Losing the war of narratives against Daesh and AQ Affiliates

 

 

 

By Alan Malcher.

 

 

The skilful use of narratives continues to be the prerequisite for the successful indoctrination and radicalisation of young Muslims and this is particularly true in the case of vulnerable Muslims who were born and continue to live in western countries.  Although a variety of other factors must also be taken into consideration, these factors work in parallel with the radicalisation process based on narratives, which are not purely centred on religion. However, many of these factors are complex and beyond the scope of this post.  Without sufficient counter-narratives and the means by which to disseminate them among Muslims who are in danger of being groomed, the Ideology of Daesh and AQ Affiliates will continue to act like an infectious disease of hate. In the war of narratives the violent Jihadists continue to maintain the initiative; resulting in a regular flow of recruits for their cause and the increasing potential for self-radicalisation leading to the so-called ‘lone wolf’. There also remains the high probability of organised domestic terrorism inside western nations.

Among the major tenets of extremist ideology is the belief- there are no such things as countries, political institutions or laws. These, they say, are manmade and not ordained by God. For them, the natural order of the world is the worldwide Muslim community. Consequently, by the very nature of their world view there is no such thing as British, American Muslims etc. The indoctrinated see themselves as Muslims whose only allegiance is towards Muslims who share their extremist’s interpretation of Islam. The fully indoctrinated idealists reject their country and only have allegiance to the Muslim community which, by default, is Daesh or an AQ Affiliate.  As we have seen in recent years many former AQ Affiliates are coming to recognise the so-called Islamic State as the capital of the Muslim community.

Modern extremist narratives influence the genesis, growth and development by transforming the subjective consciousness rather than objective reality. This results in the construction of an esoteric ideological framework providing answers to, and promoting collective action to address the evils of the world as seen by the extremists.

By their very nature, although fluid, these narratives are a complex mixture of medieval and Islamic history, theology, myths and legends. According to Baddeley and Woods, in exploring such shadowy legends, myths becomes as real and as potent as empirically provable history.  Ancient and modern times collide and collapse into each other; the roots of political and theological terrorism intertwine and interconnect.  (Gavin Baddeley & Paul Woods, God’s Assassins: The Medieval Roots of Terrorism, Ian Allan Publishing 2009)

We also find, as Baddeley and Woods further explain, that in trying to establish the truth of an obscure period of history, we have become embroiled in mythology. “The mythology can no longer be extricated from the reality. Nothing is true. Everything is permitted”. (Ibid)

Narratives are continuously brought up to date by reflecting the jihadist interpretation of current news and international affairs.  While some activists are able to quote many of these narratives verbatim, the majority, however, not only tend to use the vernacular, few can name the sources of narratives they regard as facts.  Although critics argue these narratives frequently twist the facts to fit the extremist’s view of the world, they continue to go unchallenged by a wide audience (Malcher,Narratives: Pathways to Domestic Radicalisation and Martyrdom, Second edition, December 2014)

The extremist facilitator attempts to employ a variety of techniques that create strong emotional responses, especially emotions which by their very nature feed themselves. This can be particularly powerful when these beliefs, feelings or behaviours are at the subconscious level; such as being part of, or connected with a subject’s virtue belief system: those beliefs that drives conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles. These virtues may include religion, honour, community, family, etc., and have a powerful influence on how people behave, see and interact with society, the world and with other people.

Islamophobia, racial discrimination or any narratives which may be perceived as such, continue to be be used and manipulated by extremist propagandists and groomers to create a powerful emotional response to their own narratives of hate which ‘supposedly’ challenge such discrimination. In the case of western nations, their aim is to encourage the belief among young and often impressionable Muslims of being marginalised, socially excluded and their religion being under threat from mainstream society and their governments.

A recent account of two female British Muslims who were targeted and groomed by an extremist facilitator and found themselves with what they describe as “powerfully mixed emotions” and, after expressing their concerns to Muslim friends were prevented from becoming radicalised, provides an example of how peaceful and law abiding individuals may be filled with hatred towards their country through narratives which claim to provide the evidence and the solution to the western world which  is promoting  Islamophobia and killing Muslims.

“I didn’t have a plan and didn’t know how I was going to do it. But I had so much anger inside me. I wanted to be heard… I thought I could do all this through violence, by becoming the country’s first female suicide bomber…” (Malcher, Narratives: Pathways to Domestic radicalisation and Martyrdom, Second edition, 2014)

“Once they established that suspicion and malice against the west, depending on the person, all the emotions can be channelled in various ways, including violence” (Ibid)

This strategy of provocation is designed to create and maintain the illusion of a world based on Islamophobia. For this reason, according to extremist narratives, it is the religious duty of every Muslim to engage in jihad against the infidels who continue to oppress all Muslims.

Since Daesh (the Islamic State) started promoting their war crimes on social media, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anti-Islamic content being uploaded to social media and the number of islamophobic blogs continue to increase. Those who are unable to separate the majority of Muslims from the tiny minority who support acts of religious violence and post anti-Muslim content on the internet continue to fuel the paranoia, insecurity and hatred which Daesh and other extremists recognise as being essential for the growth of their organisations: racism and Islamophobia are essential for the indoctrination and radicalisation of susceptible young Muslims.

 

The World’s Media- Unbalanced reporting

Due to editorial decisions we continue to see one-sided news coverage of Daesh, especially the barbaric atrocities which has become the hallmark of the estimated 100,000* Neanderthals who insist on being called the Islamic State. The graphic accounts of journalists and Christians being slaughtered make powerful stories and the world needs to be made aware of these atrocities, but the world can only fully understand the true extent of their continued war crimes by including the vast numbers of Muslims who continue to be murdered and mutilated. News coverage of Muslims being frequently butchered by Muslims challenge anti-Islamic statements such as, “All Muslims are terrorists”, and  Daesh narratives claiming “Jihad is against the infidels, the United States and their crusading allies…”  and “We are protecting Muslims…” Factual and balanced reporting would show that the highest number of victims continue to be Muslims being murdered by Muslims.

(*Figures according to Hisham al-Hrsshin, security expert in Baghdad.)

Although extensive research has been conducted by the United Nations and various independent organisations their findings appear to have gone unnoticed by the media.  For instance, when you read the UN reports (UNAMI/OHCR, Bagdad: The Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Iraq), you find the common thread in the murder of Muslims has nothing to do with Islam. It has to do with absolute power. It does not matter if you are a Sunni cleric or a Christian woman, your choice is to submit to Daesh or die.

If the world’s media was to provide more coverage of crimes against Muslims by the so-called Islamic State (Daesh); this would severely damage their credibility among potential supporters and challenge their narratives of violence and religious purity.

The following extracts from a UN report, published in 2014, provides an example of what Daesh consider crimes against their ‘State’ and the appropriate punishments.

July 22, a Sunni Imam in Eastern Baquba was killed for denouncing ISIS.

August 2, a man from the Salah ad Din province was abducted and beheaded for refusing to swear allegiance to ISIS.

August 19, a female Muslim doctor south of Mosul was killed for organizing a protest to object to ISIS’ mandate that female doctors cover their faces with religious veils when treating patients

August 31, 19 Sunni Muslim men executed in Saadiya for refusing to swear allegiance to ISIS.

September 5, ISIS executed three Sunni women in Mosul after refusing to provide medical care to ISIS fighters.

September 9, ISIS executed two Muslim women by shooting them in the back of the head. Their exact “crime” was not known

Although Sunni Muslims are frequently beheaded, shot, set on fire, thrown from high-rise buildings, hung, crucified and their heads blown off by explosive necklaces; these war crimes are seldom reported.

Encouraging enemies within western nations

Daesh and AQ Affiliates continues to seize every opportunity to fuel civil unrest which they hope will lead to recruitment and acts of terrorism inside western nations. For instance, on 9 August 2014, an unarmed 18- year-old black man was fatally shot by a white police officer of the Ferguson Police Department in Missouri, a suburb of St Louis. The death of Michael brown and the subsequent civil unrests was seized upon by extremist propagandists to show the United States as a racist country where black people are murdered. The decision of the Grand Jury not to prosecute the officer was used to further promote the belief that black people in America are not protected by the law and may be murdered with impunity.  To reinforce the propaganda value, they suggested their views were supported by non-Islamic independent sources by using extracts from the Russian and Hungarian press who had heavily criticised the Ferguson shooting. To further project the illusion of the United States as being inherently racist and ‘ungodly’ , they used the birth right debate which was illustrated with altered photographs depicting President Obama and his family as monkeys,  to claim that even the elected President and his family we not  immune from racial abuse.

In stark contrast, Daesh published photographs of their fighters to illustrate their multi-ethnic composition. A professional quality photograph showing black, white and Oriental jihadists, was accompanied by the message “All are equal under the Islamic State, unlike the widespread prejudices of the United States”.

Pamela Geller – The American Oxymoron (American Patriot or inadvertently promoting jihad?)

Pamela Geller, who runs the ‘American Freedom Defence Institute’ and the ‘Stop the Islamisation of America’ organisation, is known for her anti-Islamic writings. According to the Southern Poverty Law Centre, Geller and her organisations are hate groups which publishes and promotes a “collection of paranoid delusions and distortions…” (loomwatch.com)  With 140,000 Facebook fans she is clearly getting her message across.

Due to her constant inflammatory remarks about Muslims it is not surprising she has received death threats and, according to Geller, remains a potential target by extremists. However, here’s the oxymoron: for her supporters she is a patriot speaking out against the Islamisation of America, but for some jihadists, due to her ignorance and being self-opinionated, she may also be seen as a useful asset against the United States. To use a phrase which is becoming increasingly used to describe such people, she is “A useful idiot”

Whilst academics and counter-terrorist specialists attempt to find ways of countering the violent narratives from Daesh and AQ affiliates which encourage others to embrace their ideology and fight in the name of jihad, Geller’s writings and speeches not only reinforce the validity of these narratives but also cause resentment, insecurity and perceived marginalisation among Muslims living in the US and Europe. As I have already illustrated, the perception of insecurity and marginalisation as a direct result of Islamophobia is the major driving force for the radicalisation of young Muslims. Consequently, due to ignorance and her anti-Muslim writings she is inadvertently helping to create the ideal psychological conditions for jihad inside the United States.  Furthermore, her writings and public statements give credibility to Daesh and AQ narratives which often divide the world into them and us- Muslims and those bent on destroying Muslims.

After reading a number of Geller’s blogs I tend to agree with the Southern Poverty Law Centre, she does indeed publish and promote a “collection of paranoid delusions and distortions…”

According to Geller, “… You cannot ignore the fact that there are no-go zones where the police cannot go in France, cannot go in England and the fire department cannot go. When they go in it is a trick, it’s an ambush… There are no go zones and the rule of law is sharia”

As I live in England and I know people living in France I can categorically say this fabrication is little more than scaremongering.

On 10 March 2011, Geller told Fox News, “Islam is not a race. This is an ideology. This is an extreme ideology, the most radical and extreme ideology on the face of the earth”. Notice that her attack is against Islam, not extremism.

“I don’t think that westernised Muslims know that when they pray five times a day that they are cursing Christians and Jews five times a day” (Geller blog)

“I believe in the idea of a moderate Muslim. I do not believe in the idea of a moderate Islam” (Geller, The New York Times 8 October 2010)

On several occasions Geller has also said she only likes ‘secular’ Muslims because the last chapters of the Koran are violent! Another oxymoron.

The dangers of Islamophobia of a type promoted by Geller became apparent on 7 July 2007 when four suicide bombers attacked London’s transportation system resulting in 52 killed and 700 injured. One of the bombers, Mohammad Sidique Khan, justified attacking his country and killing civilians by saying, “Until we feel security, you are the targets…” and “We are at war and I am a soldier- now you too will taste the reality of the situation…” (Extracts from Khan Martyrdom video prior to the attack)

The four suicide bombers blamed British citizens for their government’s policies in the Middle East simply because they had elected the government. It is clear from their statements that they truly believed that Islamophobia both at home an overseas was a powerful motive for attacking their country.

After reading numerous anti-Muslim blog entries and quotes from Geller, not only have I come to the conclusion this self-styled expert is grossly ignorant and a bigot, I also regard her as a disgrace to the British, American and coalition Muslim veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the estimated 8,000 Muslim translators of which 375 were killed whilst working with coalition forces.

American war dead- KIA Iraq (Geller-  Please note, these are Muslims who are also American Patriots)

Corporal Jabrow Hashmi. A Muslim in the British Army KIA Afghanistan

Islamophobia and Racism – A powerful reason for violent jihad

There are currently two major information wars taking place against the western nations which are predominantly NATO members. Russian propaganda and disinformation which is accompanied by the Kremlin’s army of trolls. This problem is well documented and continues to be countered by the dissemination of factual evidence.

The other, which is proving far more difficult to address because the objective is to encourage a violent knee jerk reaction through the use of mythology, conspiracy theories, historical revisionism as well as propaganda and disinformation, are the powerful narratives from Daesh and AQ Affiliates. These narratives, which continue to flood the internet, are designed to have a profound psychological effect on their target audience, which mainly consist of young Muslims and non-Muslims, who feel disenfranchised and are vulnerable to skilful manipulation. One only has to look at the numbers joining the extremist ranks over the past years to see the effectiveness of this intense psychological campaign.

Much continues to be written and discussed about the extremist’s twisted view of Islam but we must ALWAYS REMEMBER this interpretation is REJECTED by the majority of Muslims throughout the world, and many Muslims are actively attempting to stop young Muslims being indoctrinated into this violent ‘cultist’ belief as well as de-radicalising those who have been groomed.

I agree with the argument that young Muslims should be guided in their religious education and every effort should be made to counter the violent jihadist interpretation of their faith.  However, whilst organisations like Daesh, Al-Shabab, Boko Haram and other AQ Affiliates preach religious hatred towards unbelievers (Including Sunni Muslims who reject their interpretation of Islam) it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the extremist’s interpretation of Islam is simply a by-product of an extremely powerful human emotion which generates hate and this manifests itself into the need for revenge,  and the deep-rooted and ‘unquestionable’ belief that violence is not only morally acceptable it is also a religious duty.

Extremist ideology: the belief in an alternative form of Islam based on violence and the creation of a modern Islamic Empire to protect all Muslims, I argue, is the by-product of ‘perceived’ Islamophobia on a global scale. This has allowed extremist facilitators and their leadership to create the illusion that Islamophobia has been endorsed by the western nations and the ‘misguided’ apostate’s – Muslims who do not follow their interpretation of Islam and   Muslim countries friendly with the west.

After examining martyrdom videos, statements from suicide bombers and their supporters we see a common thread:  an extreme hatred towards the western nations and anything which does not fit their brand of Islam; the belief  that the non-Muslim world wishes to destroy Islam; all Sunni Muslims have been corrupted by non-believers and have to be guided along the ‘true’ path of their religion.

Furthermore, extremist ideology, I argue, is the by-product of induced delusions and paranoia: the unshakeable belief that Islamophobia threatens the very existence of Islam and through these paranoid delusions the Islamic State is seen as the foundations on which to build a modern Islamic empire which provides security against the prejudices of non-Muslims, and Islamic education for those Muslims that have been corrupted by western ideas.

The works of people like Pamela Geller and others who promote Islamophobia continue to inadvertently support the violent narratives of the extremists- they provide the ‘unquestionable’ proof that all Muslims are under threat form the ‘crusader’ nations and their version of Islam which calls for violent Jihad to save all Muslims is the only solution.

A personal invitation to Pamela Geller

As Ms. Geller is a member of LinkedIn she may have read this post or one of her contacts may have brought it to her attention. As I also believe in democracy and freedom of speech I would like to provide you with an opportunity to comment on my views regarding your published materials and the organisations you represent. If interested, I suggest you reply using a LinkedIn post as this will allow myself and other members to make comments or reply by uploading additional posts on the subject.  Before you ask, I am NOT a Muslim- I am someone who simply understands the problems and maintains an unbiased attitude!

 

 

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