News, Commentary, Information and Speculation about Islam in the Digital Age - part of virtuallyislamic.com
Monday, October 31, 2016
The Skype sex scam - a fortune built on shame
BBC News, The Skype sex scam - a fortune built on shame "One night a young Palestinian man living abroad fell victim to an online scam, involving a web camera and a beautiful woman. Here Samir (not his real name) tells the story of how he was trapped - and below the BBC's Reda el Mawy visits the Moroccan boomtown where many of the scammers are based."
'In God's Name: A young American who grew up in the heartland tells Scott Pelley what made him try to join ISIS in Syria'
CBS News, In God's Name: A young American who grew up in the heartland tells Scott Pelley what made him try to join ISIS in Syria "About 260 Americans have joined, or tried to join, terrorists overseas. And many of us wonder how in God’s name does that happen? How is an American drawn into a group that seeks to destroy everything that America stands for? Abdirizak Warsame has an exotic name but he was an American teenager, living with his mom in Minneapolis, who became the leader of an ISIS cell sending other young men from Minneapolis to their deaths. Warsame will be sentenced soon, he is facing up to 15 years in prison but he was released from jail, for one day, to talk to us, before the judge passes sentence, to explain how he fell for ISIS in God’s name."
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
How Islamic State Weaponized the Chat App to Direct Attacks on the West
WSJ, How Islamic State Weaponized the Chat App to Direct Attacks on the West "It is inside those channels that the extremist group moves from semipublic propaganda to encrypted chats. In the invitation-only chat rooms, Islamic State sympathizers debate Islamist ideology, discuss tactics and cheer on terrorist attacks, according to the Journal’s examination of such channels’ content. When followers are ready to take action, they are invited to communicate one-on-one with a recruiter via an encrypted function called secret chat that can evade detection by intelligence services, authorities say."
Teenage Tube alert suspect Damon Smith 'in love with IS'
Sky News, Teenage Tube alert suspect Damon Smith 'in love with IS' "Friends say the poker-loving teen was enamoured with Islamic State and watched videos of executions that the group posted online."
Thursday, October 13, 2016
How Sweden became an exporter of jihad
BBC News, How Sweden became an exporter of jihad Yalda Hakim's report is worth watching: "Sweden is a peaceful democratic state that has long been a safe haven for those fleeing conflict. Yet many young people whose families took refuge there are now turning their back on the country. More than 300 people have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, making Sweden per capita one of the biggest exporters of jihadists in Europe."
ACSC Threat Report: The real messages
ACSC Threat Report: The real messages | ZDNet interesting analysis from Australia
MTN invests in Iran’s own Uber
IOL, MTN invests in Iran’s own Uber "MTN Group, the South African wireless carrier with $1 billion stuck in Iran, agreed to make an investment of 20 million euros ($22 million) that will support Snapp.ir, the Islamic Republic’s first cab-hailing smartphone application."
Being Muslim in the Age of Trump
theislamicmonthly.com, Being Muslim in the Age of Trump "Muslims must understand that in the age of the internet, most people will learn about Islam through the internet, and if Muslims do not take ownership of the content about Islam on the internet, Islamophobes will, as they already have done."
Africa's First Internet Addiction Rehab Opens In Algeria
afkinsider.com, Africa's First Internet Addiction Rehab Opens In Algeria "The Maghreb nation is facing a crisis from the technological developments where its citizens spend a whole day on the internet, some without taking their meals or taking showers, Aljazeera reported."
Islamic State’s Propaganda Campaign Falling Off Sharply
VOA News, Islamic State’s Propaganda Campaign Falling Off Sharply "A study released this week by the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, shows there has been a plunge during the past 12 months in IS' digital media production, declining from a peak of 761 releases a month in August of 2015, to just 194 a year later." Report link here, CTC, Communication Breakdown: Unraveling the Islamic State’s Media Efforts
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Indonesia: The Saudis Are Coming
NY Books, Indonesia: The Saudis Are Coming "Fights over competing versions of Islam have a long history in overwhelmingly Sunni Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, and the Saudi-funded university now has a major part in the contemporary battle."