Sunday, December 27, 2015

Muslims around the world respond brilliantly to Isis leader's call to arms

Independent, Muslims around the world respond brilliantly to Isis leader's call to arms, 27 Dec 2015 " ... in a reminder that the overwhelming majority of people follow Islam peacefully and detest the message that Isis spreads, hundreds of Muslims have mocked Baghdadi's message on social media."

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Qlb

mic.com, Meet the Genius Who Created the First Fully Functioning Arabic Programming Language "Unlike programming languages meant for web development like HTML and CSS, Qlb is "Turing complete," which means that it's a fully-fledged language that can potentially create as complex programs as any other language."

"The Decline in Islamic State Media Output"

Aaron Zelin, ICSR Insight - The Decline in Islamic State Media Output, 4 Dec 2015 "Put together, there are signs that IS’s much vaunted media machine has declined over the past half year. It remains very active, of course, but there seems to have been a peak between mid-spring and mid-summer this year." Analysis/opinion

Monday, December 14, 2015

'Renegotiating shariʿa-based Normative Guidelines in Cyberspace: The Case of Women's ʿawra'

New and noted:

S Damir-Geilsdorf, L Tramontini, 'Renegotiating shariʿa-based Normative Guidelines in Cyberspace: The Case of Women's ʿawra' - Online-Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, 2015

Haven't had a chance to read this in full yet. The link above is the abstract, which also points to the PDF.

Americans Attracted to ISIS Find an ‘Echo Chamber’ on Social Media

nytimes.com, Americans Attracted to ISIS Find an ‘Echo Chamber’ on Social Media, 9 Dec 2015

Banksy artwork at migrant camp reminds us Steve Jobs' father was Syrian

jobs_02mashable.com, Banksy artwork at migrant camp reminds us Steve Jobs' father was Syrian "The image was created on the wall of a makeshift camp in Calais known as "The Jungle" that has become a symbol of the Europe's failure to process the refugees and migrants seeking safety and economic opportunity in France and the UK. Thousands have been camped there for months in increasingly bad conditions, hoping to make their way to the UK."

Turkey fines Twitter over 'terrorist propaganda'

BBC News, Turkey fines Twitter over 'terrorist propaganda' "Turkey's communications regulator has fined Twitter 150,000 lira (£33,000) for failing to remove "terrorist propaganda"."

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

Hackers Find Hidden ISIS Propaganda App

dcinno, Hackers Find Hidden ISIS Propaganda App, 4 Dec 2015 "Ghost Security Group, a collective of cyber specialists in counter terrorism networks, has reportedly discovered the existence of an ISIS smartphone app intended for Android phones, according to the Christian Science Monitor."



Also see Gilad Shiloach, Vocativ, This New ISIS App Brings Terror Straight To Your Cell Phone, 30 Nov 2015 "Vocativ tried the app, which isn’t available on the Google Play Store but instead is distributed by APK files that can be installed on Android-powered devices manually. It is easy to use, and appears to be easily accessible: On Twitter, at least 40 posts by ISIS loyalists have included links to download the app, indicating that it’s circulating widely in online ISIS networks."

Isis uses young boys to kill prisoners in ruined Syrian castle

Independent, Isis uses young boys to kill prisoners in ruined Syrian castle, 5 Dec 2015

The Isis papers: leaked documents show how Isis is building its state

Guardian, The Isis papers: leaked documents show how Isis is building its state

Tuesday, December 01, 2015

BRISMES Conference 2016

BRISMES Annual Conference 2016 will take place at the University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter Campus, on 13 – 15 July: Networks: Connecting the Middle East through Time, Space and Cyberspace "The 2016 BRISMES Annual Conference seeks to place networks at the centre of the discussion, encouraging proposals for papers and panels that take up this theme in innovative ways. The conference organisers encourage submissions that highlight the connections between the Middle East and other areas of the globe, as well as ties within the region, be they between individual countries or between sub-regions."

Blackberry to 'exit' Pakistan over data-retention row

Blackberry to 'exit' Pakistan over data-retention row - BBC News

Hacker sent 'death to the Jews' text messages after breach in phone network

Guardian, Hacker sent 'death to the Jews' text messages after breach in phone network "Data stolen from a global telecommunications company in 2013 led to messages being sent to mobile numbers across Middle East two years later."

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Enemies of Enemies - Rise of ISIL

interactive.aljazeera.com, Enemies of Enemies - Rise of ISIL

Extremists Release New School Textbooks, Curriculum in Mosul

niqash.org, Extremists Release New School Textbooks, Curriculum in Mosul published in October "For some parents in Mosul, the northern Iraqi city controlled by the extremist group known as the Islamic State, the worst has come true. After destroying many of the textbooks their children used to use in Mosul's schools, the Islamic State, or IS, group have developed a whole new curriculum for school aged children living inside the areas they control."

Terrorism in the Age of Twitter

Terrorism in the Age of Twitter - The New Yorker 

Sacrificial goats: ISIS treats its Indian recruits like slaves

indiatoday, Sacrificial goats: ISIS treats its Indian recruits like slaves "Indians who joined terror outfit Islamic State also known as ISIS have been subjected to discrimination, used as foot soldiers ready to be sacrificed at any given point and always viewed with distrust by the top brass mostly comprising Arabs. A report submitted to the union home ministry by central intelligence agencies said recruits from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are considered inferior and the practice of Islam in these countries thought to be apostate."

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

Growth of Isis and Islamophobia putting British imams under huge pressure

Guardian, Growth of Isis and Islamophobia putting British imams under huge pressure "Imams are facing death threats from Islamic State, growing Islamophobia and a new generation of Muslims who congretate not in mosques but online."

How Islamic is the So-Called Islamic State?

How Islamic is the So-Called Islamic State?, Beyond Belief - BBC Radio 4 



I caught some of this programme yesterday. It's available on iPlayer.

A Muslim Marine's retort to Donald Trump

A Muslim Marine's retort to Donald Trump - BBC News "A former US Marine who inspired an online campaign by Muslim-Americans who oppose the idea of a religion-specific identification card says he's had hundreds of messages of support from serving members of the US armed forces."

Beating the Islamist propagandists

Politico, Beating the Islamist propagandists

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Abbas Shoman

AFP/Raw Story, Senior Muslim cleric urges ideological battle against the Islamic State "A leading Sunni Muslim cleric called Monday for an ideological battle against Islamic State group militants, including the deployment and training of moderate clerics in Europe to counter extremist thought."



"“It primarily requires an intellectual treatment,” Abbas Shoman, the deputy sheikh of Egypt’s Al-Azhar institute, told AFP."

Terrorist killings up by 80% in 2014, fuelling flow of refugees, report says

Guardian, Terrorist killings up by 80% in 2014, fuelling flow of refugees, report says  "A surge in activity from Nigeria’s Islamist insurgency Boko Haram – now the world’s deadliest terrorist group – and Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has driven an 80% increase in the number of people killed by terrorists in 2014, this year’s Global Terrorism Index showed. In total, 32,658 people were killed in terrorist attacks in 67 countries last year, according to the index, released on Tuesday by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)."

This report presents some useful charts.

Revealed: the hate preacher who 'radicalised Paris suicide bomber'

Mail Online, Revealed: the hate preacher who 'radicalised Paris suicide bomber' "Tarik Chadlioui preached hate-filled sermons at a Paris mosque attended by terrorist Omar Mostefai, who blew himself up after the bloody Batacalan theatre siege which claimed 89 lives."

Terror plot to bomb London was foiled before 7/7 anniversary, court told

Guardian, Terror plot to bomb London was foiled before 7/7 anniversary, court told, 17 Nov 2015 "Mohammed Rehman asked Twitter followers to advise him whether he should bomb the tube or Westfield shopping centre, jury hears."

Mass graves of women 'too old to be Isil sex slaves' - this is what we're up against

Telegraph, Mass graves of women 'too old to be Isil sex slaves' - this is what we're up against

Islamic State issues anti-hacking guidelines after Anonymous threats

Telegraph, Islamic State issues anti-hacking guidelines after Anonymous threats " The extremist terrorist group Isil sent out a warning to members on how to protect from hackers like Anonymous."

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Why Facebook didn't activate Safety Check for the Beirut bombings

albawaba.com, Why Facebook didn't activate Safety Check for the Beirut bombings "A series of social media posts have brought to light the fact that Facebook did not activate the Safety Check feature after the Daesh bombings in Beirut which killed over 40 people on Thursday - one night before the Paris attacks. Some have also asked why there was no Safety Check for those in Baghdad, concerned about loved ones after Daesh suicide bombings killed 26 on Friday."

#Parisattacks


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTygpOkWoAAF7f1.jpg:large
Embedded image permalink

Selected links associated with the attacks in Paris on 13 November 2015, and the aftermath:

Liberation, Omar Ismaïl Mostefaï, un Français parmi les trois kamikazes du Bataclan 

Guardian,  Parisians throw open doors in wake of attacks, but Muslims fear repercussions

Independent, Far-right protesters who stormed silent Paris vigil chased away by mourners

France24, Video: World shows solidarity with France in wake of attacks 

Time, Muslims Around the World Speak Out Against Terrorist Attacks in Paris

Jon Snow, Channel4, Paris attacks: Middle East’s wars arrive in Europe

Newsweek, Islamic State Supporters 'Celebrate' Paris Attacks on Social Media

RFE/RL, IS Supporters Praise Paris Attacks On Social Media

AlJazeera, #TerrorismHasNoReligion trends after Paris attacks

Times of India, How Muslims around the world are condemning Paris attacks and Islamophobia

CNN,  "This is the first thing I drew." After #ParisAttacks, artists share message of peace

Guardian, Paris: Imagine pianist identified as Davide Martello

alArabiya, #ISIS claims #Paris attacks and releases video threat

alArabiya, Egypt's Al-Azhar condemns "hateful" attacks in Paris

Buzzfeed, Front Pages Of The World’s Newspapers Mourn The Paris Attacks 

Le Monde, Attaques à Paris: , , , nuit de solidarité en ligne

AlJazeera, live blog on the




Isis in five charts

Independent, Isis in five charts have yet to crunch the data

Monday, November 09, 2015

ISIS stole artist's photo and used it to recruit new members

Daily Mail, ISIS stole artist's photo and used it to recruit new members, 9 Nov 2015 "In today’s digital age artists are used to having their work stolen, but a California man was left stunned after he discovered ISIS was using one of his photographs to recruit new members."

Online academies play key role in Islamic education

Pakistan Observer, Online academies play key role in Islamic education " Online Islamic academies are considered important as it can educate people at homes, offices and other places. These academies are also helpful to those parents who do not have time to send their children to Islamic academies or the academies are far away from their residence."

How ISIS monitors and restricts internet access in the 'caliphate'

Business Insider, How ISIS monitors and restricts internet access in the 'caliphate' "To help keep the population in line, the militants have been increasingly limiting civilian access to outside information."

Isis media wing

Independent, Isis media wing in Syria releases new video praising Sinai province over Russian plane 'bombing', 9 Nov 2015

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Big Brother Al-Aqsa style! Jordan suggests streaming mosque CCTV footage online

albawaba.com, Big Brother Al-Aqsa style! Jordan suggests streaming mosque CCTV footage online

Islamic State on recruitment spree in Russia

AP/Daily Mail, Islamic State on recruitment spree in Russia, 28 Oct 2015 "IS has been active on social networks across Russia and other ex-Soviet nations in search of new recruits, focusing primarily on young people."

Al Obaidi

Reuters UK, Syrian refugees adapt to life in Iraqi U.N. camp controlled by Islamic State "Women have to cover their faces with a niqab and cannot walk around without a male escort. No alcohol or smoking is allowed. The Internet is forbidden although the chance of getting a connection is slim with cell towers in the area bordering Syria destroyed more than a year ago."

Plans for 9,000-capacity mosque in east London rejected

Guardian, Plans for 9,000-capacity mosque in east London rejected, 29 Oct 2015 "The Department for Communities and Local Government dismissed appeals against the refusal of planning permission for the mosque in Newham, which goes by various names, including the Riverine Centre, the Abbey Mills Mosque, London Markaz and Masjid-e-Ilyas." This was the subject to series o sustained online campaigns (on all sides)

Report: 'Isis shuts down all women's clinics'

Independent, Isis shuts down all women's clinics, threatens male gynaecologists with death "Isis is believed to have ordered the closure of all women’s clinics supervised by male doctors in its Syrian heartlands in its latest assault on the rights of women."

Raif Badawi

BBC News, Saudi blogger Raif Badawi awarded Sakharov human rights prize


"Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose flogging sentence caused an outcry, has been awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov human rights prize."

'The battle for Turkey'

Christopher de Bellaigue, The Guardian, The battle for Turkey: can Selahattin Demirtas pull the country back from the brink of civil war? 28 Oct 2015



Interesting and detailed article on the current situation in Turkey

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

IS charges

huffingtonpost.co.uk, Teen Charged With Trying To Join IS 'Watched Beheading Of British Aid Worker Online'

Raids, background checks and paranoia: Internet cafes in the Islamic State

syriadirect.org, Raids, background checks and paranoia: Internet cafes in the Islamic State "The Islamic State (IS) has imposed new stipulations on all internet cafe owners in A-Raqqa city, mandating a separate section for women and requiring owners be “recommended” by an IS member, among other conditions, reported the Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) media campaign on Sunday."

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

New and Noted: Muhammad in the Digital Age

Muhammad in the Digital Age, Edited by Ruqayya Yasmine Khan, University of Texas Press I haven't seen this one yet, but am curious to take a look.

Why are Egyptians suddenly remembering an 'iconic' protester?

Image of activist in red and yellowBBC News, Why are Egyptians suddenly remembering an 'iconic' protester? "He's a controversial figure in Egypt, dubbed "the detainee of all
eras" because he has been arrested for protesting under every recent
government. So it was surprising that when Fattah was sentenced to five
years in prison earlier this year, the online reaction was muted. For some, the waning popularity of the hashtag "Free Alaa"
was emblematic of the end of the road for the liberal activists of the
Arab Spring, of which Alaa Abdel Fattah was an iconic part."

Shabaab’s leadership fights Islamic State

Thomas Joscelyn, The Long War Journal, Shabaab’s leadership fights Islamic State’s attempted expansion in East Africa " "While the Islamic State has loudly tried to woo Shabaab, the al Qaeda branch has been quietly silencing dissent. Shabaab’s Amniyat, an internal security organ that protects the group’s leadership, has been hunting down fighters who refuse to give up their pro-Islamic State ambition. Shabaab has reportedly detained or killed dozens of members who have gravitated to the Islamic State’s camp."

2 Iranian poets targeted

globalnews.ca, 2 Iranian poets targeted in hard-liners’ crackdown on expression in Iran



"One Mousavi poem, entitled “Scared of…,” touches on the paranoia felt by many today in Iran.



“What if there’s a microphone in my clothes?



"What if this text message is being registered?



"What if my cry over the phone is being recorded?”"

 

Open sectarianism in Saudi Arabia frightens Shi'ites

Reuters, Open sectarianism in Saudi Arabia frightens Shi'ites "Saudi social media messages on the Internet contain increasingly open incitement against Shi'ites, which has worsened since Saudi Arabia began leading a military campaign against members of a Shi'ite militia in neighbouring Yemen this year."

Monday, October 26, 2015

Russian Search Engine Yandex Comes To Iran

ibtimes.com, Russian Search Engine Yandex Comes To Iran

OIC to Launch TV Channel

onislam.net, OIC to Launch TV Channel

Interest in ISIS Growing in Kashmir

ndtv.com, Interest in ISIS Growing in Kashmir, More locals Joining Terrorists: Army "In September, a national survey by an intelligence agency showed the state that has the highest internet traffic related to ISIS was from Jammu and Kashmir. The next in line was Assam, where the state police are keeping a strict watch on internet traffic."

‘Beware ISIS cyber threat’

theaustralian.com.au, ‘Beware ISIS cyber threat’

A paraglider sails from Israel to Syria -- and thereby hangs a mystery

LA Times, A paraglider sails from Israel to Syria -- and thereby hangs a mystery

Islamic Jihadis Are Claiming Responsibility For The TalkTalk Cyber Attack

huffingtonpost.co.uk, Islamic Jihadis Are Claiming Responsibility For The TalkTalk Cyber Attack "The TalkTalk cyber attack that has potentially affected four million customers around the UK could have been caused by an Islamic jihadi group, a former detective in the Met's cyber crime unit has said." Awaiting further details on this.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Pakistan: Mobile shutdown

Dawn, Mobile service suspension: A cause of panic and massive socio-economic loss "As mobile services across the country are suspended for two days in the wake of security concerns on Ashura, a report launched by digital rights group Bytes For All argues that such shutdowns "threaten the very right these practices seek to preserve: the right to life.""

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Canadian software tied to Yemen civil war, report alleges

theglobeandmail.com, Canadian software tied to Yemen civil war, report alleges ... the technology is said to be increasingly used to block access to Internet sites during an armed conflict that has killed 5,000 people and left millions in need of humanitarian aid."

'Digital Counterinsurgency'

foreignaffairs.com, Digital Counterinsurgency "It will take a broad coalition to marginalize ISIS online: from governments and companies to nonprofits and international organizations. First, they should separate the human-run accounts on social networks from the automated ones. Next, they should zero in on ISIS' digital central command, identifying and suspending the specific accounts responsible for setting strategy and giving orders to the rest of its online army. When that is done, digital society at large should push the remaining rank and file into the digital equivalent of a remote cave."

Australians named on IS hit-list had personal information stolen from online store: FBI

smh.com.au, Australians named on IS hit-list had personal information stolen from online store: FBI "Kosovo citizen Ardit Ferizi​ is accused of stealing personal information from 1351 people and passing it to a group calling itself the Islamic State hacking division."

X-Concepts launches world’s first Islamic router

gulfnews.com, X-Concepts launches world’s first Islamic router "Mohammad Asim Sajwani, president of X-Concepts Corp, said that the Islamic router is similar to a normal router but has extra features. The cloud-based Islamic firewall will work specially to protect your kids and family from the internet abuse."

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

IS recruit

Nico Hines, thedailybeast.com, Crybaby Hollywood Brat Joins Al Qaeda "Lucas Kinney, an expensively educated college dropout, converted to Islam, smuggled himself into Syria, and joined al Qaeda’s terror network. He made his small-screen debut this week in a web video that shows the white British citizen moaning about ISIS being too mean."

A dying boy’s plea that became an iconic message for peace

BBC News, A dying boy’s plea that became an iconic message for peace, 20 Oct 2015 "A video of a young Yemeni boy lying on a hospital bed being treated for injuries from flying shrapnel has had over 50,000 views on Facebook - and has become a moving symbol of the human cost of the war in his country."

Monday, October 19, 2015

Faith, hope and Call of Duty: 21st century spirituality

BBC News, Faith, hope and Call of Duty: 21st century spirituality "From the young Muslim YouTubers teaching fashion and beauty to women who must remain modest, to the art of mindful computer gaming and the Jewish students using Google Translate to learn Hebrew - lots of young people are looking online for ways to embrace both their religion and their interests." Refers to High Street Hijabis, a Radio 1 documentary.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Isis 'not my cup of tea' says British woman who went to Syria to join

Guardian, Isis 'not my cup of tea' says British woman who went to Syria to join, 14 Oct 2015 "Shukee Begum went to Syria with her five children to be with her jihadi husband Jamal al-Harith, a former Guantánamo Bay detainee."

Can Cyber Activists Chase ISIS off Twitter?

Simon Cottee, theatlantic.com, Can Cyber Activists Chase ISIS off Twitter?, 9 Oct 2015 " ... GhostSec also claims to have thwarted a July 2015 jihadist attack on a Tunisian market by passing information to a private security company called Kronos Advisory, which then gave it to the FBI. Michael S. Smith II, one of Kronos’s founders, confirmed this over the phone. He made sure to add that GhostSec is “not working for me or with me per se. … We are collaborating in gathering and presenting information that is valuable to counterterrorism officials.”"

Tajikistan's First Online Sex Shop Tests Tastes, Traditions

rferl.org, Tajikistan's First Online Sex Shop Tests Tastes, Traditions, 15 Oct 2015 "Reactions have been mixed on social media and in interviews on Dushanbe's streets, with some expressing fear that it might erode moral values and others stressing that freedom of choice was important."

Russian researchers develop internet ‘bot’ to hunt ISIS recruiters

RT, Russian researchers develop internet ‘bot’ to hunt ISIS recruiters, 13 Oct 2015 "Venediktov explains the “demon” searches for accounts with possible connections to Islamic State (IS, previously known as ISIL and ISIS) and transfers the contacts to the center’s specialists in Islam and Arabic studies. According to developers the program looks for distorted quotes from the Koran and statements and comments in Arabic typical of extremists.

"The center’s specialists can then send messages in Arabic to account holders and analyze the replies to determine if their correspondents are real terrorists. The center also has a special program that collects all the information about a suspected recruiter’s hardware and software and potentially allows full access of his or her computer."

UK schoolgirl given non-custodial sentence after admitting terror offences

Guardian, UK schoolgirl given non-custodial sentence after admitting terror offences, 15 Oct 2015 "A Manchester schoolgirl who downloaded bomb-making guides and became obsessed with suicide bombing has been given a non-custodial sentence after pleading with the court to let her “prove that I am not a terrorist”."

The Real Story Of The Weeping Suicide Bomber

rferl.org, The Real Story Of The Weeping Suicide Bomber, 14 Oct 2015 "A suicide bomber whose last moments were filmed in a disturbing propaganda video last month has been identified as Babur Israilov, a 21-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan."

India: Islamic State Internet websites facebook pages blocked

niticentral.com, Islamic State Internet websites facebook pages blocked "Cracking its whip on terror propaganda being carried on Internet, government today ordered banning of two websites and some pages on social networking site Facebook after it was found that they contained material detrimental to the country’s sovereignty."

Friday, October 09, 2015

Brand Khomeini gets a facelift

Guardian, Brand Khomeini gets a facelift "This has been a big year for the Khomeini family. Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, has become politically more vocal while his Instagram-savvy teenage son, Ahmad, has also become more noticeable in both the virtual but actual worlds of politics."

Thursday, October 08, 2015

Cartoon war over Russia's role in Syria

aljazeera.com, Cartoon war over Russia's role in Syria

Islamic State’s towering torturer, The Bulldozer, spreads fear in Syria

theaustralian.com.au, Islamic State’s towering torturer, The Bulldozer, spreads fear in Syria, 7 Oct 2015 "Islamic State’s real-life horror films have spawned a twisted industry all their own. Some are released on the group’s media channels, usually when the victims are Kurdish or regime fighters. In prison, captives are forced to watch them on big screens. When they feature civilians such as Omar, however, they are sold."

Aberdeen

pressandjournal.co.uk, Aberdeen terrorism accused ‘hates’ those who have ‘hijacked Islam’ "The 29-year-old denies the charges, and told a jury during his evidence that he had downloaded the Al Qaeda propaganda found on his computer for research purposes so he could counter the terrorists’ arguments."

Najib Razak: Malaysia Eyes New Regional Facility to Counter Islamic State

thediplomat.com, Malaysia Eyes New Regional Facility to Counter Islamic State, 8 Oct 2015 "Najib [Razak] told the Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism at the United Nations on September 29 that Malaysia is eying the formation of a “regional, digital counter-messaging center” because Southeast Asia lacks such a facility. His remarks came after Malaysia became one of the newest members of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, joining Singapore as the only two ASEAN states in the grouping so far."

Is this manga cartoon of a six-year-old Syrian girl racist?

refugee girlBBC News, Is this manga cartoon of a six-year-old Syrian girl racist?, 8 Oct 2015 "The image and caption were posted by a right-wing Japanese artist last month. Now, more than 10,000 people have signed a Change.org petition in Japanese urging Facebook to take it down. The petition, posted by an account calling itself the "Don't Allow Racism Group", claims that several people have reported the illustration and demands that "Facebook must recognize an illustration insulting Syrian refugees as racism.""

IS exploits Telegram mobile app to spread propaganda

BBC News, IS exploits Telegram mobile app to spread propaganda "So-called Islamic State group (IS) has shifted its propaganda distribution to the secure mobile messaging app Telegram from Twitter, where its accounts have been repeatedly shut down over the past year.



"IS and other jihadist groups appear to be exploiting new functionality introduced by the app last month, which allows users to broadcast their messages to an unlimited number of members via their own Telegram "channel"."

It’s the mystery that has Obama stumped and conspiracy theorists circling.

AP/Telegraph (Australia), It’s the mystery that has Obama stumped and conspiracy theorists circling, 8 Oct 2015 "White Toyotas branded with the black caliphate seal, carrying IS fighters and their large calibre weapons into war zones in Syria, Iraq and Libya, feature prominently in images and videos posted on social media by the terrorist group."

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

Meet Mozzified, A Site For Ramadan Recipes, Sharia Memes And Nosy-Auntie Jokes

wgbhnews.org, Meet Mozzified, A Site For Ramadan Recipes, Sharia Memes And Nosy-Auntie Jokes "Mozzified, which Khan launched in January while attending journalism school at the University of California, Berkeley, is geared toward what Khan and her friends call "Mozzies," young, socially aware Muslims who might, say, "binge-watch Friends on Netflix, play basketball after Friday prayers and buy eco-friendly products."" See mozzified.com

ISIL? Torture porn? Dashcam crashes? Failblog? We are what we internet

qz.com, Tackling Terrorism through Women, ISIL? Torture porn? Dashcam crashes? Failblog? We are what we internet opinion/analysis

Derby women lead way in push to tackle Islamic terrorism

Derby Telegraph, Derby women lead way in push to tackle Islamic terrorism "Tazim Fayaz, one of the founders of Tackling Terrorism through Women, said she had been inspired by mums coming to her with fears about their children spending excessive time in their bedrooms on the internet."

Islamic State’s Latest Propaganda Campaign: Don’t Leave

WSJ, Islamic State’s Latest Propaganda Campaign: Don’t Leave

Why are Iranian husbands standing up for their wives?

BBC News, Why are Iranian husbands standing up for their wives?, 7 Oct 2015 "They are sending the images to Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist now living in the US, and creator of the "My Stealthy Freedom" Facebook page. As BBC Trending previously reported, the page was created last year to champion women's rights in Iran - and specifically to circulate pictures of Iranians taking off the headscarf or hijab that's mandatory for women outside the home".

Tuesday, October 06, 2015

'Fishing and ultraviolence'

Charlie Winter, BBC, Fishing and ultraviolence, 6 Oct 2015 Charlie Winter (of the Quilliam Foundation) 'submersed' himself in IS related material online: "So, for the entire 30 days of the month of Shawwal - which, according to IS's own calendar, began on 17 July and finished on 15 August - I spent two hours a day going through its Arabic-language support network on Twitter with a fine-tooth comb, navigating between its various forms of propaganda, using combinations of the group's countless designated hashtags as keys." This is a glossy, and interesting, report. There's a Quilliam Foundation PDF of the research here, which I haven't read.

Monday, October 05, 2015

For some Muslims, life in Malaysia is like living under a microscope

themalaymailonline.com, For some Muslims, life in Malaysia is like living under a microscope, 5 Oct 2015 " Several Muslims say Islamic laws should not be used to regulate their personal lives in areas like sex, what they eat, or even what they read, after a publisher failed to challenge at the Federal Court a Shariah enactment used to seize a book on Islam."

Women In The Islamic State: 'Till Martyrdom Do Us Part'

ndtv.com, Women In The Islamic State: 'Till Martyrdom Do Us Part', 5 Oct 2015 " In Islamic State propaganda, life for women in the self-declared caliphate is filled with love, children and the joys of domestic life, such as an Oreo dessert. But the reality is often far more harsh for women who have moved there from the Arab world, Europe or the United States, according to specialists who monitor Islamic State social media postings."

opinion: Issues with Student-Monitoring Software

Quilliam Smear MPACUK As “Extremists” As Part Of Student-Monitoring Software - Which Other Muslims Have Been Smeared? - MPACUK



opinion  "A student-monitoring software, which highlights if children are at risk of “radicalisation” based on their online activity, has caused outrage after it was discovered that searching for MPACUK’s Raza Nadim could flag children as potential terrorists."

Friday, October 02, 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

'The doctor paying a high price for tweeting from a war zone'

BBC News, The doctor paying a high price for tweeting from a war zone ""Armed Houthi men are in my house." That's the last tweet posted by Abdulkader Alguneid, a 66-year-old physician who took to social media because he felt nobody was telling the story of the war in Yemen."

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

British Punk Rocker Widow Who Wants to Run ISIS’s Hackers

Nancy A. Youssef, Daily Beast, The British Punk Rocker Widow Who Wants to Run ISIS’s Hackers "If Jones is indeed able to carve out an operational role for herself, it could speak to the future of Western women in ISIS. While a handful of Arab women—notably, Umm Sayyaf, the wife of the terror group’s onetime financier—have taken leadership roles in ISIS, female Westerners largely have not. Instead, they’ve ended up as brides for ISIS fighting men, said Mia Bloom, professor of communication at Georgia State University who specializes in the role of women in terror organizations."

ISIS in America

Yahoo News, ISIS in America: how doomsday Muslim cult is turning kids against parents, 28 Sep 2015 "It is psychological warfare,” says Daniel Koehler, director of the Berlin-based German Institute on Radicalization and De-radicalization Studies (GIRDS).

" “They work like headhunters,” he says of the recruiters. “They have studied everything we know in our Western research about the psychology of radicalization, or social isolation, or the development and influence of politics.”

"He stresses: “They have studied us.”"

UN Imposes Sanctions Against Islamic State’s British Recruiters

bloomberg.com, UN Imposes Sanctions Against Islamic State’s British Recruiters " The United Nations has imposed sanctions against a group of four British jihadists who traveled to fight for Islamic State in Syria and have been using the Internet to recruit others to join them."

Monday, September 28, 2015

How the hijab – and H&M – are reshaping mainstream British culture

How the hijab – and H&M – are reshaping mainstream British culture | Remona Aly, Guardian "H&M has been largely applauded on social media, with one non-Muslim woman tweeting that she was “so happy that the gorgeous hijab-wearing fashionistas are being represented by a global brand”."

ISIS and sex.. the trap to attract youth

alarabiya.net, ISIS and sex ... the trap to attract youth opinion/analysis

Controversial Muhammad biopic selected by Iran for Oscars contention

Guardian, Controversial Muhammad biopic selected by Iran for Oscars contention "Muhammad: The Messenger of God, the most expensive movie yet made in Iran, has been chosen by the country to be put forward for the 2016 Academy Awards."

The Hajj Stampede Is a Fluid Dynamics Problem

wired.com, The Hajj Stampede Is a Fluid Dynamics Problem "That event then propagates outward, though not evenly in every direction. According to Helbing’s model, pedestrians are essentially just trying to avoid obstacles—including other pedestrians—while making their way to a given destination as quickly as possible. At low densities, which is to say no crowds, you get laminar flow, as smooth as a flat-bottomed, fast moving river."

English-speaking female jihadis in Libya issue Islamic State call to arms

Guardian, English-speaking female jihadis in Libya issue Islamic State call to arms

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

عيد مبارك

A couple of interesting hajj related online resources:

 aljazeera.com, Hajj 360 "Walk with Al Jazeera’s Basma Atassi in Mecca, as she takes you on a tour to see the major landmarks that millions of Muslims visit during the period of Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage."



Also see:

alarabiya.net, Interactive: Kaaba over the years

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Omar Hussein

What a British jihadist's anti-Arab rant tells us about life in the so-called Islamic State - BBC News "A British fighter for so-called Islamic State has penned what seems to be a racially charged rant against Arabs - providing a surprising glimpse into tensions inside IS-held areas of Syria."

#IStandWithAhmed

Who's behind the campaign for Ahmed, the young Muslim clockmaker? - BBC News "A Texas college student wanted to show her support for Ahmed Mohamed. Twenty-four hours later, her hashtag has started a movement.



"More than 700,000 people have taken to Twitter to support Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old student who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school that was mistaken for a bomb." 



See #IStandWithAhmed and siliconrepublic.com, #IStandWithAhmed sees engineers make a stand for teen innovator

Friday, September 11, 2015

Crane crash at Grand Mosque of Makkah

RT.com, Crane crash at Grand Mosque of Makkah



BBC News, Mecca crane collapse: 87 dead in Saudi Arabia



alarabiya.net, Eighty-seven killed in Makkah crane collapse



also see the #Mecca hashtag on Twitter



The following initial montage contains graphic images:

  

ISIS 9/11 Cyber Attack: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

heavy.com, ISIS 9/11 Cyber Attack: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know "Twitter accounts affiliated with the Islamic State have purportedly threatened a September 11 hacking attack against the United States on the 14th anniversary of the terrorist attack by al Qaeda."

FBI arrests Jewish American for posing as Australian online jihadist

The Age, FBI arrests Jewish American for posing as Australian online jihadist, 11 Sep 2015 "Joshua Ryne Goldberg, a 20-year old living at his parents' house in US state of Florida, is accused of posing online as "Australi Witness," an IS supporter who publicly called for a series of attacks against individuals and events in western countries."

opinion: 'British Muslims are losing the war against ISIL'

Sunny Hundal, qz.com, British Muslims are losing the war against ISIL "When British Muslims who challenge extremism are being shouted down, when secularism is dismissed and joining a caliphate is praised, and when fighting abroad is glorified, it’s not difficult to see why British Muslims are still losing the war against ISIL."

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Malaysia: Online Recruitment

freemalaysiatoday.com, Architect, technician jailed for trying to support IS, 9 Sep 2015 "It was through Facebook that both accused met several people who had the same interests gathering information on the war in Syria which were then shared on the WhatsApp application.



"They also joined a communications network in WhatsApp which was named “Jihad Fisabilillah” where they collected information on the IS group in Syria."

First multi-language app for hajj pilgrimage launched

alarabiya.net, First multi-language app for hajj pilgrimage launched "The mobile app, prepared by Dr. Najeeb Qasmi, was launched by renowned scholar of Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) and King Faisal award laureate Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Azmi."

Online recruitment

RT, Teenage ‘ISIS recruiter’ caught in Spain, paraded handcuffed through streets "The teenager is Moroccan, but had been living in Spain for some time, police said. "She spread jihadist ideology on the internet, justifying terrorist acts and spreading videos that glorified executions of people," the statement added.



""She had focused her online activity on recruiting women to go and swell the ranks of Daesh” – the Arabic name for the IS."

Dabiq III

Independent, Isis images show militants destroying Temple of Bel in Palmyra, 10 Sep 2015 "Pictures in Isis’s propaganda magazine Dabiq, released late on Wednesday, show for the first time the destruction of the Temple of Bel on the ground."

Dabiq II

Guardian, Islamic State uses image of Alan Kurdi to threaten Syrian refugees for fleeing, 9 Sep 2015 "Photo appears in latest issue of group’s magazine, Dabiq, which also accuses refugees of throwing away ‘lives and souls’ of their children by going to Europe."

Dabiq

heraldcourier.com, IS claims to hold Norwegian, Chinese captives "The extremist group posted pictures of the two men wearing yellow prison outfits in the latest issue of its online magazine Dabiq. It identifies the Norwegian man as Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, 48, from Oslo, and the Chinese man as Fan Jinghui, 50, a freelance consultant from Beijing."

Montreal teen trial

montrealgazette.com, Teen facing terror charges opened up when religion challenged, trial hears "A 15-year-old boy from western Montreal who was arrested last year on terrorism-related charges considered Canada to be a war zone full of polytheists and miscreants who would be better off living under Islamic law." Internet references in this article

Opinion piece - "The true motives behind Islamic State's use of sexual slavery"

Opinion piece David Frankfurther, Reuters, COLUMN-The true motives behind Islamic State's use of sexual slavery, 9 Sep 2015 "Islamic State is attuned to the interests of observant Muslim boys and girls around the world. As it works to recruit young adults and teenagers throughout the West, newspapers have reported, the group has demonstrated a remarkable sense of the languages and challenges of modernity."

Radical killed by Britain in Syria was latest from Cardiff district

Reuters, Radical killed by Britain in Syria was latest from Cardiff district, 9 Sep 2015 comprehensive and interesting article

Al Qaeda calls Islamic State illegitimate but suggests cooperation

Reuters, Al Qaeda calls Islamic State illegitimate but suggests cooperation, 9 Sep 2015 "In an audiotape on the internet, Zawahri said: "We don't recognize this caliphate."



"It was not clear when the recording was made but references to events suggest it was made at least eight months ago."

'Inspire Magazine' - new issue

NBC News, Al Qaeda Mag Urges Attack on Koch Brothers, Buffett, Bloomberg, 9 Sep 2015 " A notorious Al Qaeda magazine is encouraging lone-wolf terrorist attacks on U.S. economic leaders, including Sam Walton, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and Warren Buffett."

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

'World’s Biggest Fatwa'

newindianexpress.com, Over 1000 Indian Islamic Scholars Issue World’s Biggest Fatwa Against ISIS, 9 Sep 2015 "For the first time ever, over 1000 (1050 to be exact), including muftis and imams of India, have issued a 15-volume fatwa against the leader, fighters and followers of the self-declared Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State (IS)."

Is the Islamic State a Cyber Threat?

Benjamin Runkle, warontherocks.com, Is the Islamic State a Cyber Threat?

'Cat and mouse game' tracking Islamic State online

PA, 'Cat and mouse game' tracking Islamic State online, 7 Sep 2015 "Internet investigators have described how they are locked in a "cat and mouse game" with Islamic State as they attempt to dismantle the terrorist group's vast and fluid online propaganda machine."

MyHack youths fight back against IS propaganda

ABC, MyHack youths fight back against IS propaganda, 3 Sep 2015 "MyHack, developed by People Against Violent Extremism and supported by the Federal Government, encourages young Australians to come up with online solutions to counter Islamic State group (IS) propaganda." Interesting report.

How al-Shabaab gave Kenyan businesses a boost

Murithi Mutiga, Guardian, How al-Shabaab gave Kenyan businesses a boost |

Father fears sons are on 'hit list' after Reyaad Khan drone strike

Father fears sons are on 'hit list' after Reyaad Khan drone strike - BBC News "The father of two Cardiff jihadists thought to have been fighting alongside Reyaad Khan has said he fears his sons are on a "hit list"."

Round-up: Technology, refugees and migrants

A collection of stories/opinions on technology, refugees and migrants; I will be writing about this in due course:



Reuters, For many refugees, journey to Europe begins on Facebook 



Independent, Surprised that Syrian refugees have smartphones? You're an idiot



hurriyetdailynews.com, Refugees opting for waterproof smart phones on risky Aegean route 



New Scientist, Tech helps refugees make journey – and survive when they arrive



BBC News, The 'vital' role of mobile phones for refugees and migrants

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Tawaf on Segway board: Opinions differ on whether it is Islamic

arabnews.com, Tawaf on Segway board: Opinions differ on whether it is Islamic, 1 Sep 2015 "A short video showing a pilgrim, draped in the two pieces of seamless cloth called ihram, circumambulating the Kaaba in Makkah using a Segway board, has gone viral on social media." This is an interesting issue in relation to technology and pilgrimage.

Investing in Islamic Clothing

OnIslam, Investing in Islamic Clothing: Calyx Fashion, 31 Aug 2015 "The internet makes it possible for start-up companies focused on capturing a part of the global Muslim market to emerge, and an ever increasing number of companies are attempting to make their mark in the fashion industry; including Calyx Fashion."

ISIS, UN satellites confirm destruction temple of Bel

ANSAMed.it, ISIS, UN satellites confirm destruction temple of Bel , 1 Sep 2015

Twitter mocks ISIS by depicting militants singing karaoke

Mail Online, Twitter mocks ISIS by depicting militants singing karaoke, 31 Aug 2015 "Islamic State jihadis are being lampooned by a new Twitter account which shows the extremists as they would appear singing karaoke pop songs."

Islamic State recruiting older teens, college students

myfoxboston.com, Islamic State recruiting older teens, college students, 29 Aug 2015 "College students are heading back to the dorms and lecture halls. They are adjusting to life away from home and finding a new identity for themselves. While it may seem far-fetched, for some that makes them the perfect target for something sinister and it's happening more than you think. FOX25 investigates the way ISIS is recruiting on campus."

"Isis releases graphic video showing four men burning alive in 'act of vengeance'"

Independent, Isis releases graphic video showing four men burning alive in 'act of vengeance', 31 Aug 2015 "Issued by the militant group’s media arm and claiming to be filmed in Anbar province, the footage shows four men apparently from Iraq’s popular resistance forces (militia), “confessing” individually to the camera." Also see Mail Online, Chained upside down and burned alive This relates to the following story: IBT, Isis in Iraq: 'Iraqi Rambo' Abu Azrael filmed slicing Islamic State fighter with sword like 'kebab', 29 Aug 2015 "The video has been met with a mixed response online, with some people furious that Azrael and the Iraqi militia have sunk to the same lows as Isis by filming gruesome videos. According to the Daily Mail, Ali Khedery, chief executive of risk management firm Dragoman Partners, wrote: "War crimes are never justifiable. Horrific video featuring a war crime by Iraq's Abu Azrael.""

IS

Guardian, No regrets, no remorse: Isis mastermind who sent out 15 suicide bombers, 31 Aug 2015 "For almost a year Abu Abdullah was the most wanted man in Baghdad. He was known among his bosses inside Islamic State as “the planner” – the man responsible for dispatching suicide bombers to attack mosques, universities, checkpoints and market places across the Iraqi capital."

Friday, August 28, 2015

@UKAgainstISIL

digitaljournal.com, The British government to use Twitter to combat the threat from ISIS, 28 Aug 2015 "Following more recent threats against the United States and Europe, the British government has begun using Twitter in an attempt to thwart any potential attempt made by the well-funded terror organisation to inflict chaos on to the streets of Britain." See @UKAgainstISIL

The pen-seller of Beirut

BBC News, The pen-seller of Beirut, 28 Aug 2015 "The man is Abdul Halim Attar, a Palestinian refugee from Yarmouk in Syria, and his daughter is called Reem. We know this because an Icelandic man, Gissur Simonarson, tracked him down."

Terror law prompts British Library to reject unique Taliban archive

Guardian, Terror law prompts British Library to reject unique Taliban archive, 28 Aug 2015 "Academics lambast London institution’s refusal to host documents in unmatched digital cache"

Women use confessions app to reveal what wearing a hijab is really like

Independent, Women use confessions app to reveal what wearing a hijab is really like " ... some women revealed the secret perks of wearing a hijab: “I get away with listening to music during class because no one can see my headphones under my hijab. Rock and roll.”

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape

Rukmini Callimachi, nytimes.com, ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape, 13 Aug 2015 "Claiming the Quran’s support, the Islamic State codifies sex slavery in conquered regions of Iraq and Syria and uses the practice as a recruiting tool."

'The Bin Laden Tapes'

The Bin Laden Tapes - BBC Radio 4

This links to the broadcast page, which made for fascinating listening.  There is a related article here: BBC News, What was in Osama Bin Laden's tape collection?, 17 August 2015  The programme interviewed Flagg Miller, the writer of The Audacious Ascetic: What the Bin Laden Tapes Reveal About Al-Qa'ida (Hurst).

Friday, August 14, 2015

Islamic State hit list prompts 'lone wolf' warning

ABC, Islamic State hit list prompts 'lone wolf' warning, 13 Aug 2015 "Deakin University Professor Greg Barton, an expert in global Islamic politics, said the group had used "amateurish" hacking techniques to target "low-hanging fruit", but the use of the information was worrying."

The Register, Doubts cast on Islamic State's so-called leak of US .mil, .gov passwords, 13 Aug 2015, "The self-titled "Islamic State Hacking Divison [sic]" claimed responsibility for the alleged leak on Twitter, and its account was deleted in the past few hours. The data appeared on Tuesday, on a compromised Wordpress-powered website that has languished unused since February this year."

'Jihadi dubbed 'Mrs Terror' who joined ISIS is 'back in Britain''

Daily Mail, Jihadi dubbed 'Mrs Terror' who joined ISIS is 'back in Britain', 14 Aug 2015

'NY man gets 16-year sentence for trying to support jihadists'

alarabiya.net, NY man gets 16-year sentence for trying to support jihadists, 14 Aug 2015 " Agron Hasbajrami, 31, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn to 16 years in prison under a plea deal that allows for his guilty plea to be vacated if a federal appeals court decides to suppress evidence from warrantless surveillance used in a National Security Agency's secret surveillance program."

Zawahiri pledges allegiance to new Taliban chief

alarabiya.net, Zawahiri pledges allegiance to new Taliban chief, 13 Aug 2015 "Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has pledged allegiance to the new Afghan Taliban chief in an audio message posted online."

'The propaganda war'

economist.com, The propaganda war, 15 Aug 2015 "The gangland context within which IS operates, whether in Iraq, Syria, Egypt’s lawless Sinai peninsula or in Sirte, Libya, where the group has staked territory, is partly what explains its adherents’ immunity to persuasion. Traditional Islamic religious figures, and even jihadist preachers who are seen as not radical enough, have no authority over a group that believes most Muslims have strayed from the true path."

Saudi tourists’ behavior stirs social media storm

alarabiya.net, Saudi tourists’ behavior stirs social media storm "Tourists from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are the target of harsh criticisms on social media after photographs showing them cooking, littering and smoking shisha in public parks in countries they were visiting were posted online."

Saudi female football fans at UK match create social media buzz

al-arabiya, Saudi female football fans at UK match create social media buzz, 13 Aug 2015 "The rare sight of Saudi women football fans at a London stadium match between the kingdom’s supercup rivals al-Hilal and al-Nasr on Wednesday caused a buzz on social media."

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Exclusive: IS Bombers In UK Ready To Attack

Sky News, Exclusive: IS Bombers In UK Ready To Attack "Islamic State is now focused on urging British would-be recruits to carry out "lone wolf" attacks in the UK instead of travelling to fight in Syria, Sky News has learned."

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Farkhunda: The making of a martyr

BBC News, Farkhunda: The making of a marty, 11 Aug 2015 "Farkhunda's story highlights, among other things, a pervasive atmosphere of misogyny in Afghan society. And although the response to her death showed that there are some in Afghanistan who want change, activists say real change could take at least a generation."

Saturday, August 08, 2015

A baby sits next to a gun and grenade to promote ISIS in Indonesia

Daily Mail, A baby sits next to a gun and grenade to promote ISIS in Indonesia "A horrific photo of a newborn baby propped next to an automatic machine gun and grenade is fueling concerns that the Islamic State (IS) is infiltrating Indonesia with its extremist ideologies."

Thursday, August 06, 2015

US names two Qatari nationals as financiers of terrorism

The National, US names two Qatari nationals as financiers of terrorism | "The United States treasury added two Qatari citizens to its list of designated financiers of terrorism on Wednesday, accusing them of raising funds for Jabhat Al Nusra, Al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate, and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

ISIS militants in Syria video threaten Germany

Daily Star Lebanon, ISIS militants in Syria video threaten Germany "Two German-speaking militants claiming to belong to ISIS threatened Germany with attacks in an execution video broadcast online Wednesday.



"The five-minute clip shows the men use assault rifles to kill two bound and kneeling male hostages in the Syrian ancient city of Palmyra, which ISIS fighters took in May."

New and Noted: 'Islam: A New Historical Introduction' - Carole Hillenbrand

Carole Hillenbrand, 'Islam: A New Historical Introduction', (Thames & Hudson, 2015)

I have just received a copy of this book, and it looks very useful for students, being clear and authoritative in content. The book has some wonderful photos too.  In relation to this blog, it is interesting to see the references to the internet which have been incorporated into the text (which is not always the case, even in more recent introductory volumes). I look forward to reading it in full in due course. 


Wednesday, August 05, 2015

4-Dubai

ara.tv, Dubai to become first ‘four-dimensional city’ in the world "A group of technology companies in the UAE have launched a project to make Dubai the world’s first four dimension city, according to Al Arabiya News channel."

Anjem Choudary charged

Guardian, Cleric Anjem Choudary charged with encouraging support for Islamic State "Choudary, 48, and another man, Mohammed Rahman, 31, both facing charges of inviting support for proscribed organisation in lectures published online."

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

Facing Islamic State threat, Iraq digitizes national library

Vivian Salama, AP/Yahoo! News, Facing Islamic State threat, Iraq digitizes national library, 4 Aug 2015 "These are the original chronicles of Iraq's rich and tumultuous history — and now librarians and academics in Baghdad are working feverishly to preserve what's left after thousands of documents were lost or damaged at the height of the U.S.-led invasion."

'ISIS’s Jihad Against WiFi'

Michael Weiss, The Daily Beast, ISIS’s Jihad Against WiFi, 21 Jul 2015 "It’s rather surprising, then, that it took the jihadist army this long to shut off the Internet. But that’s exactly what ISIS has just attempted. Abu Ibrahim al-Raqqawi, one of the founders of the grassroots organization Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, explained to The Daily Beast that WiFi was now “banned” in the city of Raqqa, ISIS’s de facto capital, a diktat that did not require the cutting of coaxial cable lines (because there are none) but rather the elimination of what al-Raqqawi called the “Space Internet.”" Worth reading! Some interesting technical information in this article.

New and Noted: Sources of Authority and Authenticity in American Shar’ia Law

Benson, Kristina. (2015). Sources of Authority and Authenticity in American Shar’ia Law. UCLA: Islamic Studies 0474. Dissertation (have yet to read it fully).

New and noted: 'Towards a comparative semiotics of violent religious persuasion'

Massimo Leone, Propaganda mala fide: Towards a comparative semiotics of violent religious persuasion : Semiotica  Requires download/subscription, so haven't been able to access this yet.

'Islamic State's newest concern: Internet security'

LA Times, Islamic State's newest concern: Internet security "He had reason to worry: Islamic State, its sprawling territory constantly under threat by U.S-led airstrikes and assorted foes on the ground, has been ramping up internal security measures in an attempt to thwart would-be spies and informants in its midst.



"As the group’s fears have risen, it has reined in use of social media and the Internet, while imposing ever-harsher punishments upon those suspected of espionage."

'Three women conned Isil out of cash. Now they're internet heroes'

Telegraph, Three women conned Isil out of cash. Now they're internet heroes "Three Chechen women allegedly conned Islamic State fighters out of thousands of pounds by pretending to be jihadi brides - turning them into 'catfishing' legends." Also see RT.com, Chechen girls swindle ISIS fighters for travel money, 29 Jul 2015

'One man's story of how ISIS took his hometown'

mashable.com, One man's story of how ISIS took his hometown

'World’s most popular Muslim fashion e-commerce website in Turkey'

Gila Benmayor, hurriyetdailynews.com, World’s most popular Muslim fashion e-commerce website in Turkey "The highest number of e-commerce websites marketing Muslim fashion is in Turkey. While Modanisa is leading the market, there are three more internet sites."

'IS Babies'

rfefl.org, 'IS Babies' -- The Chilling New Trend Among Islamic State Militants  "Artyom is not the only Russian-speaking IS militant to post pictures of "IS babies" on social media recently. The sharing of baby and toddler photos has become a disturbing new trend among IS recruits who've come from the Russian Federation and Central Asia."

'Al-Qaeda Militants Accuse Islamic State Of Being A Con'

rferl.org, Al-Qaeda Militants Accuse Islamic State Of Being A Con "IS claims to have established a "state" in the vast swaths of land it has captured in Iraq and Syria are nothing more than "a mirage and illusion in HD format on the screens of your gadgets," a group of Daghestani militants from Jabhat al-Nusra said.

""We started to understand that the IS that is propagandized via the Internet is one thing, but the real IS is a different thing altogether," they said in a recent interview with Nusra's new Russian-language media wing, White Minaret. "

'Britain's jihadi bride groomer

Daily Mail, Britain's jihadi bride groomer, 1 Aug 2015 "A teenage jihadi bride who groomed three of her school friends to join her in Syria to fight for Islamic State was radicalised at a women’s charity based at one of Britain’s biggest mosques, it has been claimed." There will be counter-claims. The role of the net in this case is significant (and the reason why it is posted here).

Friday, July 24, 2015

Chattanooga

Rita Katz, SITEIntelGroup, Information about the Chattanooga Shooter is Disappearing from the Internet "Abdulazeez did what jihadists are asked to do prior to execution of their attacks: delete important information that could provide insight into their networks. Jihadi recruiters often advise prospects to “delete your social network accounts or stay inactive,” as well as “all the nasheed [Islamic chants], videos, pictures, messages” prior to their attacks or migration to jihad."

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

'Oldest' Koran fragments found in Birmingham University

BBC News, 'Oldest' Koran fragments found in Birmingham University - "Radiocarbon dating found the manuscript to be at least 1,370 years old, making it among the earliest in existence." Hopefully, we will be able to see a digitised version of this in due course. It's quite a find, and is generating discussion online.

Cardiff Isis terrorist reportedly killed in Syria air strike

walesonline.co.uk, Cardiff Isis terrorist reportedly killed in Syria air strike, 22 Jul 2015 "Experts are 'confident' the 21-year-old, who left Wales to join the terrorist group and appeared in a propaganda video, is dead"

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Thursday, July 16, 2015

WikiLeaks Cables Show a Saudi Obsession With Iran

NY Times, WikiLeaks Cables Show a Saudi Obsession With Iran

How to Defeat ISIS with Twitter Trolls

gizmodo.com, How to Defeat ISIS with Twitter Trolls  "New Jersey senator Cory Booker once noted that ISIS has “fancy memes” — so why shouldn’t we get some weaponized memes of our own? That’s what Kalev H. Leetaru believes. He’s a senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security and a council member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Future of Government. And he’s written an article for Foreign Policy about how we could run a great psychological ops campaign against ISIS." Discuss ...

'Why the Islamic State leaves tech companies torn between free speech and security'

washingtonpost.com, Why the Islamic State leaves tech companies torn between free speech and security, 16 Jul 2015 "The social-media savvy of the militant group is raising difficult questions for many U.S. firms: how to preserve global platforms that offer forums for expression while preventing groups such as the Islamic State from exploiting those free-speech principles to advance their terrorist campaign."

Derby community leader: up to 12 extreme Islamic radicals in our city

Derby Telegraph, Derby community leader: up to 12 extreme Islamic radicals in our city "A LEADING member of Derby's Muslim community says he believes there are up to 12 extreme Islamic radicals in the city who he fears are using the internet to groom young people to go to Syria."

Islamic State Launches Internet Channel In Russian

eurasiareview.com, Islamic State Launches Internet Channel In Russian Directed At Post-Soviet States - OpEd

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

#mecca_live


  

This is just some of the coverage/images associated with #mecca_live; I plan to write about this in due course (for my next book).
 
Independent, The Snapchat images that allowed the world to see the beauty of Mecca "Muslims were able to collaborate and share personal videos of Mecca using Snapchat's Live Story feature, which collects submitted clips and splices them together before releasing the best footage to all 100 million Snapchat users."

 aljazeera.com, Snapchat opens digital window on Mecca to millions, 14 Jul 2015 "Digital analytics site Topsy recorded more than one million mentions on Twitter alone, as Muslim users first lobbied Snapchat to feature the city and then reacted to the stream of content that flowed online once the hugely-popular, social media app agreed to do so."

Buzzfeed, Snapchat’s Live Stream Of Ramadan Prayers From Mecca Hailed For Its Portrayal Of Islam

Twitter, #mecca_live

Business Insider Indonesia,  Here are photos from Snapchat’s Mecca live story, which opened up Ramadan’s most vibrant city to the non-Muslim world

Turkey blocks access to pro-ISIS websites

Reuters/ara.tv, Turkey blocks access to pro-ISIS websites, 14 Jul 2015 "Turkey has blocked access to more than half a dozen Islamist news websites this week, prompting one group claiming allegiance to Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) to accuse Turkey of persecuting Muslims and warn of unspecified retaliation."

Monday, July 13, 2015

Blocking Twitter is not the solution

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, Asharq Al-Awsat, Blocking Twitter is not the solution, 12 Jul 2015 opinion piece "The chronology of the rise and fall of organized terrorism and its resurgence proves that the problem is deep-rooted and that it is not possible to crack down on terrorism without addressing the root problem. As such, blocking some tools, like the Internet, Twitter, and Facebook is certainly not the solution."

The 'eight faces' of anti-Muslim trolls on Twitter

Wired UK, The 'eight faces' of anti-Muslim trolls on Twitter "A criminology lecturer has published a report dissecting online Islamophobia, identifying what he believes are the eight types of troll responsible for much of the hate speech."

Snapchat Palestine

Palestine Studies, Snapchat Palestine "The social media video-sharing app Snapchat recently featured the Israeli city of Tel Aviv as part of its “Stories” features, which focuses on cities from around the world and residents may post videos for a daylong live stream of city life. The focus on Tel Aviv, however, coincided with the one-year anniversary of last summer’s Israeli war on Gaza ..."

Raqqa

middleeasteye.net, In IS-ruled Raqqa, new class divide creates tensions with local Syrians "'Muhajireen' foreigners 'live like princes' while locals in Raqqa complain of harassment and being treated like second-class citizens/"

Dismantling ISIL's propaganda machine

James Denselow, aljazeera.com, Dismantling ISIL's propaganda machine "In addition to civil society boycott of the ISIL's media products, there needs to be creative, organised and similarly determined efforts to undermine ISIL's seeming monopoly over symbolism."

Thursday, July 09, 2015

Sawab Center

Embedded image permalinkUPI, U.S., UAE launch social media center to counter IS propaganda efforts "The Sawab Center will use "direct online engagement" to counter IS ideology and present "moderate and tolerant voices,"the State Department said. Based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the center issued a message on Twitter and YouTube saying the IS is spreading hate, fear and intolerance." They are on Twitter here @sawabcenter

Syrian activists say IS supporters hacked their website

AP/Yahoo, Syrian activists say IS supporters hacked their website, 8 Jul 2015 ""Hackers claiming to be supporters of the Islamic State group on Wednesday hacked the website of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the head of the monitoring group said."

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Cyber Caliphate Hackers Not Linked to Islamic State

freebeacon.com, Cyber Caliphate Hackers Not Linked to Islamic State, 7 Jul 2015 "The State Department report, “Who Is Cyber Caliphate? Re-examining the Online ISIL Threat,” was produced by a unit of the Department’s Office of Diplomatic Security, which supports American businesses overseas. It describes Cyber Caliphate as a relatively unsophisticated group that has conducted cyber attacks against perceived enemies of the Islamic State."

Sunday, July 05, 2015

Isil trawls social media for Irish jihadi brides

Isil trawls social media for Irish jihadi brides - Independent.ie "Although policy makers and families appear most concerned about young Muslims, Dr [Maura] Conway said people of other faiths are converting under the influence of Isil as opposed to Islam. Last week, parents from Ireland's Muslim community called for "tougher restrictions" on access to Islamaphobic content, including beheadings, shootings and mass executions. Fardus Sultan, a Muslim mother and business woman said: "Muslims have an added concern with extremism online. We still face the same issues as all parents but nowadays we have that element as well.""

Here's the manual that Al Qaeda and now ISIS use to brainwash people online

businessinsider.com, Here's the manual that Al Qaeda and now ISIS use to brainwash people online "The Times notes that the tactics are similar to those laid out in an Al Qaeda manual called "A Course in the Art of Recruiting." Though ISIS and Al Qaeda are now two separate organizations, ISIS recruiters seem to follow many of the same basic guidelines for luring people into their group and indoctrinating them. And with the rise of social media, reaching these recruits across the globe has become even easier."

'Laugh out loud: UK schoolgirl jihadi's reaction to Tunisian massacre'

Daily Mail, Laugh out loud: UK schoolgirl jihadi's reaction to Tunisian massacre "The sickening remark came in an extraordinary series of exchanges with an undercover Mail on Sunday reporter, who Abase believed to be another British teenager planning to run away to join barbaric IS. Abase encouraged her to make the dangerous trip to marry a frontline jihadi fighter."