Marketing Terrorism

Spotlight on Global Jihad (June 9 – 15, 2016)

This week as well, attacks continued on ISIS’s strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya, so far with no significant changes on the ground In the US, a mass-murder terrorist attack was carried out, the most serious attack in its history (49 dead). The attack was carried out by an American citizen from an Afghan family,
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Indoctrinating Palestinian Children with Hatred and Violence towards Israel

Indoctrinating Palestinian Children with Hatred and Violence towards Israel: Kindergarten and elementary school children in the Gaza Strip wear uniforms and present displays of releasing a prisoner and attacking IDF soldiers with knives.
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Inculcating Hatred and Violence for Israel in the Palestinian Educational System: The Rudolf Walther School in Deir al-Balah, as a Case Study*

At the end of March 2016 the Hamas-affiliated Shihab News Agency issued a video showing a Palestinian teacher indoctrinating school children with hatred for Israel and support for an armed struggle against it. The teacher used the letters of the Arabic alphabet as a didactic tool to teach them “the fundamental Palestinian national principles” even
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Marketing Terrorism

Terrorist organizations around the world have successfully exploited the media revolution of the past decade. They use state-of-the-art communications technologies to market terrorism to large target audiences around the world, disseminate their threats, promote their activities and recruit sympathizers and supporters. By marketing terrorism, they try to shape public opinion and influence the global political and media agenda.

One of the tools used extensively for marketing terrorism is the Internet. The Internet is an ideal means for marketing terrorism: it is decentralized, it cannot be controlled or restricted, it is not censored, and all those who wish to do so have access to it. From the perspective of terrorist organizations, their special structure makes communication via the Internet even more important and useful. The loose and fluid network of squads, units and sub-groups, which is characteristic of modern terrorist organizations, makes the Internet an ideal and essential tool for marketing terrorism and for communication between and within terrorist groups.

The use of the Internet for marketing terrorism, especially social networks, enables organizations to market terrorism and its messages without censorship restrictions, using the freedom of expression law, bypassing geographical barriers and evading the difficulties posed by various governments. Marketing terrorism through the Internet makes it possible to achieve several goals, including: to provide an explanation and justification for terrorist acts; to collect and transmit information; to empower the organization’s capabilities and shape its image; to recruit and train operatives and more.

Global jihad organizations, Hezbollah, and Hamas are salient examples of terrorist organizations that have had the wisdom to take advantage of the media revolution for terrorism marketing purposes. These organizations make extensive use of the media for terrorism marketing purposes in addition to terrorist activity on the ground.