Press Release Announcement - No. 47 November 2, 2007 No.47
Islamist Websites Monitor Website – Statement of Purpose
Project Description
The purpose of MEMRI's Islamist Websites Monitor Project, launched by MEMRI in 2006 as part of the Jihad & Terrorism Studies project, is to keep Western audiences informed about the steadily growing phenomenon of jihadist sites on the Internet, which are used by terrorist organizations and their supporters to spread their extremist message and to raise funds and recruit activists.
MEMRI's Islamist Websites Monitor Project monitors a wide range of jihadist websites on a daily basis, and publishes the most important items posted on them. In addition, it analyzes the materials on these sites with the aim of identifying crucial developments in the world of jihad, such as disagreements among jihad groups or the emergence of new ideological trends and operational strategies.
Finally, the project exposes the Internet service providers (ISPs) that host the jihadist websites, particularly ISPs in Western countries, with the aim of encouraging these companies to remove jihadist websites from their servers.
Please note that MEMRI's Islamist Websites Monitor Project is the largest open archive of translated material from Islamist websites.
Go to MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE.... Click H E R E
O.K. kids, time to stop with the playful kidding around for a bit. I got this comment direct from Afghanistan and I am pleased to learn there are groups like this springing up.
It's a comment on the piece I did last week on the Bedouin guy in Israel who had eight wives and 60 or 70 kids. (No one seems to know for sure!) Not everyone reads the comments section so I want to draw attention to this group here and urge you to support them in any way possible.
Muslims Against Sharia said... Muslims Against Sharia condemn treatment of women by the State of Israel. Government-sanctioned polygamy is unbecoming of a country that claims to be the only true Democracy in the Middle East. We call on Israeli Knesset to immediately enact a law prohibiting married men to marry more women. No civilized society of the 21st century can permit this medieval practice. No civilized society treat its women as less than human beings.
You see? It's not just the Arab States that condone Sharia Law. I replied!
Thank you very much. I appreciate your comments and will pass them along as best I can.
I believe outside pressure can help people in situations such as yours and I will promote it any way I can.
Would you believe there were some very misguided politicians here in Ontario that actually toyed with the idea of introducing Sharia Law over here for Muslim women.
That is until the everyday people slapped them and brought them back to reality.
If you want to read more on the treatment of women in Arab society go to my book at www.God-101.com . The chapter on Islam addresses this and other issues that are keeping the Arabs culturally stuck in the twelfth century.
Here is the web site of "Reform Islam" which had the blog "Women against Sharia! Click H E R E If you want to send an e-mail to these people the address is: info@reformislam.org /
It's also nice to see that these ladies have a sense of humour. Any Muslim men that want to send a death threat can do so at the special e-mail address: die@reformislam.org
Also, here is a web site that accurately analyses events in the Middle East called The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and can be found H E R E Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God at www.God-101.com and the blog "Perspective" at http://God-101.blogspot.com
The Middle East Media Research Institute (M.E.M.R.I. - http://memri.org) is an organization that analyzes Middle Eastern media sites such as newspapers, radio and T.V. stations and Internet sites to report what is being said about Political events in the Muslim world.
In a briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by Rep. Gary Ackerman and Rep. Mike Pence, MEMRI's president Yigal Carmon spoke about Islamist/Jihadi websites.
The briefing was based on a study prepared by MEMRI which highlighted the fact that all Islamist/Jihadi websites are hosted directly or through subservers by Western - primarily American - Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The study discussed the question of what can be done about ISPs that do not know what is in the content of the websites they are hosting. This due to the language gap, since most of these websites are in Arabic.
During the briefing, MEMRI announced that it is taking upon itself a public service by offering ISPs that want to know about the content of the sites they are hosting, information regarding those sites within 7-10 days. This is so they can make an informed decision on whether they want to continue hosting these sites.
ISPs can now access the MEMRI Public Service Guide through a dedicated webpage, www.MEMRIPSG.org and submit their questions.
The briefing included a video of material posted on these Islamist/Jihadi websites.
The following is some of the text of the presentation:
Introduction;
Extremist Islam makes extensive use of the Internet. One can hardly imagine the growth of radical Islam and its jihadi organizations in recent years without the immense reach, impact and capabilities of the Internet.
The threat posed by Islamist websites has recently been demonstrated by three cases: the case of the New Jersey group that planned a terrorist attack on Fort Dix; the planned terrorist attack on JFK; and the attempted car bombings in the UK. According to media reports, the terrorists in all three cases were inspired by jihadist websites.
There were also two recent court cases in Britain and Switzerland in which terrorists were convicted of using Internet sites to promote terrorist activities.
The National Intelligence Estimate recently published by the U.S. National Intelligence Council stressed the following, "We assess that the spread of radical - especially Salafi - Internet sites, increasingly aggressive anti-US rhetoric and actions, and the growing number of radical, self-generating cells in Western countries indicate that the radical and violent segment of the West’s Muslim population is expanding, including in the United States.
The arrest and prosecution by US law enforcement of a small number of violent Islamic extremists inside the United States - who are becoming more connected ideologically, virtually, and/or in a physical sense to the global extremist movement - points to the possibility that others may become sufficiently radicalized that they will view the use of violence here as legitimate..."
The jihadist terrorist organizations utilize the Internet for two main purposes: for operational needs, and for indoctrination and da'wa. (propagation of Islam).
1. Operational Purposes.
The Internet serves as a tool in the military training of jihad fighters by circulating military guidebooks on weaponry, battle tactics, explosives manufacture, and other topics.
An example is Al-Qaeda's online military magazine Mu'askar Al-Battar (The Al-Battar Training Camp), published by the Military Committee of the Mujahideen in the Arabian Peninsula.
2. Indoctrination and Da'wa Needs
The main use of the Internet by Islamist/Jihadi organizations is in the field of indoctrination and da'wa(propagation of Islam).
The organizations attach great significance to this Internet activity, as evident from the considerable efforts they invest in it.
Al-Qaeda, for example, has an "information department" and a very active production company, Al-Sahab.
Likewise, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) - which is an umbrella organization founded by Al-Qaeda, incorporating several terrorist groups in Iraq - has an "information ministry" and two media companies, Al-Furqan and Al-Fajr.
In addition, there are independent media companies serving the Islamist organizations, such as the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), which denies having ties with Al-Qaeda but has posted Al-Qaeda statements taking responsibility for terrorist acts. The GIMF has also established the Media Jihad Brigade (Katibat Al-Jihad Al-I'lami).
The online indoctrination and da'wa activities are regarded by the organizations as an integral part of jihad, and as another front of jihad in addition to its military, economic, and political fronts.
In fact, they characterize online media or informational activity as a type of jihad that can be carried out by those who cannot participate in the fighting on the battlefield. They call this kind of jihad "the media jihad" (al-jihad al-i'lami) or "the da'wa jihad." (al-jihad al-da'awi)
3. What Can Be Done?
The prevalent view in the West, even among officials in charge of counterterrorism, is that the primary way to fight the jihadist websites is to spread an alternative message, or a "counter-narrative," which is opposed to that of the Islamists.
Indeed, Islamist ideology should and can be countered by alternative messages and it is indeed increasingly challenged by reformists in the Arab and Muslim world.
However, such an ideological campaign is, by its very nature, a long-term effort with no immediate results.
More effective and immediate ways to fight the phenomenon are, firstly, to expose the extremist sites via the media, and thus to inform ISPs and the public at large of their content, and secondly, to bring legal measures against ISPs that continue to host extremist websites and forums.
Exposure.
Experience teaches that exposure is, in itself an effective measure against extremist sites.
In 2004, MEMRI published a comprehensive two-part review of Islamist websites and their hosts. Within a week of the publication of this review, most of the sites exposed in it were closed down by the ISPs that hosted them.
This suggests that an effective measure against the extremists' online activities would be to establish a database - governmental or non-governmental - which would regularly publish information about Islamist/Jihadi sites, and/or provide it to ISPs upon request.
This database would provide a service similar to that of government bodies that inform the public at large on various kinds of threats to its safety such as bodies that provide weather alerts and travel advisories; the Better Business Bureau, which provides businessmen with information about individuals and companies convicted of fraud; or the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control that provides information to banks, which are bound by the regulation of "know your customer."
It should also be stressed that the ISPs themselves have a legal authority to remove sites that violate the law (e.g. the copyright laws) or sites that abuse their own regulations as laid down by the ISPs.
Thus, with information on extremist sites at their disposal, the ISPs should have both the ability and the obligation to remove such sites from their servers.
AND ABOVE ALL ELSE REMEMBER THIS ONE VERY IMPORTANT FACT! EVEN THOUGH THESE GROUPS MIGHT HAVE STARTED OUT BEING "REACTIVE" AGAINST SITUATIONS IMPOSED ON THEM, THEY HAVE NOW TURNED TO BEING "PROACTIVE" AND THEREFORE INVITE ANY RETALIATION DEEMED NECESSARY!
Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God at www.God-101.com
You remember some months back I told you about a Mickey Mouse type of character (Farfour) on Hamas Al-Aqsa TV that was being used by Islamic Fundamentalists to indoctrinate and brain wash young children!
At the time there was world wide condemnation of this to the point that Al-Aqsa TV had to promise to remove the offensive character from their programming.
Like all Islamic Fundamentalists, these lying bastards took Farour off the air all right, by making him a myartyr that was killed by an Israeli soldier!
Following the "martyrdom" of Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV's Mickey Mouse-like character Farfour at the hands of an Israeli soldier ( MEMRI TV ) on the Pioneers of Tomorrow children's show, the show introduced a new character, Nahoul the Bee, who vowed to continue in Farfour's path of "Islam, heroism, martyrdom, and the mujahideen."
The following are excerpts from the Pioneers of Tomorrow show featuring Nahoul the Bee, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on this Friday July 13, 2007.
Saraa, child host: Who are you, and where did you come from?
Nahoul the Bee: I am Nahoul.
Saraa: Nahoul who?
Nahoul: I'm Nahoul, Farfour's cousin.
Saraa: What do you want?
Nahoul: I want to continue the path of my cousin Farfour.
Saraa: How do you want to do this?
Nahoul: I want to be in every episode with you on the Pioneers of Tomorrow show, just like Farfour.
I want to continue in the path of Farfour – the path of Islam, of heroism, of martyrdom, and of the mujahideen.
Me and my friends will follow in the footsteps of Farfour. We will take revenge upon the enemies of Allah, the killer of the prophets and of the innocent children, until we liberate Al-Aqsa from their impurity. We place our trust in Allah.
Saraa: Welcome, Nahoul...
That's all Folks! REMEMBER, THIS IS A MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALIST SHOW AIMED AT PRE-SCHOOLERS!!!!!!
Allan W Janssen
Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!) at www.God-101.com
GUEST POST: MEMRI releases an astonishing example of the "true Muslim" faith. By David Tell;
IF THERE WERE JUSTICE in the universe, the Middle East Media Research Institute would already have been awarded some kind of special-achievement Pulitzer Prize.
MEMRI has pioneered the careful translation, and dissemination to European and American audiences, of print and broadcast news sources in the Arab world.
The group's work now pops up everywhere; here in the States, hardly a week goes by when some major daily or cable news show doesn't make use of a MEMRI translation.
And the cumulative effect of such translations is--or ought to be, at least--roughly analogous to the body blow struck against European philo-communism by the first Western publication of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's novels in the 1960s.
Here, really for the first time, non-Arabic speaking Westerners are being given a direct, first-person look into a previously unseen gulag.
Only this time there is no barbed wire, the prisoners all serve by choice, and the anti-Semitism is no longer ancillary but central, basic, and paramount.
It turns out that the Islamic Middle East, just as the Israelis have been begging us for years to figure out, has got itself trapped in a deep, deep swamp of near-psychotic Jew hatred.
Yesterday morning at the National Press Club here in Washington, MEMRI held a briefing on Arabic-language media coverage of "martyrdom and suicide bombers."
Along with all the usual, scrupulously documented newspaper translations, the group also screened an eye-opening videotape compilation (with English subtitles) of recent broadcasts on something called Iqraa Television.
Iqraa is one of the global satellite channels packaged by the Arab Radio and Television Network (ART), a Saudi-based company with transmission facilities in Italy, which describes itself as "the leading producer of premium Arabic family programming and entertainment worldwide."
Iqraa is ART's effort to provide "a focused insight into the teachings of the Quran" to "intellectual, elite, and conservative Islamic markets." It is widely watched. And it is hair-raisingly insane.
The April 25, 2002 interview with Prof. 'Adel Sadeq, head of the psychiatry faculty at 'Ein Shams University in Cairo, for example.
Professor Sadeq beams with glee as he explains how Western civilization "has no concepts such as self-sacrifice and honor," which is why Americans fail to understand that the suicide bomber experiences "the height of ecstasy and happiness" just at the moment when, "ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and then he presses the button to blow himself up."
Big smile!
Then there's the May 9, 2002, program on "discipline in the family," featuring one Jasem Al-Mutawah, an "expert on family matters," who patiently describes to his viewers where on her body, how severely, with what weapon, and under what circumstances a man should beat his wife.
And, most harrowing of all, perhaps, especially if you have kids of your own, there is the May 7, 2002 edition of "Muslim Woman Magazine," hosted by Doaa 'Amer, a soft spoken, highly polished anchorlady who might just as well be Joan Lunden or Katie Couric--except that she's wearing a body-length robe.
And also that she's a monster.
Ms. 'Amer begins as follows:
"Our report today will be a little different, because our guest is a girl, a Muslim girl, but a true Muslim.
Allah willing, may our God give us the strength to educate our children the same way, so that the next generation will turn out to be true Muslims who understand that they are Muslims and know who their enemies are.
This girl will introduce herself immediately.
She is the daughter of my sister in faith and of the artist, Wagdi Al-Arabi. Her name is Basmallah and we will ask her as well."
The camera then begins a low pan downward and to the right as Ms. 'Amer offers a "peace be unto you" welcome to her guest.
Who turns out to be . . . a toddler.
Toddler: "Allah's mercy and blessing upon you."
'Amer: "What's your name?"
Toddler: "Basmallah"
'Amer: "Basmallah, how old are you?"
Toddler: "Three and a half."
'Amer: "Are you a Muslim?"
Toddler: "Yes."
'Amer: "Basmallah, are you familiar with the Jews?"
Toddler: "Yes."
'Amer: "Do you like them?"
Toddler: "No."
'Amer: "Why don't you like them?"
Toddler: "Because . . ."
'Amer: "Because they are what?"
Toddler: "They're apes and pigs."
'Amer: "Because they are apes and pigs. Who said they are so?"
Toddler: "Our God."
'Amer: "Where did he say this?"
Toddler: "In the Koran."
'Amer: "Right, he said that about them in the Koran. Okay, Basmallah, what are the Jews doing?"
Toddler: "The Pepsi company."
'Amer: [Approving laughter.] "You also know about the boycott, Basmallah? Did they love our master, Muhammad?"
Toddler: "No."
'Amer: "No. What did the Jews do to him?"
Toddler: [Pauses, struggling for the right answer.] "The Prophet Muhammad killed someone . . . "
'Amer: "Obviously, our master Muhammad was strong and could have killed them. All right, you know the traditions about the Jews and what they did to the Prophet Muhammad?"
Toddler: [Mumbled assent.]
'Amer: "Is there a story you know?
Toddler: "Yes, the story about the Jewish woman."
'Amer: "The Jewish woman? What did she do to our master, the Prophet Muhammad?"
Toddler: "The Jewish woman?"
'Amer: "Yes."
Toddler: There was a Jewish woman who invited the Prophet and his friends. When he asked her, "Did you put poison (in my food)?" she said to him, "Yes." he asked her, "Why did you do this?" and she replied, "If you are a liar you will die and Allah will not protect you; if you speak the truth Allah will protect you."
'Amer: "And our God protected the Prophet Muhammad, of course."
Toddler: And he said to his friends, "I will kill this lady."
'Amer: "Of course, because she put poison in his food, this Jewess."
Toddler: "Oh."
'Amer: [Speaking directly into the camera.] "Basmallah, Allah be praised, Basmallah, Allah be praised. May our God bless her. No one could wish Allah could give him a more believing girl than she.
May Allah bless her and her father and mother. The next generation of children must be true Muslims. We must educate them now while they are still children so that they will grow up to be true Muslims.
For more information from and about the Middle East Media Research Institute, see their web site at Middle East Media Research Institute David Tell is opinion editor of The Weekly Standard.
Allan W Janssen is the author of The Plain Truth About God-101 (what the church doesn't want you to know!) www.God-101.com
