The Quilliam Foundation, a London based think tank, has released a very interesting new report by Muhammad Ali Musawi titled Cheering for Osama: How Jihadis Use Discussion Forums. It is one of the best introductions to the world of online jihadism that I have seen. It also points out some recent forum trends that should interest more seasoned observers.
3 Responses
Hi, thanks for posting this.
I’m interested in Jihadist ideology and history, but not very well versed in how the Internet works. Unfortunately, the latter is increasingly becoming a precondition for the former…
Question for the tech-savvy: to what extent is it possible for governments or other outsiders to monitor and identify visitors to these forums, eg. inside a certain country? That is, as opposed to just destroying a website. I’ve read about the “honey pot” thing, but I’m talking about monitoring actual Jihadi online activity, tracking users and reading password-protected accounts and such.
And, in so far as it is possible, how aware are Jihadi sympathizers of this, or how paranoid? Is it much discussed?
Hi Aron, not sure if it’s appropriate to refer to another site, but there’s an article from The Economist in 2007 which covers the context of the ‘Irhabi007’ trial/judgement called ‘A World Wide Web of Terror.’ I believe it covers the awareness of sympathisers with the quote “Trust in Allah, but tie your camel” (in relation to online surveillance). Hope this helps!
Thanks, I’ll check it out!