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."

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."

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."

'Iranian fashion revolution'

Guardian, New model army: Iranian fashion revolution moves above ground, 9 Aug 2015 There's an online component to this story.

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."

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. 

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."

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).

Chattanooga shooter researched martyrdom

Chattanooga shooter researched martyrdom, official says - CNN.com

How Anime and the internet is battling against Islamic State

bt.com, How Anime and the internet is battling against Islamic State 'When the Anime character is deployed she has to remain respectful of the religion of Islamic [sic] as this cartoon shows.'

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."

'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"

Anonymous targets IS sympathisers on Twitter

BBC News, Anonymous targets IS sympathisers on Twitter, 21 Jul 2015 "Hacktivist group Anonymous is ramping up efforts to tackle sympathisers of the Islamic State group on Twitter."

Tough UAE social media law

The National, Tough UAE social media law could see expats deported for saving someone’s photo , 20 Jul 2015 "Simply possessing on an electronic device a photo taken without the subject’s consent is an offence for which expatriates could be deported, a leading prosecutor said."

Suruc massacre: At least 30 killed in Turkey border blast

BBC News, Suruc massacre: At least 30 killed in Turkey border blast, 20 Jul 2015

Into the Black: Channel 4's 'Escape From Isis'

HP, Into the Black: Channel 4's 'Escape From Isis', 19 Jul 2015

UK terror suspect Babar Ahmad returns home from US

aljazeera.com, UK terror suspect Babar Ahmad returns home from US, 19 Jul 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

#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."

Iran Nuclear Deal - Social Media Reactions

NY Times, Iranian Reaction to Nuclear Deal Fills Social Networks, 14 Jul 2015

MSNBC, The world responds to Iran nuclear deal in 140 characters 

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."

Sawab Center

UPI, 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."

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."

7/7

Selected coverage of the tenth anniversary of 7/7:

Buzzfeed, This Is How British Muslims Feel Their Country Has Changed Since The 7/7 Attacks

IBTImes, 7/7 London bombings: Mosques around UK hold 'prayer for peace' events in memory of those who died

BBC News, 7 July London bombings: Ceremonies in memory of victims


The Virtually Islamic blog archive from July 2005 includes a range of links to coverage of 7/7 and its aftermath (scroll down to 7 July 2015 - some links may not be functional).

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."

Free Wi-Fi in Makkah Haram courtyard

ara.tv, Free Wi-Fi in Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Haram courtyard "The presidency staff will use this popular wireless networking technology to send guidance and awareness text messages to pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday."

New and noted: Digital passages: migrant youth 2.0

Leurs, Koen (2015) Digital passages: migrant youth 2.0: diaspora, gender and youth cultural intersections. MediaMatters . Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. LSE Research Online  I have yet to read this.

ISIS - executions in Palmyra

ara.tv, ISIS teens execute 25 soldiers in Syria’s Palmyra, 4 Jul 2015 "The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria on Saturday released a grisly video showing 25 Syrian government soldiers being executed by teenagers in the ancient amphitheater in the city of Palmyra."

ISIS Is Winning The Internet Game

OnPoint - WBUR, ISIS Is Winning The Internet Game This is available to download - I have yet to listen to it. Details follow: "The so-called Islamic State – ISIS – celebrated its one-year anniversary this week. A large part of its growth has happened online. It has a sophisticated propaganda machine, with tens of thousands of accounts spreading its messages. And those messages are reaching Westerners, Americans. We’ll talk to a reporter who tracked the radicalization of Alex, a 23-year-old Sunday school teacher and babysitter. And we’ll hear from the former State Department head tasked with countering ISIS’ online propaganda. This hour On Point: Alex’s story, and the ISIS online propaganda strategy."

Rival militants don orange outfits to kill alleged ISIS fighters

ara.tv, Rival militants don orange outfits to kill alleged ISIS fighters

Gloucester Imam combating Islamic extremism with iPad

gloucestercitizen.co.uk, Gloucester Imam combating Islamic extremism with iPad " Imam Hassan of Masjid-e-Noor is joining male and female Imams and scholars from across the UK in a digital campaign titled 'Ramadan Reminders' to help young Muslims at this time of year."

Women-owned restaurants on Facebook do roaring business

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

Islamic State: downloadable apps

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

Round-up: Attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jihadi swapped affectionate messages with man who helped him to Syria

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

'ISIS and the Lonely Young American'

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

Saudi TV series uses new weapon against ISIS: satire

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

6 essential apps for Ramadan

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

The secret world of Isis brides

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

Me and Abu Taubah

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

Minhaj-ul-Quran 'counter-terrorism curriculum'

Can a book help Muslims beat extremism? - BBC News "A new curriculum is being launched to help tackle the radicalisation of young Muslims." Also see minhaj.org, UK: Minhaj-ul-Quran Intl. to launch 'first Islamic counter-terrorism curriculum'. Publication details here. There didn't seem to be an e-book version.

Video: Child preaches at Grand Mosque

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

"Mohammed Emwazi Flees"

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

Inside the Islamic State by Malise Ruthven

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

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

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



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

The Dark Web as You Know It Is a Myth

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



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

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

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

How to Survive in the West: A Mujahid Guide.

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

Tapping into the potential of digital islamic services: report

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

Countering Islamic State Exploitation of the Internet

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

Cardiff student pleads guilty to terror charge

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

Moon-sighting season

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

Eight essential apps for Muslims observing Ramadan

Guardian, Eight essential apps for Muslims observing Ramadan

Exposure - Jihad - A British Story

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

The fake battle that fooled IS supporters - and their opponents

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

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

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



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



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

FB UAE

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

Talha Asmal

Dewsbury teenager is 'UK's youngest ever suicide bomber' - BBC News "Social media reports linked to Islamic State (IS) said Asmal, going by the name of Abu Yusuf al-Britani, had taken part in the attack."



Independent, Talha Asmal death: 'Godfather of jihad' says teenagers do have a choice in joining Isis, as parents condemn militants over 'Britain's youngest suicide bomber'

Alaa Esayed case

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

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

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

How a new Pakistani comic is challenging religious extremism

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

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

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

Islamic State magazine Dabiq withdrawn from sale by Amazon

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

The Islamic State may be trying to raise funds using Bitcoin

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

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

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

eGranary Digital Library

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

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

US Army Website Hacked, Say Officials

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

Tajikistan ends block on Facebook, YouTube

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

Saad Lamjarred

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

How France Let the Charlie Hebdo Killers Go Free

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

Instagram restores account dedicated to Iran's revolutionary leader Khomeini

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