Second-Tier Al-Qaeda Activists Embrace Twitter for Online Jihad: The Case of the Ansarullah Blog

February 9, 2012 | By Steven Stalinsky

Introduction

Twitter has become an important social media website for terrorist organizations in their media jihad. As the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) has documented, groups such as the Somali Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahedeen,[1] the Taliban,[2] Hizbullah,[3] and Hamas,[4] along with an ever growing list of terrorist organizations are now actively tweeting.

Al-Qaeda, too, is active on Twitter, using it along with Facebook and YouTube in its media campaign to disseminate propaganda and to reach followers and potential recruits. The organization has always depended on its official, affiliated, and second-tier websites, as well as on online activists, to advance its philosophy.

To request a full copy of this MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor report, send us an email with the report title, number, and date in the subject line, and include your name, title, organization, and official contact info in the body of the email.

 

Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor

JTTM subscribers receive daily updates on imminent and potential threats posed by terrorists, extremist organizations, and individuals worldwide.
For subscription information, click here

Share this Post: