Hundreds of online newspapers praise the holy war by educating lone wolves all over the world. A favorable moment due to the lack of attention of governments struggling with measures to combat the pandemic from Covid-19.

(by Andrea Pinto) The holy war the jihad has not been affected by the restrictions due to the pandemic, indeed according to a survey by Panorama the moment is particularly favorable for proselytism. People are forced to stay indoors and have more time to study and read news and instructions from online newspapers, from social media. In a world where billions of news per second circulate online, it is really difficult for the police and intelligence forces to find messages and orders sent online in a massive and extremely pervasive manner in time. The world of jihad is by no means dormant and multiplies its capacity to deliver articles that instigate bloodshed in the name of a "higher good", the advent of the kingdom of Allah on Earth. 

Jihadists, writes Panorama, in the past have published paper magazines that have become famous and now closed, censored by the network. Inspire for example, who in 2010 promoted the turning point of "open source jihad": everyone could become an attacker independently by following a few simple instructions. Build bombs using a pressure cooker, rent a car and run over people, blow up buildings. Or dabiq, who published a manifesto praising the clash of civilizations and influenced Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel in carrying out the 2016 Nice massacre. 

Fortunately, these newspapers were closed today. The words of the jihad, however, have returned in various other publications and spread thanks to PCs and social networks. "First of all, the newspapers closed years ago are still easily found on social networks or on the deep web, if you really want to look for them as those who feel the attraction of jihad want it " Jonathan Matusitz, a professor at Central Florida University, tells Panorama who adds: "Those words don't have a duration like Western newspapers do. Both because they contain still valid instructions on how to build bombs, cut their throats or run over people and because the ideology is still the same: to convince the global Islamic community, the so-called Ummah, to participate in the jihad. If you are a true Muslim, they argue, you are obliged to commit terrorist acts against infidels and against those who are defined as "apostates", that is, moderate Muslims who still do not kill in the name of Allah ». 

Islam does not mean peace. "In fact, it translates as "submission" " Matusitz remembers, "that of Muslims to Allah and that of non-Muslims to Muslims, for a new world order that obeys Sharia, the Islamic sacred law ”. 

There are also newspapers not really published by jihadist organizations but by other entities, researchers from the Middle East Media Research Institute - Memri - Tipo Al-Naba, the official weekly of the Islamic State, created by its "Central media bureau", explain to Panorama. or Sumoud, a monthly magazine of the Taliban. As a monthly, it is also the newspaper of ISIS supporters in Kashmir: Saura al-Hind ». We still remember Mujalla Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan, or Al Risalah, Al Fath and above all Onn Ummah, the official magazine of Al-Qaeda which in September threatened to punish anyone who showed Charlie Hebdo cartoons again. 

Another successful publication is Gaidi Mtaani, composed and disseminated by the minds of Al Shabaab, a very active terrorist group in Somalia and Kenya. Among the unofficial newspapers, the most recent is Wolves of Manhattan, published by the Qaedist group Jaysh Al-Malahem Al-Electroni, and Balagh, a monthly published in Syria. 

Most of the time these newspapers also have a part devoted to practice: "They publish some do-it-yourself manuals: surf the internet without being detected, escape drones, set fire to cars and forests where there are homes, build bombs"

Online newspapers are increasingly used by terrorist groups because they do not cost much even if the funds for propaganda are not lacking. Funds can come from Qatar and oil smuggling, human trafficking and private donations made by sympathizers. 

Professor Matusitz explains that the followers, “They unload the newspapers and shut themselves up at home to read and reread them until there is self-indoctrination. Thus we become lone wolves: terrorists with no ties to any organization ”. 

Solitary but united in what has been defined "Jihaonzera", the virtual world made up of technological connections between extremists, wherever they are: deep web, Twitter, even TikTok, Element, Telegram. And not only articles circulate, but also neat videos and tutorials. The distorted information comes from news agencies like Amaq News Agency, Thabat and Al Hayat media center, which specializes in video. That's how you get to "New generation of Islamic extremists committed to a personal jihad" as the former French intelligence chief said, commenting on the seven terrorist attacks that shook the country beyond the Alps in 2020. 

In terms of the use of technology, a real leap in quality has been made, "Copies of newspapers or other content are hidden in reserve channels" Raphael Gluck, co-founder of Jihadoscope, an organization that monitors and documents the spread of terrorism online and on social networks, tells Panorama. "And they always return to spread, sometimes reaching the most famous social media, such as" Twitter or Facebook ".

"It is suggested to carry out attacks despite the lockdown has emptied the cities of tourists, because the coronavirus distracts the security systems" continues Gluck. The recent Qaedist newspaper Wolves of Manhattan advises readers to distribute poison-soaked masks. 

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The full Panorama article reveals more interesting details on the issue.

Panorama investigation into Jihad: "They take advantage of the pandemic to hit us"