Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses www.rsis.edu.sg ISSN 2382-6444 | Volume 12, Issue 5 September 2020 A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM RESEARCH (ICPVTR) Ideological Convergence in the Extreme Right Kyler Ong IS’ Visual Propaganda: Amplifying Narratives and Affecting Radicalisation Ahmad Saiful Rijal Hassan and Nur Aziemah Azman IS’ Reinvigorated and Evolved Propaganda Campaign in India Kalicharan Veera Singam IS and Kin Terrorism in the Post COVID-19 South Asia: Exploring the Possibilities and Implications Farooq Yousaf Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses Volume 9, Issue 4 | April 2017 1 Building a Global Network for Security How Extreme -Right Fringe Cultures and IS’s Exploitation of Social Media and Kin Networks affect the Threat Landscape Terrorism is an ever-evolving phenomenon, space in the West in recent years. According to which keeps morphing into new forms, amidst a the author, growing ideological convergence in shifting operational environment and socio- the extreme-right landscape has come into focus, political circumstances. In this regard, this issue with attacks linked to individuals affiliated to explores the growing mainstream attention given loosely-aligned networks largely operating online, Wto violent fringe subcultures in the extreme-right, becoming more frequent and lethal. Increasingly, such as the Incel, Boogaloo and QAnon extreme-right lone actors and organisations have movements, which has triggered debates in the become more adept at exploiting social media to academic and policy communities, over whether widen their echo chambers, and subsequently such forms of violence conform to an emergent foraying into the violent space. The trend in terrorism. This particularly follows the mainstreaming of fringe subcultures, such as the indictment earlier this year of Incel activists boogaloos and incels, which openly call for involved in violent attacks under terrorism laws in violence against Western governments, means a Toronto, Canada. more focused and systemic counter-response is warranted. To support the authorities’ efforts, enhanced monitoring capabilities and more Though these sub-cultures, which mainly operate nuanced understanding of evolving extreme-right online, are extreme in their behaviours and prone narratives are required. to violence, they arguably do not fit the orthodox definitions and classifications of terrorism. However, given the toxic operational environment In the next article, Ahmad Saiful Rijal Hassan in which these fringe sub-cultures operate and Nur Aziemah Azman examine various (ethnically polarised, politically divisive and examples of online visual media propagated by violence-prone), coupled with their ability to the Islamic State (IS), from its heyday in 2015 to network on social media and the potential threat the present. By assessing a selection of videos, of cross-pollination, it is too dangerous to ignore photographs, illustrations and infographics them. Given these new sub-cultures are typically produced and disseminated by the group online, leaderless, lack formal structures and are the authors argue that visual media remains a disorganised, it is premature to regard their issue powerful tool utilised by IS in its radicalisation -specific narratives as terrorist ideologies per se, and recruitment efforts. Thematically, some of although they have the quintessential ingredients the visual media captures IS’ public service of evolving into ones. Hence, a new academic efforts such as in education and the civil service, and policy discussion is needed to appropriately while more recent images published online seek classify these emerging subcultures, along with to portray IS’ continuing resilience and strength the attendant policy measures to address the across its wilayat (provinces). The ongoing potential threat they pose. COVID-19 pandemic is also framed as divine retribution against the group’s enemies. Given the importance IS places on its visual This issue also focuses on the other end of the propaganda, the authors suggest that counter- threat spectrum, with global jihadist groups like responses need to be upgraded to include the Islamic State (IS), trying to make inroads stronger visual elements and textual rebuttals. through social media propaganda and kinship networks to recruit, radicalise and plot attacks. IS’ stepped-up propaganda outreach in India In the third article, Kalicharan Veera Singam through its new propaganda magazine the Voice analyses the narratives found in the IS’ new of Hind is a case in point. Likewise, IS’ networks flagship publication Voice of Hind, which is in Southeast Asia continue to effectively use mainly targeted at an Indian audience. According online platforms to appeal to potential recruits to the author, articles found in the publication and incite them to violence. Last month, two espouse a variety of IS themes, ideas and female operatives, believed to be widows of propaganda messages. The group’s messaging deceased IS terrorists, participated in the twin has also evolved from one of calling Indians to suicide attacks in Jolo, a known stronghold of the perform Hijra (migration) to its so-called IS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf Group, in the Southern Caliphate, to one of championing the rights of Philippines, which resulted in 14 people being Muslims in India. The terror group’s evolved killed and at least 75 others injured. narratives are aimed at capitalising on the Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses growing politico-religiousVolume 9,polarisation Issue 4 | April 2017in the First, Kyler Ong assesses the more diffused and country, with the intent of weakening India’s diversified threat emerging from the extreme-right social fabric and spawning new pro-IS cells. 2 Moreover, while India’s security agencies have been largely effective in thwarting the kinetic threat posed by IS, countering the group’s renewed propaganda campaign could prove to be more challenging. Lastly, Farooq Yousaf explores the possibilities and implications of kin terrorism in South Asia. The author reasons that attempts by IS to indoctrinate and cultivate family networks, including the wives and young children of male operatives, and incite them to violence, such as in the form of suicide attacks, is a relatively new trend in the region. Yet while kin terrorism in Southeast Asia has received considerable academic scrutiny, it remains underexplored in the South Asian context. Given the social and cultural sensitivities among communities in South Asia, the potential challenges in effectively addressing terrorist-related indoctrination, radicalisation and recruitment that take place within family units, are assessed. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses Volume 9, Issue 4 | April 2017 3 ADVISORY BOARD Dr. Jolene Jerard Dr. Stephen Sloan Adjunct Senior Fellow, Professor Emeritus, International Centre for Political The University of Oklahoma Violence and Terrorism Research, Lawrence J. Chastang, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Distinguished Professor ,Terrorism Studies, The University of Central Florida Dr. Rohan Gunaratna Professor of Security Studies, Dr. Fernando Reinares S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Director, Program on Global Terrorism, Elcano Royal Institute Professor of Security Dr. Kumar Ramakrishna Studies Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Associate Professor, Dr. John Harrison Head of Policy Studies & Coordinator of W Associate Editor, National Security Studies Programme, Journal of Transportation Security S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Dr. Hamoon Khelghat-Doost Dr. Marcin Styszyński Senior Lecturer in Political Science, Assistant Professor, Science University of Malaysia Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies Adam Mickiewicz University EDITORIAL BOARD Senior Editorial Advisors Noorita Mohd Noor Editor Amresh Gunasingham Associate Editor Abdul Basit Assistant Editor Kalicharan Veera Singam Copy Editor Remy Mahzam Design and Layout Okkie Tanupradja The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not of ICPVTR, RSIS, NTU or the organisations to which the authors are affiliated. Articles may not be reproduced without prior permission. Please contact the editors for more information at [email protected]. The editorial team also welcomes any feedback or comments. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses Volume 9, Issue 4 | April 2017 4 Ideological Convergence in the Extreme Right Ideological Convergence in the Extreme Right Kyler Ong Synopsis in Oslo, Brenton Tarrant in Christchurch, and more recently, Tobias Rathjen in Hanau, Recent acts of terror perpetrated by right-wing among others, have been fueled by the white extremists in parts of the West have put a genocide theory, which justifies ridding the spotlight on the growing ideological West of non-white “invaders”2 through direct convergence between previously fringe armed action. movements and online subcultures, and more orthodox variations of the extreme right, which The theory propagates that the white race is is also fomenting violence. Hate and racist being replaced by non-whites, a supposed attacks during the ongoing COVID-19 ploy of the Jews, who are regarded as the lockdown, such as in the US’ “Black Lives “puppet-masters”, 3 in a campaign of “white Matter” protests, as well as February’s mass genocide”. Often conflated with the “great shootings in Hanau, Germany, have further replacement” conspiracy theory, both theories muddled the equation in an already taken together espouse the idea that