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.
On February 10, 2016, a group of Egyptian Islamists, among them pro-Al-Qaeda figures such as Hani Al-Siba'i, director of the London-based Al-Maqreze Center, prominent preacher Wajdi Ghunaim, and Muslim scholar Dr. Tariq Abd Al-Haleem, launched a campaign to liberate Egypt and restore its Islamic identity.
The campaign, titled "A Bill for the Liberation of Egypt," states that its aim is: "To please Allah; to rule with shari'a, implementing it in all aspects of life, which is the only way in which Egyptian citizens can restore their Islamic identity, which they have lost or which has been forcibly opposed by the [Egyptian] military; to regain the freedom from which they have been stripped, their dignity which has been dragged in the dirt, and their wealth which has been despoiled. All these [demands] can only be achieved under the rule of Islam."
On March 3, 2016, the Turkish pro-Al-Qaeda media outlet Ummet Islam published an interview with a member of Jaish'ul Nusrah. In the interview, conducted by Ummet Islam editor Salmani Rumi, who is allegedly in Syria, the fighter, 26-year-old Ebu Hureyre Turki, who said that he had been in Syria for seven months, explains that Jaish'ul Nusrah is a subgroup of Jabhat Al-Nusra, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, and that is known for its martyrdom attacks. He added that he had previously studied radio, television, and cinema at university before coming to fight in Syria. Below are excerpts from the interview, in the original English:
On February 26, 2016, Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) released a new audio message by its leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, titled "This Is What Allah And His Prophet Promised Us." In the 22-minute message, Al-Joulani criticizes the Geneva peace talks and the planned ceasefire between the Syrian regime and rebels. He also calls upon JN fighters to intensify their attacks, while urging other rebel groups to continue fighting.
EXCLUSIVE: Jabhat Al-Nusra Fighters Promote Jihad Via Twitter Hashtag Campaign
On March 1 and 2, 2016, Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) fighters used the hashtag "Time4jihad" on Twitter to encourage followers to join their ranks in Syria.
Sayf Al-Sudan tweeted: "Allah makes a way for those who came before you, why don't you give it a try & put ur reliance upon Him?" He also tweeted: "They're left with no shelter while u sleep & snore, No clothes 4 warmth, no food to eat, with z passin of days family members r killed. Even those wounded still wage war against the kuffar [infidels], they plead their way to istishadi [, martyrdom] ops while you refrain from matching forth."
On March 2, 2016, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) held a public event titled "Oh Aqsa We Are Coming," in the city of Mukalla, Yemen, which has been under the group's control since April 2015.
EXCLUSIVE: AQAP Video Features Military Training Named For Slain AQAP Commander Nasir Al-Ansi
On February 27, 2015, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a video documenting military training at the Al-Khayr training camp for a group of trainees. The trainees, whose group is named after AQAP commander Nasir Al-Ansi, killed in May 2015 in a U.S. drone strike, are seen undergoing various physical and military training. The video includes archival footage of Al-Ansi providing weapons training to fighters.
EXCLUSIVE: On Facebook, Pro-ISIS New York Man Expresses Desire For Martyrdom
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On February 26, 2016, a man called Boubacar Sow, who claims to be residing in New York City, wrote about his desire for martyrdom on a Facebook post on the account of a Western woman.
EXCLUSIVE: CaliphateCare: ISIS Medical Services Propaganda
By: M. Shemesh*
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Introduction
The Islamic State (ISIS) invests considerable efforts in demonstrating that it provides proper services to the people living under its rule. Media material is released on a daily basis to show that ISIS repairs and maintains infrastructures, build roads, maintains public order and even cultivates public parks. Since healthcare is among the primary needs that a state must meet, the organization makes efforts to prevent a brain drain of medical professionals and to keep clinics and hospitals functioning. ISIS knows that unless it provides adequate healthcare, it will find it difficult to gain the support and obedience of the people. Moreover, ISIS requires qualified medical practitioners not only to care for the civilian population but also to treat its fighters.
Recent reports indicate that the organization is having problems in this domain. Reports have it that many local doctors have left the areas under ISIS control, or are trying to leave, due to the escalating attacks by the organization's enemies and also due to the religious restrictions that ISIS imposes on them. According to the activist group called "Al-Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently," which reports on the situation in this ISIS stronghold in Syria, the cost of healthcare in the city has risen sharply because most medical practices and centers have closed, leaving only one hospital that provides free medical care.
To show that it has matters in hand, it publishes weekly photo reports on medical services in its territories, showcasing clinics and hospitals, vaccination drives, and professional courses being delivered to medical personnel. Many of the photos are of children receiving vaccinations or medical treatment; this is presumably meant to solicit sympathy among ISIS supporters and to present the organization as caring and humane. In addition, ISIS' media companies and the organization supporters periodically circulate photos, videos and blog entries that call upon healthcare professionals to perform hijra(migrate) to the Islamic State and participate in the war effort and in building the newly-founded caliphate. The organization and its supporters also threaten medical personnel who wish to leave the ISIS territories, as well as those who have already left, promising that they will be killed and that their clinics and property will be seized.
Video Shows TIP Militants Fighting Regime, Hizbullah Forces In Syria's Jubb Al-Ahmar Region
On February 29, 2016, the Voice of Islam media company, identified with the Uyghur jihad group TIP (Turkestan Islamic Party), released a video, some 10 minutes long, titled "And There Is No Victory Except from Allah - Part III." The video, posted on the Voice of Islam's Telegram account (telegram.me/sowtil) and elsewhere, shows TIP militants fighting regime and Hizbullah forces in Syria, in the region of the Jubb Al-Ahmar hills. The Uyghur fighters' faces are blurred to prevent recognition, except for the face of one man (the latter may be a fighter who has died, making concealment unnecessary).
ISIS Photo Report Shows Ninawa 'Air Defense Force' Fighting And Training
On March 2, 2016, ISIS in Ninawa Province released a series of photos showing the organization's "air defense brigade" fighting and training. The photos, posted on ISIS-associated Dawla News Telegram page and elsewhere, show fighters loading vehicle-mounted antiaircraft guns and firing at aircraft of the "Crusader-Shi'ite coalition," stripping and cleaning their weapons, and also relaxing during prayer and mealtimes. It should be noted that the equipment shown is outdated and mostly ineffective against modern military aircraft.
ISIS's Tripoli Province Presents The Good Works Of The Sirte 'Alms And Charity Center'
On February 27, 2016, ISIS's 'Tripoli Province' in Lybia released an 11-minute video titled" From Their Goods Take Alms." The video, posted on the jihadi forum Shomoukh Al-Islam (Shamikh1.biz) and elsewhere, documents the activity of the Alms and Charity Center that has been opened in the city of Sirte, while detailing the roles of its various departments. The center is described as a well-organized apparatus for collecting zakat (alms) from the wealthy and helping the needy, according to preset priorities and criteria.
On March 1, 2016, the media office of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Homs released a video in which it announced the opening of an office for collecting zakat,that is, obligatory Islamic charity donations. The video, which showed members of the group collecting donations from individuals, among them owners of cattle, and distributing goods and money to needy families, was posted on the leading pro-ISIS jihadi forum Shumoukh Al-Islam.
ISIS Publishes Photos Of Da'wa Conference In Sirte
On March 2, 2016, the Islamic State (ISIS) released a series of photos documenting a da'wa conference that it held in the coastal Libyan city of Sirte.
In the past year, Sirte has become ISIS's main stronghold in the country. Most recently, ISIS has boasted about its "Alms and Charity Center" in the city and its provision of various social services to the local residents.
ISIS Song In French: 'For Allah Alone We Made This Choice, To Kill With Hearts Full Of Joy'
On February 28, 2016, ISIS's Al-Hayat Media Center released a new song (nashid) in French, titled "Pour Allah" ("For Allah"). The song, which was posted on Telegram and elsewhere, was previously featured in an ISIS video presenting posthumous messages from the Paris attackers. It is the second ISIS song in French released this month.
The song is performed by the brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain, French nationals from the Reunion region of France in the Indian Ocean. They are the official voice of ISIS in French, presenting many ISIS audio materials in this language, including the daily news flashes on the organization's Al-Bayan radio.
On February 28, 2016, the London-based extremist preacher Abu Haleema launched a Telegram channel. Abu Haleema is already very active across various social media platforms, posting excerpts from his videos on Instagram and also sharing, via his official Facebook account, links to his videos on YouTube. Although Abu Haleema himself is not overtly pro-ISIS, his social media followers include ISIS fighters and supporters. He is likely not open about his affiliation due to his May 2015 arrest by Scotland Yard. On his Telegram channel, Abu Haleema stated, "We gonna be exposing these dodgy Taghoot [tyrants] scholars and the kufr [tyrant] and shirk [idolatry] they commit. I will be posting all my vids on here inShaAllah." It should be noted that his Telegram channel has been promoted by other pro-ISIS accounts. At the time of this writing, Haleema's channel had 250 members.
ISIS Activists Create Seemingly Innocuous Social Media Accounts To Share ISIS Content
Since social media platforms will often remove content that blatantly endorses a terrorist group and violates their terms of service, some Islamic State (ISIS) activists on these two platforms have adapted their dissemination strategy accordingly, and are taking a new approach to circulating ISIS content online. They are creating groups that claim to be anti-ISIS, such as "Campaign against ISIS terrorists' online presence" (a pro-ISIS group on Facebook), or that have seemingly innocuous names such as "Twitter News" (a pro-ISIS channel on Telegram); upon closer inspection, these groups turn out to be circulating content that would be subject to removal.
The Islamic State's 'Nasher' Blog On Tumblr
Recently, Islamic State (ISIS) supporters have begun promoting a new ISIS blog, nasheris.tumblr.com. The blog uses the name Nasher, or "publisher," a term that has become associated with publishing ISIS content across several platforms. On the secure messaging app Telegram, for example, Nasher channels have offered ISIS releases in many languages; the now-defunct Nasher.me domain, which operated in 2015, also published ISIS content. The Nasher app, released in August 2015, offered ISIS content directly to users' smartphones.
Ansar Al-Din Launches Official Media Company
On February 28, 2016, the jihad group Ansar Al-Din, which operates in Mali, announced the launch of its official media company, Rimaah ("Arrows").
On March 1, 2016, the Al-Fajr Technical Committee (FTC), a group of tech-savvy jihadis, announced the launch of its own text-sharing website, PasteMaker, and boasted that it "matches" the text- and image-sharing website Justpaste.it.
