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 [email protected] . Please include your name, title, and organization in your email.
EXCLUSIVE: Prominent Imprisoned Saudi Cleric Allegedly Pledges Allegiance To Al-Baghdadi
According to the Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated Al-Battar media company, imprisoned Saudi sheikh Nasir bin Hamad Al-Fahd has pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.
Yesterday, the media group published on its Twitter account two handwritten letters, allegedly written from prison by Al-Fahd himself.
In a recently released video, Asim Umar, the Emir of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), rejects the view that religion is an individual and personal matter, and argues that jihad should be obligatory until Islamic law is established over the entire earth.
In a new video, on the occasion of Pakistan's 69th Independence Day, celebrated August 14, 2015, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Adnan Rasheed, who was once a Pakistan Air Force member, discusses the real meaning of this day. The video, which was titled "The Deception of Independence" and produced by Umer Media, includes the audio of a speech by Adnan Rasheed, who does not appear in the video, as well as some short audio and video clips.
In a 91-page Pashtu-language document, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has spelled out its stance on the shari'a status of the Caliphate led by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, chief of the Islamic State (ISIS). The TTP, whose leadership is believed to be hiding somewhere in Afghanistan, argues in the document that Al-Baghdadi does not meet the qualifications for an Islamic Caliph, or Emir-ul-Momineen (the leader of the faithful Muslims).
On August 22, 2015 ISIS's information bureau in Iraq's Salah Al-Din province released the third installation in the "One Body" series, titled "Messages of Encouragement to Our Brethren in Khorasan Province and Exposing the Taliban Lie". In the 14-minute video, published on the jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam and elsewhere, a spokesman on behalf of the group conveys messages of support for ISIS members in Khorasan, while accusing the Taliban of collaborating with the West, the Iranians, the "tyrannical" Arab rulers and other "apostates."
This report reviews the Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, and Twitter accounts of a 25-year-old British Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) fighter who calls himself Abu Basir al-Britani. Al-Britani claims he is not the same Abu Basir al-Britani prominently featured in a recent JN video. He shares photos, videos, and stories of his experiences in Syria, repeatedly defending JN's decisions and highlighting the differences between JN's methodology and practices and that of the Islamic State (ISIS). He revealed that he had first joined ISIS but that it took only a few days for him to flee to join JN.
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Three Children Execute Three 'Spies' In ISIS Video
Click here to view this clip on MEMRI TV
On August 23, 2015, "Muassasat Al-Nusra Al-Yamaniya" (the "Yemeni Support [Media] Body") released a 10-minute audio by the "Islamic State [ISIS] supporters in the land of the two holy places [Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula]."
On August 27, 2015, the Aleppo province of the Islamic State (ISIS) released a ten-minute video on the occasion of the first anniversary of the U.S.-led coalition campaign against the Islamic State. Titled "A Year Since The Bombardment," the video presents ISIS as still being a viable state, emphasizing, inter alia, that life continues in it as normal, and that its citizens are living in safety and security.
ISIS Hashtag Campaign Hijacked By Twitter Trolls: A Case Study
The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On August 20, 2015, online supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) initiated a new hashtag calling for all Muslims to pledge allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. However the attempted campaign didn't catch on due to the activity of anti-ISIS online activists who hijacked the hashtag in order to disrupt the usually effective ISIS media apparatus. Through the activity known as "trolling," these anti-ISIS accounts are actively waging a war against ISIS online activists by spreading ridiculous and offensive material through the same distribution channels.
Pro-ISIS account using the hashtag to the left. To the right, an anti-ISIS response to the hashtag with the caption: "We piss on your Caliphate."
ISIS media apparatus have been known to use all available functionalities of social media platforms to spread their message. The use of hashtags is extensive and constant, rendering material easily accessible and enabling supporters to join forces and share a common message.
On August 24,2015 a German speaking account (now suspended) posted a series of tweets doling out tips on how to take hostages and kill them in the West. The author ended each tweet with the hashtag WeAllGiveBaya[pledge alleigance] to the Khalifa.
On August 23, 2015, the Al-Battar Media group, which is identified with the Islamic State (ISIS), released a nine-minute video titled "A Message to the Lone Wolves" via the Al-Battar Media Twitter account. The video reveals personal information that it says belongs to Western individuals, including officials and soldiers, allegedly collected via an ISIS hack of a "UK military website" through which, it says, weapons are sold.
ISIS Supporters Publish List Of U.S. Government IP Ranges For Targeting By Hackers
Islamic State (ISIS) supporters on Twitter are circulating a list of IP ranges, allegedly belonging to various U.S. government agencies, so that they can be targeted by ISIS hackers.
ISIS Supporters Move Conversation Offline, Create Chatrooms on Encrypted App 'Telegram'
On August 25, 2015, two ISIS supporters on Twitter announced the creation of an ISIS chatroom on the encrypted text messaging app Telegram. In light of arrests, and leaked information, both fighters and prospective members and supporters have recently taken more precautions with their discussions on social media and apps. Many once used Whatsapp, for example, but now encrypted apps such as Kik, Surespot, and Telegram are favored by these groups.
In 2014, a Malaysian woman, "Shams," launched a Facebook page called "Diary of a Muhajira,"which proved to be very popular. At the time, she was married to an Islamic State (ISIS) fighter and pregnant; she is now a widow with a six-month-old son. Following repeated suspensions of her Facebook page, she moved to Tumblr and Twitter to share updates and advice.
Afghan Journalist's Tweets Offer Insight Into ISIS-Related Developments In Afghanistan
The following are tweets by senior Afghan journalist Mirwais Afghan that offer insight into developments related to the Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan. It should be noted that recently ISIS has been challenging the Taliban in several Afghan provinces.
The tweets below are dated June 1 to August 3.
On August 26, 2015, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) tweeted from its official Twitter account a communique dated August 25 in which it denied reports from recent days that a British abductee allegedly held by Al-Qaeda had been freed. According to those reports, Emirati Special Forces had conducted an operation in Aden, Yemen in which it freed abducted British engineer Robert Semple.
Report In Indian Daily: 'Burhan Wani - The New Face Of Kashmiri Militancy In The Virtual World'
Recent reports in the Indian media indicate that young Muslims in India's Jammu & Kashmir state are increasingly joining militant groups, especially Pakistan-backed jihadist groups such as Hizbul Mujahideen.
Following are excerpts from an Indian media report examining the radicalization of a young Kashmiri:
Burhan Wani
"Some years ago, Burhan Wani did his parents proud with impressive marks in his class 10 board exams. Now at 21, he carries a reward of Rs 10 lakh [one million Indian rupees] on his head. Meet the new face of Kashmiri militancy in the virtual world: a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander whose ultimate goal is to 'unfurl the flag of Islam on Delhi's Red Fort.'"
