People making funny videos to post on YouTube and Facebook or “dancing on Tok-Tok [sp]” are furthering the “satanic” agenda of Hollywood and trying to turn people to “dark and gloomy abysses,” declared the latest issue of an English-language magazine published online by ISIS supporters.
ISIS has long used social media and videos — many with high production value to emulate a stylized action film or video games — to recruit and inspire followers and sympathizers.
The article in the March issue of “The Voice of Hind,” released monthly by ISIS supporters in India, called Hollywood “one of the greatest obstacles in the path of Islam” as “attempts are made to control hearts and minds of people all over the world and to add a certain style and colour to their ideas and culture, habits and abodes.”
“Then, under this global satanic industry, certain wicked Kuffar [disbeliever] men and women are presented to the world as role-models,” the article said, noting that pockets of the entertainment industry such as India’s Bollywood and Pakistan’s Lollywood and “countless of these ‘Woods’ have come into existence” to influence culture.
On the heels of a Women’s Day March in Pakistan that drew threats from the Pakistani Taliban, the ISIS publication took a shot at “so called freedom of speech and opinion, equality of men and women and countless other wicked principles and slogans such as ‘My Body, My Choice’ which are resounding everywhere today.”
The article stated that people’s “mentality has been shaped up to such extent that even at the individual level, people are seen making nonsensical, aimless and stupid videos wasting all their time in ‘fun’ and entertainment.”
“Today, situation has become such that everyone is trying to get ahead of each other by picking up a microphone and a guitar to play satanic music,” the article continued. “And others make videos by insulting, mocking and ridiculing people and then sharing those videos on YouTube, Facebook etc where thousands more idiotic men and women view it and laugh at it, desensitizing their hearts and buying an undue burden of sins.”
The article also chided Muslims considered to be “spreading Fahasha [indecency or lewdness] in various forms publicly, secretly or through different social media applications.”
“Often, you’re seen dancing on Tok-Tok [sp] and sometimes your stories of Fahasha are shared on Facebook,” the ISIS piece said, calling instead on people to prepare to “wage a war by announcing disassociation from the satanic and tawaghit [worship focus other than God] systems and civilizations.”
Last month’s “Voice of Hind” issue included a call for those disseminating ISIS propaganda through creating and running online media to “not spare any effort” as “every single click of yours has its reward.”
The magazine has somewhat stepped into the void — left by the demise of official ISIS publications “Dabiq” and “Rumiyah” — of regular English-language ISIS magazines offering tips and incitement. Though shorter in length, “Hind” routinely has seized on current events to recruit and incite.
In August, the magazine urged followers to “race” to emulate the Charlie Hebdo attack, arguing that governments aren’t doing enough to punish those viewed by the terror group as blasphemers. “If we do not become forceful, then the assaults on our religion… will continue,” the text stated, calling on supporters to “take revenge on each and every one who has insulted our beloved Messenger (PBUH).”
In September, the magazine lamented that some who are claiming affiliation to the terror group “don’t have any clue” and could use more propaganda education.
Days after French teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded outside his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in October, “Hind” published a full-page graphic urging more attacks and showing the severed head.
“If your freedom of expression doesn’t stop you from criticizing prophet Muhammad PBUH then our swords will not stop defending the honour of prophet Muhammad PBUH,” the image said, with a cutout photo of Paty’s head below a graphic of a sword.
