The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.)
Note to media and government: For a full copy of these reports, send an email with the title of the report in the subject line to media@memri.org. Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.
Attackers In July 2016 Dhaka Bakery Massacre Eulogized in Second Issue Of ISIS 'Rumiyah' Magazine
On October 4, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) Al-Hayat Media Center released the second issue of its magazine Rumiyah, One article, "The Shuhada [Martyrs] of the Gulshan Attack," paid tribute to the five men who carried out the July 1, 2016 attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, Dhaka, killing 29. The article opened by condemning "Crusader" coalition attacks on ISIS-held territories, stating that the Dhaka attack was retribution for them. The bakery, it notes, was targeted because it was a popular spot for Westerners, and the date, the 27th of Ramadan, was chosen because it "may possibly be Laylat Al-Qadr, the greatest night of the year." The article also eulogized the five attackers - Abu Rahiq Al-Bengali, Abu Muharib Al-Bengali, Abu Salamah Al-Bengali, Abu 'Umayr Al-Bengali, and Abu Muslim Al-Bengali - and threatened Bangladesh with more attacks, specifically against "Crusader" expatriates, tourists, diplomats, garment buyers, missionaries, and sports teams.
WARNING - GRAPHIC: Issue II Of ISIS Magazine 'Rumiyah' Justifies Violent And Gruesome Executions
The second issue of the Islamic State (ISIS) magazine Rumiyah, which was released online on October 4, 2016, featured an article justifying the group's violent and gruesome executions of its enemies by citing similar acts committed by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions in early Islamic history. The article mentions various relevant hadiths and stories from Muhammad's biography in support of ISIS's actions and views on the matter. The article also features two graphic images from previous ISIS releases depicting the beheading of men captured by the group.
Funds For Injured Alleged Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (JFS) Fighter Raised On Twitter, JustGiving
On September 22, 2016, Twitter user announced that it was aiding in the collection of funds for an injured Jabhat Fath Al-Sham (JFS, formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra) fighter. According to the tweets made by the account, this fighter requires costly surgery, which would prevent paralysis from the neck down.
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On September 28, 2016, Al-Wafa' Foundation, a pro-ISIS media company, released an article urging online jihadis to defy Twitter's active suspension of jihadi accounts, particularly those containing ISIS materials. The article called on them to intensify their activities on the platform and warned them against giving in and switching to Telegram.
ISIS Video Features Kurdish Peshmerga Fighter Who Defected
On October 3, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) news agency A'maq posted, on its Telegram channel, a 23-second video of a Kurdish Peshmerga fighter who had defected the previous day to ISIS in the city of Huwaija, south of Kirkuk, Iraq. The video shows how ISIS supporters have been able to spread their message and recruit fighters, particularly from Iraqi Kurdish enclaves, as the Peshmerga fighter praises ISIS, criticizes the Peshmerga fighters, and refutes claims that ISIS is anti-Kurd.
Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) Video Documents Eid Al-Adha Celebrations In Syria
On September 28, 2016, the Syrian branch of the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) released a video titled "The Joy of Eid in The Land of Glory," documenting Eid Al-Adha festivities among the large group of Uyghur fighters and their families in Syria.
The video features footage of various holiday celebrations, including fighters preparing food and enjoying the company of fellow men; fighters attending a religious sermon and watching one of the group's video productions; and children of all ages brandishing weapons.
On Telegram, Taliban Lashes Out At Brussels Conference On Afghanistan
On October 4, 2016, the Taliban's official Telegram channel posted a rebuke of the October 4-5, 2016 conference held in Brussels and hosted by the European Union and the government of Afghanistan, which included over 70 governments and 30 international organizations and agencies.
The statement from the Taliban explains that ideally, it would like to see the participants in the conference call for the complete withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan, and insists that this would be the most beneficial course of action for Afghans: "In reality the occupying countries - due to their colonial peculiarity - always seek to prolong their occupation and attain their colonial goals through such conferences. This is because they always give precedent to their interests over the wellbeing and welfare of the people."
From The MEMRI TV Archives - Special Focus
Captured ISIS Fighter Talks About Use Of Slave-Girls As Rewards For Fighters
The following clip is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Abu Al-Mughaira Al-Muhajer, an ISIS fighter captured in Aleppo, talked about the practice by ISIS of buying slave-girls and handing them out to fighters as rewards. In an interview, broadcast on September 22 by the UAE-based Alaan TV channel, he recounted that he had been given three supposedly Yazidi and Christian slave-girls, and that he had later complained to his emir after realizing that they were the wives of FSA fighters.
Kamandar Bakhtiar, Defector From ISIS-Khorasan: I Witnessed Beheadings And The Raping Of Homosexuals
The following clip is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Kamandar Bakhtiar, an Afghan police officer who joined ISIS-Khorasan and defected from its ranks three months later, recounted his experiences. In a segment aired on Alaan TV on September 7, Bakhtiar said: "I saw the worst things one can expect on the face of the Earth," including beheadings and the raping of homosexuals. He recounted that he was forced to flee his home following threats by ISIS-Khorasan. "The foreign fighters, especially the Pakistanis, are perpetrating horrific terrorist deeds," he said.
Lahor Shah, Defector From ISIS-Khorasan: I Witnessed The Worst Crimes Against Humanity
The following clip is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Lahor Shah, an Afghan who defected from the ranks of ISIS-Khorasan, spoke to Alaan TV, explaining why he had joined ISIS and why he had defected. They are "destroying our country and our lives," he said, recalling that in the six months during which he was with ISIS, he had "witnessed the worst crimes against humanity, perpetrated against Afghans, like the kidnapping and rape of girls aged no more than 10 or 12." The short interview aired on September 8.
