Are the Jihadi Forums Flagging? An Ideologue's Lament
Posted: 20th March 2013 by Cole Bunzel in Better Know a Forum, Jihadi media
Last month prominent jihadi ideologue Abu Sa'd al-'Amili published a
critical essay on the state of online global jihad. Released by Fursan
al-Balagh Media (@fursanalbalaagh) on February 17, the eight-page essay
stirringly lamented a general decline in participation in jihadi online
forums (websites such as Shumukh al-Islam and Shabakat al-Fida'
al-Islamiyya) and pleaded with users to reinvigorate the forums as the
proper centers of jihadi discussion and intellectual production online. (For
the history of these forums and their important role in jihadi activity,
including their ties to al-Qaeda and its affiliates, see here.)
While it is certainly a stretch to say that the forums are falling into
desuetude, al-'Amili's lament ought to be taken seriously, if only on
account of the author's status in jihadi circles. The pseudonymous shaykh is
a prolific jihadi presence online, with numerous essays and fatwas and even
a collection of poetry to his name. Who al-'Amili actually is remains a
mystery. He has previously justified guarding his true identity-and any and
all details of his background-out of security concerns, citing Qur'an 74:31:
"And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except He."
His essay in question, "On the Languishing of the Jihadi Forums: Causes and
Solutions," is a passionate appeal to his fellow jihadi netizens. Al-'Amili
describes the forums as a "factory" whose workers ought to be participating
in production but who apparently are not working very hard. He admonishes
forum members for not honoring the "responsibilities" that forum membership
entails, including guarding the forums' "reputation," "credibility," and
"preeminence" in the field of jihadi media.
The rest of the essay consists of two parts, the first enumerating the
reasons behind the decline of the forums and the second providing
suggestions for turning this situation around.
Why the forums are flagging
The first reason for the forums' "languishing," according to al-'Amili, is
the periodic disruptions to which they are subjected by "our enemies,"
meaning Western governments. In spring of last year, for example, most of
the major jihadi forums were shut down for a number of days or weeks. The
result of such shutdowns, says the author, is that some forum members seek
out temporary online alternatives, though most simply abandon their previous
activity out of either fear or negligence.
The second reason is increasing fear of monitoring and tracking by state
governments, which has resulted from these routine forum outages.
The third is the "departure into battle" (al-nafir) of forum members heading
to theaters of jihad such as Syria. Al-'Amili proudly notes that "the jihadi
forums are universities graduating bands of ansar al-jihad" (supporters of
jihad). These "departers" are not to be considered a loss to the forums,
though their departure does result in decreased activity. (For a study that
confirms the phenomenon of forum members moving to jihad fronts, see here.)
The fourth reason for the forums' decline, and the one which al-'Amili
focuses on the most, is jihadis' migration to social networking sites such
as Twitter and Facebook. Such movement was born out of necessity during the
periods when the forums were shut down, he says. This bore fruit
temporarily, but in the long run relying on social media is an error that
will derogate from the centrality of the forums-"our protected strongholds."
The movement of "major [jihadi] writers and analysts" (kibar al-kuttab
wa-l-muhallilin) to social networking sites is also part of this problem, as
ordinary forum members have migrated with them in order to follow their
writings.
The fifth and final reason for decline is a vicious circle problem following
from the withdrawal of both major writers and ordinary members. When the
former's writings have received little attention on the forums from the
latter, the major writers have been further discouraged from contributing
directly to the forums. Thus the withdrawal of the one reinforces the
withdrawal of the other.
How to reinvigorate the forums
The first of al-'Amili's "suggested solutions" to reversing the forums'
purported state of disrepair is reaffirming the importance of the forums "as
a defensive, lethal weapon for confronting the enemies of the Islamic
community." As much as soldiering on the battlefield, actively participating
on the forums ought to be considered jihad in the fullest sense of the word.
Second is for members to have more confidence in the forums' security and in
their own security as users. The forum administrators, he says, are more
concerned with the general membership's safety than with their own; they are
utterly devoted to forum security and would never forsake "their soldiers."
It is simply unjustified, he says, to turn away from the forums out of fear
that they have been compromised. Nor is it justified to turn away out of
fear that participating will lead to being monitored. Members need only use
the "identity-disguising programs" (baramij al-takhaffi) designed by "your
technician brothers" on the forums to protect their online anonymity.
Third is for major jihadi writers to use the forums as the main outlet for
their writings, thus drawing ordinary members back to the forums in tow.
Here he directs a plea to "the major [jihadi] writers and shaykhs and
analysts" to return to the forums. These latter ought to be "the main
theater of your jihad and the principal point of departure for your guidance
and your analysis."
Fourth is to recognize the inadequacy of social media as an alternative to
the forums, a point on which al-'Amili is adamant. On social media, he says,
we are only "guests," for these sites are run by "our enemies." Inevitably
there will come a day when "they shut their doors in our faces." What is
more, relying on social media poses an inherent danger to jihadis as "the
enemies" can use these sites against us at any time. If we preference social
media we will be "duped" into diminishing and spoiling our efforts. The
forums ought to be jihadis' "base and foundation" online.
Fifth is to attract new technical experts, graphics designers, and
translators to "jihadi media organizations"-which publicize on the forums-to
improve the effectiveness of the media and messages posted there.
An effective prescription?
If al-'Amili's five stated reasons for decline are accurate, is it possible,
following the author's prescription, to reinvigorate the forums? The short
answer seems to be no: periodic forum outages have been damaging and the
attraction of social media is on the rise. But one must also consider that
al-'Amili is exaggerating the extent of whatever "languishing" is actually
taking place. For one thing, jihadi participation in social media has not
necessarily undermined the position of the forums.
Recently, Shumukh members posted long lists of jihadi Facebook and Twitter
accounts suggested for following. Among the Twitter accounts listed was one
belonging to a certain Abu Sa'd al-'Amili (@al3aamili)-yes, the very author
of this essay warning readers of the dangers of social media. Al-'Amili, in
fact, has tweeted quite often since December 2012.
Indeed, social media has probably benefited the state of online global jihad
by exposing the jihadi message to more potential sympathizers and recruits.
This has had the effect of decentralizing the online jihadi environment,
leading to relatively less participation on the forums in the form of
discussion and analysis. But the forums are hardly in a state of disrepair;
comments and analyses are constantly being posted, often in a parallel
effort with Facebook and Twitter jihadi accounts. This is very much the case
with the "major writers" whom al-'Amili mentions-and among whom al-'Amili
may be counted. Their writings tend to originate with independent jihadi
media outlets that post to Twitter and Facebook, as well as to the forums.
Rather than languishing, the forums have succeeded in retaining their
special position as an unusually private setting for exclusive discussion,
which sometimes leads to collaborative efforts. Furthermore, as the main
conduits for conveying official al-Qaeda media to the online jihadi
community, they continue to enjoy a vaunted status as semi-official websites
for al-Qaeda and its affiliates. They may be suffering somewhat, but the
jihadi forums are hardly on the down and out.
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