A major article in the Issue 39 of the "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by Al-Azaim Media Foundation, a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), includes guidelines for the mujahideen to use to conceal their identity on the Internet generally and on social media in particular.
These guidelines are justified by their resemblance to the practices of the early Muslims who, facing opposition and persecution from the Quraysh tribe, migrated with Muhammad to Medina
"Faced with persecution in Mecca, the early Muslims undertook a perilous journey to Medina, where they established a thriving community and laid the foundations for the growth of Islam. This historical event underscores the importance of perseverance, strategic thinking, and community support in overcoming challenges. In our contemporary digital world, navigating the complexities of social media and internet use requires similar strategies of resilience and careful planning. We are facing significant challenges online," the article states.
"Today, We Are The Dreamers Of The Khilafah, Facing A Different Kind Of Challenge In The Digital Age; The Rise Of Social Media And The Internet... Has Also Brought About Significant Obstacles"
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"Throughout Islamic history, there have been numerous instances where the Ummah faced challenges but ultimately persevered through steadfast faith and wisdom.
"The Battle of Badr [in 624], one such example of a cornerstone of Islamic history, exemplifies the triumph of faith and divine support over material odds. Despite being vastly outnumbered, our beloved Prophet Muhammad and his followers achieved a decisive victory through their unwavering faith in Allah and strategic brilliance. This historic battle teaches us that with strong faith and intelligent planning, even the most daunting challenges can be overcome.
"Today, we are the dreamers of the Khilafah [caliphate], facing a different kind of challenge in the digital age. The rise of social media and the internet, while offering unparalleled opportunities for communication and outreach, has also brought about significant obstacles, particularly for us whose views are deemed controversial or extremist.
"This article delves into the reasons behind the frequent deletion of social media accounts and the imposition of stringent rules, and how to protect and navigate one's online presence. Moreover, it provides the most possible practical solutions for protecting social media identities and browsing the internet anonymously.
"Questions That Concern Us:
"a). Why our social media IDs are frequently deleted, facing more rules violation warnings, and posts getting minimum reach?
"b). How can we protect our social media accounts from being deleted and overcome other problems of question 02?
"c). How can we browse the internet anonymously?"
"Why Social Media IDs Get Deleted Frequently:
"My brothers and sisters, we, the supporters of the Khilafah, are often facing the frequent deletion of social media accounts. This phenomenon is primarily due to the stringent policies of social media platforms aimed at curbing the spread of extremist content and preventing radicalization. These platforms employ advanced algorithms and a large team of moderators to identify and remove content that violates their terms of service. The reasons for these deletions include:
"1.Violation Of Community Guidelines And Extremist Content:
"Social media platforms have stringent policies against content that promotes violence, terrorism, and extremism. Accounts associated with Islamic groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and others are often flagged and deleted due to the nature of their content, which typically violates these policies.
"A prominent example involved Twitter's crackdown on ISIS supporters, leading to the suspension of over 125,000 accounts linked to the group between mid-2015 and early 2016. These actions were part of a broader effort to curb the spread of extremist propaganda online.
Remember the early days of Islam, when the Quraysh imposed strict sanctions on Muslims, attempting to silence their messages? Similarly, social media platforms today impose restrictions on content they perceive as harmful.
"2. Automated Detection Systems and Algorithms:
"Social media companies use automated systems and algorithms to detect and remove content that violates their terms of service. These systems are designed to identify patterns of behavior, keywords, and images associated with extremist activities, resulting in the automatic removal of such content.
"Let's see an example. Previously, Facebook blocked content and restricted user IDs of those who used the word 'Shahid' (Martyr) in their post. Recently, they were permitted to use this word in Bangladesh and the Bengali language."
"Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad And His Followers Faced False Accusations And Hostility From The Quraysh, Akin To How User Reports Can Lead To Unwarranted Account Restrictions [On Social Media]"
"3. Government Regulations, Political And Social Pressure:
"Social media platforms face increased pressure from Western governments to crack down on accounts linked to extremist groups, resulting in widespread account suspensions. Many governments have enacted laws, and many influential groups can exert pressure on social media companies that require them to take swift action against terrorist content. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal repercussions, compelling these companies to adopt a zero-tolerance approach.
"4. User Reports And Flagging:
"Accounts can also be deleted or restricted due to reports from other users. Social media platforms often rely on user reports to identify content that violates their policies. When an account receives multiple reports, it is reviewed, and if found in violation, it may be suspended or deleted.
"Our beloved Prophet Muhammad and his followers faced false accusations and hostility from the Quraysh, akin to how user reports can lead to unwarranted account restrictions [now on social media]. We are sharing our views on social issues that might face coordinated reporting by opponents, resulting in account suspensions.
"5. Lack Of Contextual Understanding:
"Algorithms and content moderators may lack the contextual understanding necessary to accurately interpret certain posts. This can result in the removal of content that does not actually violate the rules but is flagged due to a lack of nuanced understanding. Suppose our post discussing historical battles in Islamic history was flagged and removed for promoting violence despite its educational intent.
"6. Vague Communication From Platforms:
"The Quraysh's arbitrary punishments against Muslims lacked transparency, much like how social media platforms can be unclear about policy violations. Platforms often provide unclear or insufficient explanations for account deletions and content removals, leaving users uncertain of their violations.
"7. Policy Changes And Updates:
"The shifting strategies of the Quraysh against Muslims reflect the changing policies of social media platforms. Frequent changes in platform policies can lead to previously acceptable content being flagged or removed without prior notice. Social media platforms frequently update their terms of service and community guidelines. Once-compliant accounts may find themselves in violation of new rules, leading to suspensions or deletions."
"Organized Efforts By Groups To Mass-Report Accounts Can Lead To Unjust Suspensions And Deletions Like The Quraysh Coordinated Efforts To Undermine The Prophet Muhammad"
"8. Overzealous Content Moderation:
"To combat extremist content, social media platforms may adopt overzealous content moderation practices. This can result in the removal of benign content and the suspension of accounts that are not actually violating any policies. Suppose you are sharing any war-related news and had your account repeatedly suspended due to the platform's aggressive moderation policies.
"9. Cultural And Regional Sensitivities:
"Content that is acceptable in one region may be f[l]agged or restricted in another due to varying cultural and legal standards. Suppose a user sharing cultural practices from one country might find their content restricted in another region with different cultural norms.
"10. Coordinated Attacks & Targeted Harassment:
"Organized efforts by groups to mass-report accounts can lead to unjust suspensions and deletions like the Quraysh coordinated efforts to undermine the Prophet Muhammad, similar to how coordinated reports can target social media users. Accounts can be targeted by coordinated harassment campaigns where multiple users report them simultaneously to trigger automated removal processes.
"11. Algorithm Bias:
"Algorithms used by social media platforms can be biased against certain keywords or topics, leading to disproportionate targeting of accounts discussing these issues. This bias can stem from the data used to train the algorithms or the parameters set by the platform.
"12. Misinterpretation Of Religious Content:
"Content related to religious teachings, practices, or historical events can be misinterpreted by automated systems or moderators unfamiliar with the context, leading to unjustified removals."
"The Early Muslims' Voices Were Suppressed In Mecca, Limiting Their Reach And Influence, Similar To How Shadow Banning Limits Visibility On Social Media"
"Facing More Rules Violation Warnings and Limited Post Reach:
"We are also facing frequent rules violation warnings and restricted reach of our posts. The reasons for this include:
"i) Content Filtering And Shadow Banning: The early Muslims' voices were suppressed in Mecca, limiting their reach and influence, similar to how shadow banning limits visibility on social media. To prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, social media platforms employ content filtering techniques and shadow banning.
"Shadow banning refers to the practice of limiting the visibility of a user's posts without their knowledge. This ensures that such content reaches fewer people. This was evident when numerous posts from suspected ISIS supporters were found to have significantly lower engagement compared to other content.
"ii) Reporting By Other Users: Posts by extremist supporters are often reported by other group supports or users, leading to increased scrutiny and subsequent action by the platform's moderation team.
"iii) Al-Driven Moderation: Artificial Intelligence systems are programmed to detect and limit the spread of content that violates community standards. This results in reduced reach for posts flagged as potentially harmful or extremist."
The full text of this report is available to MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor subscribers.
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JTTM subscribers can visit this page to view the report.
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