The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) are sharing content on the China-based TikTok platform promoting the group's ideology and activities, including videos related to "Support [for ISIS] is Ribat [Guarding at the Frontline] and Jihad," an ongoing social media campaign launched by pro-ISIS media entities encouraging supporters to remain committed to their online activities spreading ISIS propaganda and defending its ideology.[1]
On June 18, 2023, a supporter posted a video featuring several posters that were released on Telegram earlier this month by pro-ISIS media entities such as Al-Dura' Al-Sunni, Awar Al-Haq and others.[2]
The video further featured a nashid assuring ISIS supporters that "Allah's victory is coming."
The account, which uses a photo of slain ISIS Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi as a profile photo, has posted seven videos using a hashtag that reads: "Al-Wala' and Al-Bara," or loyalty and disavowal, a Salafi principal that ISIS and other jihadi group promote to justify the killing of those deemed the "enemies" of Islam.
Another video related to the jihadi media campaign featured a poster released by pro-ISIS Sarh Al-Khalafa Media Foundation, titled "You an army by yourself," which encouraged supporters to disseminate content and advocate for ISIS on social media. The video also featured audio of a man praising the "mujahedeen on the internet, who despite having their accounts deleted hundreds of times, never give up.
Another video posted on the account on June 19 featured a poster released by pro-ISIS outlet Al-Dura' Al-Sunni, featuring an interpretation of a Quranic verse that reads: "They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it."
The video also featured audio in which a cleric glorified slain ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammad Al-Adnani as "one of Allah's Righteous Guardians on earth."
On June 18, the account, which has 1,411 followers, posted a short clip showing nomads dressed in Sahel garments and riding camels in a desert area. The clip, which is likely a reference to the escalating battles between ISIS's affiliate in the Sahel against and the regional Al-Qaeda affiliate the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), featured audio of a poem asking Allah to grant the group His victory and defeat to the infidels, i.e., Al-Qaeda in this case.[3]
[1] See MEMRI JTTM report, Media Campaign By Pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Groups Encourages 'Media Jihadis' To Strengthen Their Resolve In Face Of Account Deletions, June 12, 2023.
[2] Tiktok.com, accessed on June 22, 2023.
[3] See MEMRI JTTM Inquiry And Analysis report, In The War-Torn African Sahel, The Years-Long Rivalry Between The Islamic State And Al-Qaeda Has Hit A New Peak, May 8, 2023.
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