Terrorist organisation Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (Isis) is on “aggressive mode” in reaching out to the Malay-speaking communities by making reading materials in Bahasa Malaysia more accessible online.
It aims to spread its propaganda through series of more “localised news reports” and “articles” that glorify Isis fighters, especially those from Malaysia and Indonesia, and sharing news of those from both countries who had migrated to Syria to take up arms with Isis.
These “articles” were made available on Isis Malay websites. It also shared information on Isis activities carried out at the provinces they conquered.
One of these websites is Isdarat Daulah Islamiyah a portal containing articles taken from the Isis magazine Dabiq, which are translated into Indonesian and Malay, for targeted audience in both countries.
The Isis online recruiters from both countries also used forums as well as blogs to reach out to the masses telling their stories to invoke sympathy among the Malay and Indonesian speakers.
Bukit Aman Counter Terrorism Division principal assistant director, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, said the Isis recruiters would include articles on martyrdom and life with the Isis.
“They feed their sympathisers with fairy tales,” said Ayob.
It is understood that currently there were roughly six to seven Isis Malay websites, forums and blogs.
He said these websites have their servers abroad to avoid detection from authorities in both countries.
The Isis social media unit has also taken the initiative to include Malay subtitles in its radio programmes broadcast in English and Arabic through Isis official radio station Al-Bayan which has been available on YouTube three months ago.
A check on YouTube, which provides access to recorded Isis radio programmes, showed that it attracted between 700 and 2,000 visitors.
International Islamic University Malaysia’s (IIUM) Political Science and Islamic Studies lecturer Ahmad El-Muhammady said the emergence of Isis Malay websites indicated an “offensive approach” taken by the pro-Isis group, as they intended to inform and dis-inform readers on the developments in the Isis-controlled territories.
“Before this, they took a ‘defensive approach’ that is to respond to the accusation made against them and it was done either in Arabic, English or Indonesian language. Now, they changed tact,” Ahmad said.
“To me, it is not surprising. Currently, the term ‘jihad media’ (al-‘ilami al-jihadi) is getting popular among the pro-Isis chatters. This term is coined by Abu Sa’ad al-Amily to encourage young people to join the Isis media team to take an offensive approach against their ‘enemies’.”
He said there was also a book on Jihad Media, written by Al-Amily, calling on Muslims to perform jihad media.
The soft copy of the book was widely circulated among Facebook users in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East.
Jihad Media has been translated into several languages, including Indonesian.
Ahmad, who studied Isis’s ideological dimension and implication on its war operations and jihad, described this trend as worrying.
“Currently, there is an increase in interest among youths in rural areas in the east coast, especially among secondary and college students.
He said the use of Malay as the medium was all about penetrating deeper into Malaysian society.
“Those who are not educated in English still rely on the Malay website as source of reference.”
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said so far no Isis Malay websites have been shut down.
Its monitoring and enforcement division head, Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, said MCMC was aware of the emergence of these sites and had a list of the websites but would not make it public.
“So far, we have not blocked any such website but we did take down few videos on YouTube,” he told The Malaysian Insider. – June 16, 2015.
– See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/isis-on-aggressive-recruitment-drive-with-malay-reading-materials#sthash.Q4CnUoLi.dpuf