Dabiq (magazine)

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Dabiq ( Arabic دابق, DMG Dābiq ) is the title of a monthly English-language online magazine that is distributed by the terrorist organization " Islamic State " for propaganda , recruitment and legitimacy efforts of the IS caliphate via the deep web . Since its first publication in July 2014, individual editions have been translated into a variety of languages, including French , Russian and German . The magazine has between 40 and 60 pages.

Self-description

Dabiq sees itself as "a periodical magazine, especially the issues Tawheed (Unity), Manhadsch (methodology), hijrah (migration), jihad (holy war) and Jamaa'ah (community) treated. It also contains photo reports, current events and articles on IS- related topics . "

Dabiq is also the name of a northern Syrian village. According to Islamic eschatology , this is where the Muslim armies will meet their enemies at the end of time. In various editions it is predicted that the armies of IS will fight those of the "crusaders" at Dabiq. On October 17, 2016, ISIS-occupied Dabiq was given up without significant resistance.

content

Harleen K. Gambhir from the Institute for the Study of War sees parallels between Dabiq and "Inspire", the al-Qaeda propaganda organ on the Arabian Peninsula tailored to a Western audience . "Inspire" encourages its readers above all to carry out individual assassinations in western states and, moreover, contains only a few attempts at religious and legal legitimation. In contrast, Dabiq directs a large part of its content to legitimizing the so-called caliphate and tries to persuade Muslims to emigrate there. The political scientist Asiem El Difraoui is of the opinion that Dabiq is trying to use the history of al-Qaeda and its representatives such as Osama bin Laden , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or Anwar al-Awlaki for their own propaganda purposes.

In several editions, the magazine also proclaims the long-term strategy of IS, which is oriented towards jihadist thought leaders such as Abu Musab al-Suri and Abu Bakr Naji. Dabiq takes up the narrative of a “war against Islam” being waged by the West. Harleen K. Gambhir states that in Dabiq both military successes and defeats of ISIS are framed as part of a divine plan. Successes would be reinterpreted as a sign of approval, setbacks, on the other hand, as “tests” that strengthen the believers and weed out those “weak hearts”.

The numerous reports of fighting that Dabiq publishes are illustrated with brutal pictures. In contrast, the magazine shows representations that idealize life in the so-called caliphate and are intended to highlight the charity of IS towards the people in the ruled area. The scientists Daniel H. Heinke and Hazim Fouad interpret the contributions as an attempt to sell the development of IS as a "success story" that is intended to induce potential followers to immigrate. Reports on the execution of legal judgments are also extensively illustrated. Practices such as the enslavement of Yezidi women and children or the method of execution by burning, which is controversial under Islamic law, are extensively justified in Dabiq on religious and legal grounds. Asiem El Difraoui speaks of “pseudo-religious justifications” in this regard.

In addition, the magazine reports on fallen IS fighters. The political blog “Erasmus Monitor”, which specializes in Islamism, states that killed fighters in Dabiq are portrayed as heroes whose life path has been particularly straightforward and pious. According to the blog, this is intended to strengthen the willingness of fighters and potential supporters to make sacrifices. In addition to the glorification of jihad, fighters are also interviewed. So in February 2015 Abdelhamid Abaaoud , the alleged organizer of the later attacks in Paris . Abdelhamid Abaaoud reports, without going into detail, in the post with several photos how he traveled to Europe with two fellow believers "to terrorize the crusaders who are waging war against the Muslims". After an initial failed assassination plan, he managed to return to Syria, although the authorities in Greece had been on his trail. “All of this proves that a Muslim should not fear the crusaders' intelligence services.” Another section of the magazine is called “In the Words of the Enemy”. For example, Issue 7 introduces “the Kāfir Patrick Cockburn ”, an Irish journalist who worked as a Middle East correspondent for the Financial Times and the Independent .

In the April issue (2016), IS called on its supporters to kill the German Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel . The reason they gave was that Vogel was an apostate who "accepted the comforts of the western world and a peaceful life in the lands of the oldest enemies of Islam". Vogel recently expressed himself critical of the IS terrorist in Europe. After the attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, he criticized Facebook for the fact that such attacks were prohibited according to the Koran. “I believe that such attacks are haram, that is, sin,” he wrote. He appealed to his followers: “Stay away from it! And if you know that someone is up to something like that, then stop him. ”With these remarks, Vogel has now brought himself into the line of fire of the Islamists.

target group

Asiem el-Difraoui takes the view that Dabiq consciously uses codes that Western audiences can understand. The magazine tries to generate maximum attention for the IS, whereby the core communication of one's own ideology should remain in one's own hands. Harleen K. Gambhir believes that it is likely that the IS is targeting both potential supporters in the West and its enemies with Dabiq. The journalist Patrick Gensing also takes the view that Dabiq is pursuing a twofold strategy according to which “sympathizers are to be mobilized and ideologically ammunitioned” and opponents to be intimidated. Daniel H. Heinke and Hazim Fouad explain that the images of acts of violence and executions in Dabiq in Western countries are mostly repulsive, but made ISIS more attractive within the extremist scene.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.clarionproject.org/news/islamic-state-isis-isil-propaganda-magazine-dabiq
  2. ↑ BBC Monitoring of November 17, 2014, last accessed on November 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ a b c d Harleen K. Gambhir: Dabiq: The Strategic Messaging of the Islamic State Institute for the Study of War, August 15, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  4. ^ A b c Katharina Pfannkuch: Propaganda leaflet lures Germans into jihad in the online edition of Cicero from October 31, 2014. Accessed on November 30, 2015.
  5. ^ A b c Daniel H. Heinke, Hazim Fouad: The Dabiq magazine as a recruiting tool for IS on security policy blog, March 3, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2015.
  6. ^ Dabiq magazine: Portrait of a German IS fighter on Erasmus monitor, September 9, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2015.
  7. ↑ Interview with Abū 'Umar al-Baljīkī . In: Dabiq . No. 7, pp. 72-75.
  8. ^ In the Words of the Enemy . In: Dabiq . No. 7, p. 52.
  9. ↑ http://www.n-tv.de/politik/Pierre-Vogel-haben-auf-IS-Ab Schussliste- article17470541.html
  10. ↑ Patrick Gensing: What does the Islamic State want? tagesschau.de, November 21, 2015. Accessed November 30, 2015.