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Cyber Science 2019

Examining the Roles of Muhajirahs in the Islamic State via Twitter

Source: BuzzFeed

Aunshul Rege & Scott VanZant

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Cyber Science 2019

Background

• Terrorists’ use of social media

• Propaganda and information dissemination, recruitment

• Conway (2016):

• Despite more than a decade of terrorism research, the online activities of jihadi females is a topic area that remains understudied

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Cyber Science 2019

Women Leaving for IS

• 2014-2015:

• ~ 550 women (Hoyle et al. 2015)

• Push Factors:

• Loneliness and alienation; disenfranchisement

• Pull Factors:

• Sense of belonging: “habibti”, “akhewat”

• Caliphate utopian ideal

• Objectives:

• Experiences of migrant women in IS after arrival

• Levels/types of involvement

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Cyber Science 2019

Methodology Part 1: Document Analysis

• Agency reports & media articles

• Selection criteria

• Accounts of those who self-identify as muhajirah (migrants)

Methodology Part 2: “Snowball” Document Analysis

• 15 Muhajirah accounts

• Selection Criteria

• Snowballed to other muhajirah accounts (retweeters, followers)

• Cross-checked in media and agency reports

• 83 unique muhajirah accounts; 763 tweets

• No Retweets

• Women’s own voices & their own descriptions of events

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Cyber Science 2019

Limitations and Mitigation Approaches

• Variations in Online Presence

• More ‘vocal’ accounts; public accounts; English only

• Account Suspensions

• No continuity of analysis; difficulty to identify ‘reincarnations’

• Account Veracity/Attribution

• Mitigating approaches

• Interactions with others: attribution

• Consistency across different platforms: attribution• Tumblr, Instagram, Kik, Ask.fm

• Cross-checked against agency and media reports: attribution

• Length of ‘active’ time & regenerated accounts: suspensions

• Archived tweets: September 2014-December 2016: suspensions

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Cyber Science 2019

Analysis

1. Identity & Sisterhood1.1: Roles

1.2: Building the Utopian Caliphate

1.3: Living by the Rules

1.4: Bonding & Oneness

2. Recruitment2.1: Planning Hijrah

2.2: Maqars and Marriage

2.3: Citizen Privileges

2.4: Incite/Inspire ‘At-Home’ Attacks

3. Other Involvement3.1: Disseminating Propaganda3.2: Promoting Hate/Rivalry 3.3: Celebrating Violence3.4: Indicating Desire to Engage in Violence

4. Western Influences4.1: Language4.2: Culture Memes4.3: Food4.4: Social

5. Tech Savviness5.1: Technologies and Social Medias5.2: Private/Secure Communications5.3: Regenerative Traits

6. Muhajirah Difficulties6.1: Cultural Alienation

6.2: Differential Treatment

6.3: Freedom & Movement Restrictions

6.4: Desire to Return

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Cyber Science 2019

1.1: Identity & Sisterhood: Roles

• Domestic

• Wife: back-end support to male jihadists

• Mother: glory of raising next generation

"The best thing a man can do is jihad, and the best thing for a women is to be a righteous wife and to raise righteous children." - Umm Ubaydah

"As mundane as some of the day to day tasks may get … [we] will spend mornings and nights in happiness because [we] are cooking the Mujahideen foodor [the sisters] clean the whole building without anyone even figuring it out who it was." -Umm Layth

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Cyber Science 2019

1.1: Identity & Sisterhood: Roles

• Teachers

• Tax Collectors

• Doctors/ Nurses

• Basic health clinic for women & children

• Antenatal checks

• Prescribing antibiotics

• Administering vaccines

• Police (Al-khansaa & Umm Al-Rayan brigade)

• Enforce strict standards on dress & morality

• Expose male activists disguised in women’s clothing at checkpoints

“Any Muhajirah with diploma or degree in nursing, radiography, lab tech, or anything has to do with Medicine please @ or DM me.”- Bird Of Jannah

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Cyber Science 2019

2.1: Recruitment: Planning Hijrah

• Online guides: advice, support, travel tips, how to avoid detection

“For those who wanna know more about Hijrah… http://ask.fm/BintNur” - BirdofJannah

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Cyber Science 2019

2.1: Recruitment: Planning Hijrah

• Checklists

“… bring some good clothes and boots because you will be disappointed with the quality here” - birdOfJannah

“No good makeup... n clothes too. I brought 2 suitcases.” - Umm Abbas

“If you can take out a student loan pls do so… the kuffar [non-Muslim] wealth is halal [permitted] for us” – Umm Umar

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Cyber Science 2019

2.2: Recruitment: Maqars and Marriage

• Maqar [hostel for unmarried women]

• what sort of 'brother' she wants to marry

• "marriage affairs" /emirs play matchmaker

• "speed-dating": 5 mins to speak to each other (viewing optional)

• Father’s permission sought via phone/internet

• Marriage

• Same/next day as speed-date

• May (not) share ethnic backgrounds/language

• Monthly allowance for food, expenses, and own house

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Cyber Science 2019

2.3: Recruitment: Citizen Privileges

• Free food, clothes, fresh bread

• Monetary gifts for newlyweds

• Shaheed’s wife honored & proud

“U dnt hav 2 pay 4 ANYTHING if u r wife of a shaheed” – Umm Zhara

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Cyber Science 2019

3.4: Other Involvement: Desire for Violence

• Religious fatwa : "situation for Muslims has become desperate“

• Ready for Violence

• Desire for Violence

“I will be straight up and blunt with you all, there is absolutely nothing for sisters to participate in Qitaal[fighting]” – umm Layth

“Laaawl me and the akhawats {sisters} thought maybe murtads {apostates} were in the city lool -I put the belt [explosive belt] on and everything” – umm Khattab

“I want to be the first UK woman to kill a Westerner” – Khadijah Dare

“There’s not a single women fightinin IS. The womens place is in her house looking after her kids & fulfilling her duty to her husband. Khalas” – Al Khanssaa

“If we ever get hold of her I call dibs on cutting her head plz” -bintladen

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Cyber Science 2019

4.1: Western Influence: Language

• "Bizarre mix of western teenage speak with massive brutality"

“I wonder if I can pull a Mulan and enter the battlefield” –Umm Ubaydah

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Cyber Science 2019

4.2: Western Influence: Cultural Memes

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Cyber Science 2019

4.2: Western Influence: Cultural Memes

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Cyber Science 2019

4.3: Western Influence: Food

“I’m making pancakes, and there’s Nutella, come up in a bit” – Umm Khattab

“omg do you have achaar lol and tandoori :p I'm taking taxi to your house now” – Umm Anwar

"Oreo cheesecake a la @OumMujahid93 and me"

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Cyber Science 2019

6.1: Muhajirah Difficulties: Cultural Alienation

“To live amongst people that differ from you –e.g. language, background, lifestyle and et. Is not always fascinating.” – BirdofJannah

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Cyber Science 2019

6.2: Muhajirah Difficulties: Differential Treatment

“The doctor came and examined 2 women who were just experiencing cramps, leaving the Muhajirah sister in pain and drenched in blood. She wasn’t offered a chair or a bed and nobody even returned to check on her to see the progression of her case.”- bintWater

#NobodyCaresAboutAWidow- women are in vulnerable positions, after losing a jihadist husband

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Cyber Science 2019

6.3: Muhajirah Difficulties: Freedom & Movement

“Wallahi life here is very difficult for the Mujahirat... It's not like the west where you can casually walk out and go to Asda/Walmart... we have to stay safe outside and must always be accompanied by a Mahram [male chaperone]”- umm Layth

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Cyber Science 2019

6.4: Muhajirah Difficulties: Desire to Return

“subhana’Allaah many sisters are now wanting to go back while sisters in the west would give anything to be here. Allaah guides whom he wills”- Al Khanssaa

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Cyber Science 2019

Discussion

• Duality:

• Domestic BUT Corner Stones

• Contradictions:

• Shaheed’s Wife Honored vs. #NobodyCaresAboutAWidow

• Perfect Life vs. Wanting to Return

• Alienation as a Push Factor vs. Alienation in IS

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Cyber Science 2019

Future Research Directions

• Relevant to current events

• Shamima Begam (left UK 2015)

• Hoda Muthana (left US 2014)• Uncertain about future of IS

• Fear children’s future

• Did not cause harm

• Brainwashed

• Threshold/continuum of support

• Support IS vehemently online, but no hijrah

• “This area is unstable. I think it needs to settle down”

• Content to fight for IS online without giving up western life

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Cyber Science 2019

Examining the Roles of Muhajirahs in the Islamic State via Twitter

Comments/questions?

Aunshul Rege & Scott VanZant

rege@temple.eduscott.vanzant@temple.edu

@prof_regesites.temple.edu/care