."

#WhatBritishMuslimsReallyThink

Photo: Trevor Phillips, Channel 4

BBC News, What some Muslims think of 'what British Muslims really think', 11 Apr 2016 "What do British Muslims really think? It's a question that news organisations have repeatedly tried to answer since the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and one that suggests that maybe the person asking isn't a British Muslim."

Also see Channel 4, What British Muslims Really Think

ICM Data Set is here

Also see #WhatBritishMuslimsReallyThink on Twitter

I haven't looked at any of this material in detail yet. 

Digital Human, Home

Digital Human, Home "In The Digital Human: Home Aleks asks what turns a space into a place and whether we really need bricks and mortar anymore, when home can be anywhere you can go online."

Lebanon Internet

middleeasteye.net, Lebanon's illegal internet boom sparks crackdown - and calls for reform "With some of the slowest and most expensive internet speeds in the world, Lebanon has become a hotbed for illegal internet providers that supply people desperate to get their hands on internet speedier than the state-run company, Ogero - the only legal provider. According to a recent study, the internet in Lebanon is slower than Egypt and Syria."

Wi-Fi Theft Fatwa

AP, Islamic authorities in Dubai are saying that wireless Internet belonging to neighbors cannot be used without their permission, 11 Apr 2016 "The edict says: "There is nothing wrong in using the line if your neighbors allow you to do so, but if they'd don't allow you, you may not use it.""

'How a Saudi Arabian singer defied tradition to follow her dream'

Alaa Basatneh, fusion.net, How a Saudi Arabian singer defied tradition to follow her dream "Commenters on Tarabzouni’s social media accounts seem to be split into two camps: the supporters and the haters. “They should take away your passport, and marry you off to a man who will make you forget the stupid singing thing,” one commenter wrote on her Instagram account in Arabic. Another comment reads, “I’m really proud of u because u r a girl from my country and u break the stupid traditions. KEEP GOING.”"

IS video threat

Independent, Isis supporters threaten UK with terror attacks in new propaganda video, 5 Apr 2016

Engare, a videogame about the mathematical beauty of Islamic art

Chris Priestman, killscreen.com, Engare, a videogame about the mathematical beauty of Islamic art, 4 Apr 2016 "Iranian game maker Mahdi Bahrami is the kind of person who answers a question with more questions. I don’t think he can stop himself. “What will happen if I add a short line to one of the tiles in a mosque?” he asks me. “If we take into account the tiling rules of the mosque, what would the whole wall look like after we add the line? What if we change the rules? What would the mosque ceiling look like?” I don’t know. But for Bahrami, that’s entirely the point—his upcoming puzzle game Engare is about exploring this unknown space and finding the answer."

TrueCrypt+ISIS

Evan Ratliff, New Yorker, The strange origins of TrueCrypt, ISIS’s favored encryption tool "When one would-be bomber was dispatched from Syria to France, Callimachi writes, “an Islamic State computer specialist handed him a USB key. It contained CCleaner, a program used to erase a user’s online history on a given computer, as well as TrueCrypt, an encryption program that was widely available at the time and that experts say has not yet been cracked.”" Also see Rukmini Callimachi, How ISIS Built the Machinery of Terror Under Europe’s Gaze, 29 Mar 2016

IS update

Reuters/channelnewsasia, Islamic State executes 15 of its own near Raqqa, Syria - monitor

Taliban app

bloomberg.com, Taliban Develop Smartphone App to Advance Propaganda Efforts, 2 April 2016 "The Pashto language app includes content such as official statements and videos from the Taliban, which has sought insurgency in the country for more than 14 years since it was ousted in 2001 with help from the U.S. The app appeared on Google’s Play Store until Saturday, when it was removed to fix some "technical issues," Mujahed said. The app should reappear soon, he said."

Prosecution

ITV News, Delivery driver Junead Khan found guilty of planning terror attack against US military in UK, 1 April 2016 "A delivery driver from Luton has been convicted of preparing to carry out a terror attack on an RAF base in East Anglia where US military personnel are stationed." Tech themes in this story.