DISSOLVING THE PROPAGANDA MACHINERY OF ISIS: WHAT THE WORLD CAN DO.

 

            The recent rise in reported cases of attempted ISIS recruitments and enlistments among citizens/permanent residents of America and its allied states has created a heightened sense of insecurity and fear around the world. Like all other peace loving people, I share this fear. However, I am of the view that this fear is not as much from the real threat of an ISIS orchestrated group or lone-wolf terrorist act as it is about the fact that it is successfully turning America’s citizens and friends into its foes. As unbelievable as it might sound, ISIS does not have an effective recruitment system, what they have is an elaborate, well-structured and well-oiled propaganda machinery. Through antics like the misinterpretation of Quranic texts, fear mongering, bullying and the gruesome tactic of televised mass executions, ISIS is able to project itself as more influential and powerful than it really is and through that is able to prey on the ignorance and fear of the masses. Terrorism has become attractive to the troubled, ignorant, rebel and misfit youth and ISIS uses its effective propaganda machinery to get such people to support, and even carry out its nefarious terrorist activities.

            In order to dissolve ISIS, its continuity must be halted by preventing the recruitment of newer members.  Without new recruits, the group will lose support and manpower and eventually collapse. A problem however, is that the consented global effort and collaboration needed to do this is currently lacking. While some countries show apathy to the fight against ISIS, others are genuinely hampered by political, economic, social and even religious factors making it difficult for the world to tackle the global threat of terrorism with the force it requires. But if we are able to significantly limit the recruitment of more ISIS fighters, the world will inch a step closer to dissolving ISIS and other terrorist groups like it.  I believe this can be done by weakening the terrorist group’s propaganda machinery, and this is my suggested approach to doing that.

            First of all, media companies should be more active in their reportage of the gains made by the allied forces. Successful anti-terrorist campaigns should be widely broadcast to show the world we are making huge strides in our war on terror. Successful opposition to the territorial expansions of ISIS should be lauded and applauded worldwide amid extensive media coverage to both inform the public and allay some of their fear and deter would-be ISIS recruits. ISIS prides on its ability to project dominance, so such an approach will be a huge blow to the ego of its leaders and will weaken the group’s position in the eyes of the radicalized few who revere them. It will also ramp up global support for the war on terror and boost the morale of anti-terrorist forces. While doing this, the media must also desist from projecting ISIS as a “Muslim” group. I suggest this because many Muslims have condemned the activities of ISIS as being against the tenets of Islam. This means the group is NOT representative of Islam and as such must not be presented as such. A terrorist group is just that “a terrorist group”, any claim to be fighting for a particular religion or course is just a cheap means to court support and coax some sympathy. Left to me, references like “Islamists” and “Muslim extremists” should be avoided in our media coverage since they only widen the religious divides that already exist today.

            Secondly, there ought to be more public, widely broadcast condemnation of ISIS from renowned and esteemed Muslim clerics and religious leaders. The biased and total misinterpretations of verses of the Holy Quran to justify terrorism is a big problem to Islam; a gross desecration of the Holy Quran and a dent to the peace Islam represents. It is therefore imperative for true Muslims to condemn the abuse and desecretion of the sacred teachings of Islam in war mongering and terrorism. Purposeful discussions on terrorism are derailed once it is turned into an anti-religious often anti-Islamic debate. Terrorism today has been made synonymous with Islam when the TRUE teachings of Islam prohibit everything terrorism stands for. This is the time for enlightened, learned, renowned Islamic scholars to give the world a differentiation between Islam and terror and a clear interpretation of what the Quran says about the murder of innocent people. Renowned and respected Muslim leaders and clerics like Mehmet Gormez (Turkish Cleric), Nabil al-Arabi (Arab League Chief) and Abdulaziz al-Sheik (Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia) have publicly condemned ISIS and terrorism and i recommended same from all others. Similarly, many Muslim groups around the world like the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have done same but the very limited media coverage these public condemnations received means they barely impacted the anti-terrorism campaign and the Islamization of terror. But there is no reason to be quiet, all must condemn terror and join in the fight against it and the media must be ready to project our collective and individual condemnation of and opposition to it. The public fear and panic fanned by the media ought to be eased with a proportionate reportage of the gains the world is making against fundamentalists and terrorists.

            Third, individuals ought to be more accommodating of the opinions and beliefs of others. This is because recent reports indicate that many of the people who end up being radicalized by terrorist groups are often those who are distant from society for various reasons ranging from religious beliefs through misunderstood personalities to real or perceived oppression, racism, social isolation, stigmatization and/or abuse. I am of the opinion that ISIS uses issues like the misconceptions of Islam and racism to attract individuals who feel misunderstood and betrayed by a cruel society. If we accommodate others, they will more willing to discuss their problems and give society to right any wrongs we may have done them. If not, such people might resent society and may be more susceptible to radicalization since they may see it a s a means of exacting revenge on the society they are outcasts of.  The growing threat of lone-wolf attacks and the widespread threat of attacks on home soil are indications of how effective the Islamic State’s propaganda and internet recruitment has become.

            Speaking of the internet, there is the need for a closer monitoring of the various terrorist recruitment websites since they have become a very reliable recruitment source for ISIS. With the help of the internet and mobile communication, individuals outside ISIS controlled territories can now be reached, brainwashed and radicalized without ever being in face to face contact with representatives of this terrorist group. ISIS is a modern day terrorist group, they have successfully recruited well educated students and learned/skilled professional into their ranks. This means they have vast technological and technical capacities. A case in point is their recruitment of “Jihadi John” a college graduate with a degree in information technology and from a well to do family living in London. Through illegal activities like kidnapping for ransom, opium trading, human trafficking and the black market sale of oil and valuable cultural artifacts, the group is able to raise money to finance its terrorist operations both in the Middle East and elsewhere. I hope that the countrywide homegrown terrorism investigations announced by the FBI includes close monitoring of correspondence across terrorist websites since that could be a source of very useful information and tactical data.

Last but not least, the public ought to be extra vigilant and ready to report suspicious persons and behaviors to the police. The relationship between the national security agencies and the public has not been the best lately, but for the sake of the collective safety of America and its allies, we should be ready to help our security agencies fight terrorism. Terrorists live with and among us. As peaceful, private, concerned citizens, we are, strictly speaking, the first line of defense in curbing terrorism around the world. Our vigilance and close cooperation and communication with national security forces is a vital tool in our fight against terrorism and as such must not be overlooked. In our churches, mosques, synagogues, shrines, schools, markets etc., we should always be on the lookout for the suspicions or threats of terrorist acts.

I will end by stating that terrorism is NOT a problem with any religion. It is a problem with our society and its misplaced sense of duty, responsibility, tolerance and personal freedom. It is a global problem perpetrated by people of diverse races, religious /ideological beliefs and world views against an equally diverse collection of global citizens; the innocent victims. Terrorism is an abhorrent evil, tying it to religious beliefs and ideologies is a cheap way to garner support and seek justification.  It is therefore imperative for the world to unite and fight terror in all corners of the world and with full dedication, commitment and force. If we oppose terrorism and detest terrorists, it is time for us to stop paying lip-service to the war on terror and do our part to make this dream a reality. THIS IS MY CALL TO THE WORLD, WILL IT ANSWER??