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.)
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EXCLUSIVE: Salafi-Jihadis Conduct Online 'Equip Us' Campaign To Raise Funds For Jihad In Gaza
Introduction
In the last six months, the Ibn Taymiyyah Media Center (ITMC), identified with the Salafi-jihadi stream in the Gaza Strip, has been conducting an online campaign called "Jahezona" ("Equip Us") to raise funds for the Salafi jihad organizations in Gaza. The campaign, whose motto is "The money will come from you and the blood will come from us," calls upon Muslims to donate funds for the Gazan mujahideen, and also to assist by spreading the word about the campaign. It stresses that the mujahideen are in dire need of such aid and that "waging jihad by means of money" (i.e., financially assisting the jihad fighters and their families) is an important religious duty incumbent upon each and every Muslim. The campaign also emphasizes that one who donates money for jihad is like one who fights with his own hands, and that the religious texts and scholars "even put this duty before" the duty of waging jihad on the battlefield. The campaign appeals to the Muslims' sentiments, calling upon them not to leave the Gazan mujahideen alone in the struggle against "the enemies of the faith and those who violate our honor and our women's honor, [namely] the Jews" and harshly rebukes Muslims who fail to perform this duty. It reinforces its message by quoting leaders of global jihad who underscored the importance of donating money for the mujahideen, especially those in Palestine.
The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
In a new video message, an Afghan militant commander fighting alongside the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria says that the Islamic Emirate (the Afghan Taliban's shadow government under Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansoor) has been acquiring arms from Iran and receiving military training there ever since ISIS emerged in Afghanistan.
The Khorasan chapter of the Islamic State (ISIS) has released a new propaganda video featuring its fighters running a makeshift terror camp somewhere in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. The 14-minute video, titled "Wa Aedo" (Be Prepared), was produced by the Islamic State's Khorasan Media Office and posted on websites and social networking accounts used by the militants for the promotion of jihad.
The Khorasan chapter of the Islamic State (ISIS) has released yet another video threatening to take revenge on "infidels" for the killing of key commander Sheikh Jalaluddin and other fighters in a U.S. drone strike. Sheikh Jalaluddin was an influential ISIS cleric and was killed by the U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan's troubled Nangarhar province, the hotbed of ISIS fighters, a few months ago. Jalaluddin had been a teacher at the Jamia Taleemul Quran Wal Hadith madrassa of Sheikh Aminullah in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, before joining the ISIS in Khorasan.
Following are images from "the Al-Badr Training Camp" of the Afghan Taliban situated somewhere in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Several groups of militants are seen swearing fealty to Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, the emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban shadow government).
The images are taken from a video produced within the last one month by Saadiqeen Media, a media arm of the Islamic Emirate. The video contains a short audio message by Sirajuddin Haqqani in support of Mullah Mansoor. Haqqani is the chief of the Haqqani Network, a key unit of the Afghan Taliban. It also contains another audio statement in support of Mullah Mansoor from Mullah Abdul Mannan, the Taliban governor for Helmand province.
ISIS Video Showcases Its Armored Brigade, Touts Future Conquest Of Rome
On December 11, 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) Al-Raqqa province released a video titled "And The Meeting Is In Dabiq," showcasing the group's Al-Farouq Armored Brigade and touting its future victory over the Crusaders. Most of the video's nearly 15 minutes focuses on ISIS's armored brigade, showing several tanks and a number of various armored vehicles participating in various military maneuvers.
French-Speaking Pro-ISIS Group Distributes Posters Inciting Attacks In France
Between December 1 and December 13, 2015, a group of supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Twitter distributed a series of posters in French promoting the ISIS message. The posters call upon Muslims to either migrate to ISIS territories or to fight the unbelievers in France itself, as the perpetrators of the November 13 Paris attack did. Consisting of concise verbal messages with images or illustrations, they communicate all the essential elements of the ISIS discourse, for purposes of recruitment and propaganda.
Pro-ISIS Twitter Accounts, Telegram Channels Disseminate Technical Tips, Legal Advice
On December 12, 2015, a graphic image titled "Your Security on Twitter" was circulated by ISIS supporters on Twitter and Telegram. The collection of tips, which appear to have been compiled by two prominent figures on the ISIS social media scene, mostly advise followers on precautions to take online. The last one, however, provides legal advice for anyone facing prosecution, and explains that in case of need, they should contact Radical Girl.
Jihadi Recommends Using Secure Messaging App 'Signal' Instead Of Telegram
A jihadi on the Shumoukh Al-Islam forum is recommending using the secure messaging app Signal instead of Telegram for communication purposes. Signal's encryption protocol, he says, is more secure than that of Telegram, and has been used and endorsed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Telegram Channel Disseminates Works Of Al-Awlaki
On December 11, 2015, a Telegram channel called "Imam Anwar Al Awlaki rh" was created; it disseminates the works of the radical Yemeni-American sheikh. It shares audio files from Awlaki's seminal "Hereafter" series, along with a number of video interviews with him. The channel's information page directs followers to Kalamullah.com for additional audio recordings, videos, and books by Al-Awlaki. At the time of this writing, this Telegram channel had 423 members.
On His Telegram Channel, British ISIS Fighter Appeals For Donations To Keep Fighters Warm In Syria
On December 14, 2015, British ISIS fighter Omar Hussain posted a message on his Telegram channel asking for donations to help ISIS militants keep warm in Syria this winter. He wrote: "As we know, winter is soon approaching and the winters here in Sham [Syria] are extremely difficult. We end up having to have 3 blankets wrapped around us at night as some brothers cannot afford heaters. If someone is willing to assist financially in this cause then please message me on my telegram and I'll arrange for the money to come inside sham via other secure roots InshaaAllah." This message was viewed by 662 members of Hussain's Telegram channel, which at the time of writing had a total of 704 members.
Infographic Instructing Women On Proper Hijab Wear In Islamic State Circulated Across Social Media
On December 9, 2015, Islamic State- (ISIS) affiliated accounts across different social media platforms circulated an infographic with instructions on how to correctly wear a hijab in the Islamic State. The image originally appeared over a year ago in Arabic, published in pamphlet form by ISIS's Al-Himma Library. It has since been translated into English, French, and Turkish, and distributed via Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook.
