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.
Over the past few days, jihadis reacted to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, with posts accusing the U.S. administration and justice system of promoting broken family structures by encouraging pregnancy outside marriage.
EXCLUSIVE: ISIS And Al-Qaeda Supporters On Social Media Celebrate Shooting Near Gay Bar In Oslo
At about 1:15 AM on June 25, 2022, a gunman opened fire at three nearby locations in Oslo, Norway, including a gay bar, killing two and wounding another 21. The attack occurred in the middle of the weeklong Oslo Pride festival and led to the cancellation of the annual gay pride parade, scheduled for June 25, at the advice of local police.
In advance of U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East, scheduled for mid-July 2022, during which he is slated to visit Israel and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to forge a coalition against Iran, senior officials in the Houthi Ansar Allah movement are intensifying their threats to attack Saudi Arabia and the UAE, claiming that these countries are violating the current ceasefire.
Over the past two days, multiple jihadi groups and social media accounts reacted to the June 22, 2022, earthquake in southeastern Afghanistan that claimed over 1000 lives. They argued that the international community, including Western and some Muslim countries, are not providing aid to Afghans in the wake of the crisis because they reject the Taliban's rule.
On June 27, 2022, a Syrian opposition website reported that Hizbullah intends to perpetrate attacks on areas controlled by the Global Coalition [to Defeat ISIS] in an area where U.S. forces are based.
On June 23, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria published a video featuring footage of ISIS fighters encouraging operatives in Africa to step up attacks and remain steadfast in jihad. The operatives were also shown threatening Christians and calling on Muslims in Nigeria to join ISIS to fight the country's government, saying it is Christian-influenced.
ISIS Weekly Editorial: Jihad 'Most Effective' Response To Those Who Offend The Prophet
On June 23, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) released Issue 344 of its weekly newsletter, Al-Naba', whose feature article, "Championing The Chosen Prophet," encourages Muslims to wage jihad, taking "practical measures" to punish those who offend the Prophet of Islam by killing them.
In Video, ISIS In Iraq Calls On Muslims Worldwide To Join Jihad In Africa
On June 27, 2022, the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq released a video message titled "From the Land of Iraq to the Lions of Africa," featuring two ISIS operatives encouraging their counterparts in Africa to step up attacks and urging Muslims to migrate to Africa to fulfil their duty to wage jihad.
A lead article in the latest issue of the Islamic State (ISIS) magazine "Voice of Khurasan" accuses Afghan Taliban leaders of dismissing ISIS as an "American Project" while at the same time enjoying American support from Qatar to Afghanistan.
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The coverpage article in the latest issue of the ISIS magazine "Voice of Khurasan" argues that even ulema and sheikhs – Islamic religious scholars and elders – can be declared kafir ("unbeliever") and a taghut ("tyrant"). Jihadi groups use this latter term to refer to anyone outside the fold of Islam who is influential.
A key article in the latest issue of the ISIS magazine "Voice of Khurasan" argues, without citing any statistics or academic sources, that the revival of Islam is taking place in all societies, especially among Western women who, "fighting the jungle of media illusions, male domination, and social exploitation," are embracing Islam.
New Pro-ISIS Magazine Targets Iraqi Readers
On June 22, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) outlet published the first issue of a new magazine targeted at Iraqis — a notable example of localization efforts by a pro-ISIS media outlet.
A pro-Islamic State (ISIS) outlet released on June 26 a three-minute video calling on ISIS supporters to continue protesting recent remarks made by two Indian officials, which were perceived as insulting to the Prophet Muhammad and his wife 'Aisha.
On June 28, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Telegram channel published an article discussing the video released by ISIS in Iraq the previous day, titled: "From Iraq To The Lions In Africa."
In a press release issued on June 24, 2022, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) British preacher blamed the U.S. and UK for Afghanistan's difficulty coping with the aftermath of the earthquake which struck the country on June 22, 2022, killing more than 1,000 people.
British Pro-ISIS Preacher: Proposed British Bill Of Rights And Other Laws Target Islam And Muslims
On June 22, 2022, a London-based pro-Islamic State (ISIS) preacher published a "press release" on his blog, in which he criticized UK laws, such as the newly-proposed British bill of rights – a bill intended to replace the Human Rights Act – claiming they include provisions that "specifically target Islam and Muslims."
Australian Pro-ISIS Preacher Promotes Eid Al-Adha Fundraising Campaign For Muslims In Benin
On June 23, 2022, an Australian pro-Islamic State (ISIS) preacher published a poster on his Telegram channel promoting a campaign to raise funds to purchase sheep for charitable distribution in Benin, west Africa, during Eid Al-Adha 2022.
Over the past few days, Al-Qaeda's affiliate in the Sahel, Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin (Group for Support of Islam and Muslims – GSIM), based in Mali, reportedly denied responsibility for a number of attacks against civilians perpetrated in recent months and attributed to the group.
In a June 26, 2022 statement, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) denies responsibility for the recent attack against Yemeni army forces in the south of the country. The statement, issued by AQAP's media outlet, also calls to avoid internal conflict among Sunnis and stresses the need to focus on fighting the Houthis and the forces supported by the UAE.
On June 27, 2022, the official news outlet of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab), published a statement documenting a series of "qualitative military operations" carried out by Al-Shabab on June 26-27.
Al-Shabab Releases Video Documenting Operations In Somalia And Kenya In Recent Months
On June 23, 2022, the media arm of the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadi organization Al-Shabab, released a new instalment of its video series documenting attacks carried out by Al-Shabab in Somalia in recent months.
Al-Shabab Movement Inaugurates Hospital, Promises To Provide More Public Services To Locals
On June 28, 2022, the official media outlet of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen (Al-Shabab), published an article, along with photos, celebrating the inauguration of a general hospital sponsored by the group in southern Somalia.
On June 23, 2022, the Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS)-linked Department of Political Affairs in the Liberated Areas issued a statement addressing the decision of Gaza-based Hamas to dispatch a delegation to Lebanon.
On June 28, 2022, a Syrian opposition website reported that Hizbullah has opened a military course for Syrian operatives, who, upon completion of their training, will be deployed on Syria's southern border with Israel and Jordan.
On June 27-28, 2022, jihadi channels on Telegram responded to the U.S. Central Command announcement that an airstrike killed Abu Hamzah Al-Yemeni, a senior leader of Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Hurras Al-Din, on June 27 near Idlib.
On June 28, 2022, an anti-Islamic State (ISIS) channel on the Al-Qaeda-operated Rocket.Chat server published what it claimed to be an internal ISIS circular from 2020 that urged senior operatives to expand their religious knowledge, and provided instructions for the distribution of war spoils, as ordered by Caliph Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi Al-Qurayshi.
On June 19, 2022, the Iraqi government's Security Media Cell reported that Iraqi military intelligence, in conjunction with the Iraqi Armed Forces joint operations headquarters, had eliminated the Islamic State (ISIS) governor of the organization's Al-Anbar province.
Iran-Backed Group Claims Responsibility For Launch Of Grad Missiles At Turkish Base In Northern Iraq
On June 26, 2022, an Iran-backed militia claimed responsibility for the launch of two Grad missiles by its "rocket unit" at the military base "which the Turkish forces are occupying" in Mosul, Iraq.
