The Need to Consistently Combat Terrorism and Radical Beliefs In The Name Of Islam
By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
28 May 2024
Dr.
Younes Karimi's 2021 Research on ISIS Twitter Dataset Analysis Identifies Two
Sets of Users Suspected of ISIS Affiliation, Focusing on Preventing
Brainwashing, Recruiting, Radicalism, Extremism, Rebellion, And Terrorism.
Main
Points
1. Dr. Younes
Karimi's longitudinal ISIS Twitter dataset analysis identifies two sets of
users suspected of ISIS affiliation on Twitter.
2. The study
suggests that some Twitter users have publicly supported ISIS by retweeting its
agenda items, while others indirectly quote ISIS tweets, indicating potential
links to ISIS seed accounts.
3. The study
utilizes a dataset of nearly 10 million tweets from 6,173 accounts associated
with ISIS and its propaganda from 2009 to 2021.
4. The study
underscores the necessity to reengage in the fight against terrorism, remove
brainwashing accounts from social media, and eradicate radical beliefs that
fuel the violence of terrorist organizations like ISIS.
5. The
international community, especially Muslim scholars and Ulama worldwide, must
collaborate to counter the increasing agenda of ISIS on the internet.
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Dr Younes
Karimi's 2021 research-oriented paper on Longitudinal ISIS Twitter Dataset
Analysis Identified two sets of users suspected of ISIS affiliation. His
analysis of ISIS data was distinctive, and as a result, he brought to light a
crucial aspect of the effort to prevent indoctrination on the style of
radicalism, extremism, rebellion, and terrorism.
I was
inquisitive to know why some users who started engaging with the popular ISIS
accounts during 2014-2015 remained active as of 2021. The author claims that some users have openly
supported ISIS on Twitter by retweeting the group's agenda items, whereas
others must have indirectly quoted ISIS tweets, suggesting that they may have
some dubious links to ISIS seed accounts.
His studies
provide the groundwork for further research by validating accounts and
establishing a framework for differentiating between the functioning of
accounts (propaganda versus operational planning, for example). This study
stands out from those published on internet media, either because fewer of them
concentrate on individual accounts or because most simply focus on ISIS's
online recruiting and campaigning efforts.
It is true
that “after the decline of the physical caliphate, ISIS increasingly has begun
to rely upon “virtual entrepreneurs” (Meleagrou-Hitchens and Hughes 2017),
‘fanboy’ (Darwish 2019) and a sophisticated online media operation to propagate
its goals.”
The author
writes:
“In 2015,
ISIS online media efforts faced a crackdown by technology companies anxious to
remove content and suspend users’ accounts. ISIS had to change its online
strategy. Very little is known about ISIS's online whereabouts since then.
Although most suspicious Twitter accounts are suspended or removed by now,
ISIS's physical caliphate has collapsed, its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is
dead, their sympathizers and supporters are still active across a spectrum of
social media applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and TamTam (Amarasingam
2020). Notwithstanding this transition, Twitter still provides the largest
community and potential audience for ISIS supporters and a considerable number
of ISIS supporters are still active on Twitter.
..…
A Longitudinal Dataset of Twitter ISIS Users
2 Feb 2022
The study
uses a dataset of nearly 10 million tweets from 6,173 accounts linked to ISIS
and its propaganda, covering a period from 2009 to 2021. It reveals real
correlations between sympathizers and ISIS, with some accounts suspended,
removed, or reported as suspicious since 2015.
The author
created a dataset to study ISIS's social media presence in the last decade. He
identifies various use cases for analysing ISIS's methods for propaganda,
message longevity, resonance within target populations, and creating
connections between individuals and the group. The dataset also includes
non-ISIS use cases like studying conversations and hate speech. To obtain more
information, please follow the provided link.
He asserted
that language, images, memes, and banners are all part of the ISIS propaganda
apparatus. I'lami Muragham, a new ISIS faction, released four posters on
Telegram in December 2021, calling for resistance and announcing an ISIS jihad
till the "last day" (MEMRI 2021b). One of the posters, titled "We
Will Come To You From Where You Do Not Expect" aims to instil terror
in the enemy and motivate the recruits to act. The study quotes ISIS spokesman
Al-Shaykh Al-Muhajir as stating the message.
Reading
this study makes it clear that we must always recommit to the battle against
terrorism and the defeat of the radical beliefs that encourage the violence of
terrorist organisations like ISIS. Our political, economic, and social systems
are all at risk from the persistent threat of terrorism and extremism, which
also jeopardises the security and stability of our region. This phenomenon is
global in scope, extending beyond national borders and cultural standards,
where the misuse of Islam as a religion is unquestionably a key attack.
This means
that in order to counter the increasing agenda of ISIS on the internet, the
international community—especially Muslim scholars, professors, and Ulama
worldwide—must collaborate. Not only is it imperative that we fight terrorism
militarily, but we also need to destroy it on all fronts. Following their physical
defeat, ISIS and related groups have shifted their attention to growing their
social media following on Twitter and other platforms. Therefore, it is
imperative to consistently refute terrorist and extremist narratives in
addition to investigating and removing the brainwashing accounts from social
media.
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Link of
the Study: A Longitudinal Dataset of Twitter ISIS Users
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-terrorism-jihad/combat-terrorism-radical-beliefs/d/132401
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