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Mobilization of Women to Terrorism: Tools and Methods of ISIS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 September 2018

Marina Shorer*
Affiliation:
IDmap Institute, Israel
*
*Corresponding Author: Marina Shorer, IDmap Institute,Ha-Emdot 35, Gibton, Israel, 76910. E-mail: dr.shorer@idmap.org

Abstract

As of the beginning of 2016, out of 100,000 “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria” (ISIS)fighters in Iraq, Syria, Sinai and North African Countries, one-third were foreign-bornfighters from European and Asian countries (AFP Tunis 2013). Although most of the men camealone, seduced by advertised sexual adventures, the official guiding rule by the ISISCaliphate was to establish true marriage with real Muslim brides (Milton and Dodwell 2018).The Western women were then addressed to come and help in administrative, teaching andnursing tasks while also instituting families with jihadi fighters. Estimations are that atleast 450–500 Western women of different ages left their countries to join ISIS mujahedin.For these mobilization efforts, social networks were utilized to serve as means ofcommunication, coordination and conversion of women’s minds. The skilled usage of differentlevels of social networking tools, combined with precise audience targeting, turned theefforts into powerful recruiting instruments for mobilization of women into terroristactivities. The ISIS strategy included careful selection of different scenarios andstoryboards for different target audiences, thus maximizing the impact of the exposure tothe message and mobilization.

Abstracto

A principios de 2016, de los 100.000 combatientes de ISIS en Irak, Siria, el Sinaí y lospaíses del norte de África, un tercio eran combatientes nacidos en el extranjero de paíseseuropeos y asiáticos. Aunque la mayoría de los hombres venían solos, seducidos por lasaventuras sexuales anunciadas, la regla de guía oficial del califato ISIS era para ellosestablecer un verdadero matrimonio con verdaderas novias musulmanas. Luego se dirigió a lasmujeres occidentales para ayudar en las tareas administrativas, docentes y de enfermería, yal mismo tiempo instituir familias con combatientes yihadistas. Las estimaciones indican queal menos 450-500 mujeres occidentales de diferentes edades abandonaron sus países paraunirse al ISIS muyahidín.

Para estos esfuerzos de movilización, las redes sociales se utilizaron para servir comomedios de comunicación, coordinación y conversión de las mentes de las mujeres. El usoexperto de diferentes niveles de herramientas de redes sociales, combinado con unafocalización precisa de la audiencia, convirtió los esfuerzos en poderosos instrumentos dereclutamiento para la movilización de las mujeres en actividades terroristas. La estrategiade ISIS incluyó una cuidadosa selección de diferentes escenarios y guiones gráficos paradiferentes públicos, maximizando así el impacto de la exposición al mensaje y lamovilización.

Abstrait

Au début de 2016, sur 100 000 combattants de l’EI en Irak, en Syrie, au Sinaï et dans lespays d’Afrique du Nord, un tiers étaient des combattants nés à l'étranger de pays européenset asiatiques. Bien que la plupart des hommes soient venus seuls, séduits par les aventuressexuelles annoncées, la règle directrice officielle du Caliphate ISIS était d'établir unvéritable mariage avec de véritables épouses musulmanes. Les femmes occidentales ont ensuiteété invitées à venir aider aux tâches administratives, d’enseignement et d’infirmerie touten instituant des familles avec des combattants djihadistes. Les estimations sont qu’aumoins 450-500 femmes occidentales d'âges différents ont quitté leur pays pour rejoindre ISISMujaheddin.

Pour ces efforts de mobilisation, les réseaux sociaux ont été utilisés pour servir demoyens de communication, de coordination et de conversion des esprits des femmes.L’utilisation habile de différents niveaux d’outils de réseautage social, combinée à unciblage précis de l’audience, a transformé les efforts en de puissants instruments derecrutement pour la mobilisation des femmes dans les activités terroristes. La stratégied’ISIS comprenait une sélection rigoureuse de différents scénarios pour des différentscibles publics, maximisant ainsi l’impact de l’exposition au message et de la mobilisation.

摘要:

截至2016年初,在伊拉克、叙利亚、西奈和北非国家的10万名伊斯兰国战斗人员中,三分之一是来自欧洲和亚洲国家的外国出生的好战者。尽管大多数人是被大肆宣扬的性冒险所吸引,然后只身来到这些地方,但伊斯兰国哈里发官方的指导性规则却是与真正的穆斯林新娘建立婚姻关系。西方女性来到这里,在行政、教育和护理方面给予帮助,同时还与圣战分子组建家庭。估计至少有450到500名不同年龄的西方女性离开他们的国家加入伊斯兰国圣战者团。

为了努力动员,社交网络被用作交流、协调和转变女性思想的手段。熟练使用不同级别的社交网络工具以及精确的受众定位,成为动员妇女参与恐怖主义活动的强大招募工具。伊斯兰国的战略包括针对不同目标受众仔细选择不同的情景和故事情节,从而最大限度地发挥公开信息和动员的影响力。

الملخّص

100 ألفًا، ثلثهم من الأجانب من بلدان أوروبية واسيوية. وعلى الرغم من أنّ معظم المقاتلينالرّجال

المقاتلين الرّجال في أوائل عام 2016، بلغ عدد مقاتليّ داعش في العراق وسوريا وسيناء ودولشمال أفريقيا جاءوا بمفردهم، بعد أن أغرّتهم المغامرات الجنسيّة الشّائعة، كان لا بدّ لهؤلاء منإقامةِ زواجٍ حقيقيٍّ مع عرائسَ مسلماتٍ حقيقيّات، وذلك وفقًا للمبادئ التّوجيهيّة الّتي وضعتهاخلافة داعش. علاوة على ذلك، تمّ توجيه النّساء الغربيّات للانضمام والمساعدة في مهامٍ إداريَّةٍوتعليميّة وتمريضيّة، وبناءِ أسرٍ مع مقاتلي الجهاد. تشير التّقديرات إلى أنّ ما لا يقل عن450-500 امرأة غربيّة من مختلف الأعمار تركت بلدانها للانضمام إلى مجاهدي داعش.

وبطبيعة الحال، اقتضت جهود التعبئة هذه استخدام الشّبكات الاجتماعيّة كوسيلة اتصال وتنسيقوتحويل لعقول النساء. كان للمهارة في استخدام مستويات مختلفة من أدوات الشبكات الاجتماعية،بالإضافة إلى الدّقة في استهداف الجمهور، أن حوّلت هذه الجهود إلى أدوات توظيف فعّالة لتجنيدالمرأة في الأنشطة الإرهابيّة. تضمنت استراتيجيّة داعش اختيارًا دقيقًا لسيناريوهات مختلفةوقصصًا مصوّرةَ لمختلف شرائح الجمهور المستهدف، ما أدّى إلى تفعيل تأثير التعرض للرسالةوالتعبئة.

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© 2018 International Society of Criminology 

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