Colin Parkinson
Army.ca Myth
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Has an Organized Campaign to Shut Down Islamist Websites Begun?
Islamist Forums Claim It Has
In the past weeks, several rumors have been spread over Islamist websites about Western intelligence agencies' intention to shut down Islamist forums. As one Islamist put it, "We are all aware of the Zionist-Crusader campaign that has been launched against the Islamist websites... The most recent [manifestation of this campaign] is... the effort of American intelligence to completely eliminate websites that distribute communiqués [by the mujahideen] and films [documenting] attacks of the Iraqi resistance, or which encourage so-called terrorism.... As part of this campaign, [the Americans are also] threatening TV networks that broadcast videos [documenting] attacks... or that report on [Coalition] casualties not reported by the U.S. military." [1] Islamist forums reacting to the recent disabling of one Islamist website and one Islamist forum claim that these are two manifestations of a single united U.S. campaign against Islamists.
Background
Recently, an important Islamist news website and a prominent Islamist forum stopped operating. Information posted on Islamist websites indicated that this was not due to technical or financial difficulties, as often happens with Islamist forums/websites, but was the result of a decision by Arab governments (inspired by the U.S.?) to shut down Islamist websites. [2] The following is an outline of these recent developments:
The Disabling of the Mufakirat Al-Islam Website
An anonymous letter posted March 10, 2007 on aliraqnews.com, an Iraqi website containing general Iraqi news and some Islamist material, announced: "A source linked to the Saudi Ministry of the Interior... indicated that Saudi security forces have arrested Sheikh Al-Hajiir, the general administrator of... Mufakirat Al-Islam [a news website sympathetic to the mujahideen] upon the request of the current Iraqi government [as the latter] accused [Mufakirat Al-Islam] of supporting terrorism and encouraging violence in Iraq." [3] The letter also asserted that Mufakirat Al-Islam is currently distributing news from a special server located in Canada. As of today, April 19, 2007, any attempt to access the original URL of Mufakirat Al-Islam (www.islammemo.cc ) leads to http://www.waleef.net/, a website promoting computer software for parental control.
The Disabling of the Al-Mohajroon Forum
On April 15, 2007, mohajroon.com, a forum posting Islamist communiqués, news, and jihad films, ceased to operate. The somewhat cryptic message which announced the closing of the forum triggered much speculation as to the cause of this development, as well as various emotional reactions among participants in the various Islamist forums.
One forum participant wrote: "At 2:30 AM, as I was reading in the forum [i.e. mohajroon.com], I noticed a disaster, the shutting down of the forum... I almost cried... this forum is my entire existence and life." [4]
Another forum participant somewhat poetically wrote: "Oh my beloved Mohajroon, I still remember the day of your departure... great grief is burning in my heart, [it is] a day of mourning but I consider it... a great day which is followed by hope..." [5]
Rumors and speculation died out in the forums only on April 18, 2007, when Muhammad 'Abd Allah Al-Fatih Al-Qurashi, the administrator of mohjroon.com, posted a message on various Islamist websites explaining the circumstances which had led to the disabling of mohajroon.com: "The apostate government of Dubai which collaborates with the American tyrant has threatened our brother the owner of... Al-Mohajroon... with arrest if he does not shut down the forum. This [should be perceived as part of] what is called a war on terrorism... which America announced and which the apostate collaborators of America among the rulers of this region... are carrying out..." Al-Qurashi, then, proceeds to detail what he describes as the crimes committed by Dubai's government against the mujahideen and an appeal to Islamists on-line "to [declare] a war against Dubai's government and to disclose [its crimes] in the forums." Al-Qurashi concludes saying: "All the devotees of the Al-Mohajroon forum should know that we shall not submit easily and shall not lay down the flag. [Rather], we shall continue to wait for Allah's decree." [6]
It may also be noted that on April 19, 2007, a rumor - which MEMRI found to be false - was circulated on Al-Buraq, an Islamist forum linked to the Islamic Army of
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD155207
Islamist Forums Claim It Has
In the past weeks, several rumors have been spread over Islamist websites about Western intelligence agencies' intention to shut down Islamist forums. As one Islamist put it, "We are all aware of the Zionist-Crusader campaign that has been launched against the Islamist websites... The most recent [manifestation of this campaign] is... the effort of American intelligence to completely eliminate websites that distribute communiqués [by the mujahideen] and films [documenting] attacks of the Iraqi resistance, or which encourage so-called terrorism.... As part of this campaign, [the Americans are also] threatening TV networks that broadcast videos [documenting] attacks... or that report on [Coalition] casualties not reported by the U.S. military." [1] Islamist forums reacting to the recent disabling of one Islamist website and one Islamist forum claim that these are two manifestations of a single united U.S. campaign against Islamists.
Background
Recently, an important Islamist news website and a prominent Islamist forum stopped operating. Information posted on Islamist websites indicated that this was not due to technical or financial difficulties, as often happens with Islamist forums/websites, but was the result of a decision by Arab governments (inspired by the U.S.?) to shut down Islamist websites. [2] The following is an outline of these recent developments:
The Disabling of the Mufakirat Al-Islam Website
An anonymous letter posted March 10, 2007 on aliraqnews.com, an Iraqi website containing general Iraqi news and some Islamist material, announced: "A source linked to the Saudi Ministry of the Interior... indicated that Saudi security forces have arrested Sheikh Al-Hajiir, the general administrator of... Mufakirat Al-Islam [a news website sympathetic to the mujahideen] upon the request of the current Iraqi government [as the latter] accused [Mufakirat Al-Islam] of supporting terrorism and encouraging violence in Iraq." [3] The letter also asserted that Mufakirat Al-Islam is currently distributing news from a special server located in Canada. As of today, April 19, 2007, any attempt to access the original URL of Mufakirat Al-Islam (www.islammemo.cc ) leads to http://www.waleef.net/, a website promoting computer software for parental control.
The Disabling of the Al-Mohajroon Forum
On April 15, 2007, mohajroon.com, a forum posting Islamist communiqués, news, and jihad films, ceased to operate. The somewhat cryptic message which announced the closing of the forum triggered much speculation as to the cause of this development, as well as various emotional reactions among participants in the various Islamist forums.
One forum participant wrote: "At 2:30 AM, as I was reading in the forum [i.e. mohajroon.com], I noticed a disaster, the shutting down of the forum... I almost cried... this forum is my entire existence and life." [4]
Another forum participant somewhat poetically wrote: "Oh my beloved Mohajroon, I still remember the day of your departure... great grief is burning in my heart, [it is] a day of mourning but I consider it... a great day which is followed by hope..." [5]
Rumors and speculation died out in the forums only on April 18, 2007, when Muhammad 'Abd Allah Al-Fatih Al-Qurashi, the administrator of mohjroon.com, posted a message on various Islamist websites explaining the circumstances which had led to the disabling of mohajroon.com: "The apostate government of Dubai which collaborates with the American tyrant has threatened our brother the owner of... Al-Mohajroon... with arrest if he does not shut down the forum. This [should be perceived as part of] what is called a war on terrorism... which America announced and which the apostate collaborators of America among the rulers of this region... are carrying out..." Al-Qurashi, then, proceeds to detail what he describes as the crimes committed by Dubai's government against the mujahideen and an appeal to Islamists on-line "to [declare] a war against Dubai's government and to disclose [its crimes] in the forums." Al-Qurashi concludes saying: "All the devotees of the Al-Mohajroon forum should know that we shall not submit easily and shall not lay down the flag. [Rather], we shall continue to wait for Allah's decree." [6]
It may also be noted that on April 19, 2007, a rumor - which MEMRI found to be false - was circulated on Al-Buraq, an Islamist forum linked to the Islamic Army of
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD155207
