On March 15, 2015, Al-Hayat Media, the official media wing of the Islamic State (ISIS), released an audio-recording of a new nasheed (religious song) in French via a new official Twitter account (@fr__alhayat12). This is the second nasheed in French released by ISIS.[1]
The lyrics of the song, titled "We Will Not Let Ourselves Be Beaten Down," praise and justify the attack on Charlie Hebdo, urge additional attacks on French soil and warn that the "battle has begun". The last verse declares that ISIS shall dominate and shall spread Islam by the sword.
Such songs, distributed widely online, play an important role in the organization's indoctrination and recruitment process and in maintaining morale among its fighters.
The following are the translated lyrics of the new nasheed:
Chorus:
We will not be beaten down
We wish to die for Allah
We will persist infighting
And leave [this world] with a smile
Verses:
Yes, Charlie Hebdo is dead, he mocked the prophets
Indeed we will kill without remorse those coming to provoke us
Why are you looking for a fight? You reap what you sow
For those with loaded weapons, it's time to revolt
We must strike France
It is time for it to be humiliated
We want to see suffering
And deaths by the thousand
The battle has begun. The revenge will be terrible
Our soldiers are enraged. Your end will be horrible
Islam will prevail, it will be spread by the sword
Those who want to oppose it will never know peace
We came to dominate and our enemies will perish
We will annihiliate them and let their bodies rot
[1] On the first nasheed, see MEMRI JTTM report French-Speaking Teen Fighters In Raqqa Sing In Praise Of Prominent Jihadis, Including Bin Laden, Awlaki, Merah, March 8, 2015.
