On March 19, 2014, the Saudi daily Al-Hayat reported that women sympathizing with Al-Qaeda have been engaging in an online coordinated effort in the past several months aimed at spreading Al-Qaeda's ideology and attracting young Muslim sympathizers.
The report, which cites sources in Al-Sakina, a Saudi state-supported initiative for online dialogue with extremists, said that the coordinated effort of these women particularly focused on sports and music websites that attract many young men and women.
Women from inside and outside Saudi Arabia have been participating in the campaign, said the report, while noting that the number of female activists engaged in the campaign from inside Saudi Arabia has decreased. Nonetheless, such women still engage in publishing pro-Al-Qaeda material and videos.
The women, said the report, employ hidden methods that aim at evoking religious-based emotional responses from their targets in order to win their sympathy. The women, it added, also avoid getting into discussions that could lead to undermining Al-Qaeda.
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