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Online Jihad Seeks Western Converts

Turning Iraq footage into hip-hop videos is one recruiting tool

By Caroline Zimmerman, Newser User

Posted Oct 15, 2007 4:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – Jihadists have long used the internet to spread their message, but now a growing number of Western-based extremists are tapping into a Western audience by giving the message a pop-culture twist, the Times reports. They act as middlemen, translating newsletters and relaying videos from militant Islamic leaders; they also turn insurgent footage from Iraq into hip-hop videos.

"It is as if you would watch a Hollywood movie," said one German fan; indeed, the videos are even readily available on YouTube. The 100 or so English-language sites posting such material are usually run by Islamic youths in America or Europe seeking to convert an audience of their peers. The sites aren't usually illegal but do get shut down regularly.

[Images (4)]

[Videos (1)]

A masked gunman holds a homemade rocket during an Islamic Jihad press conference in Gaza City, in this Nov. 23, 2006 file photo. Jihadists abroad have found an increasing number of boosters online, including... (Associated Press)

Dr. Esam Omeish waits before delivering a statement at a news conference in Alexandria, Va. Friday, Sept. 28, 2007. Omeish, a recent appointee to the Virginia Commission on Immigration, resigned Thursday... (Associated Press)

This frame grab taken from an undated video message carrying the logo of al-Qaida's production house as-Sahab and provided Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 by IntelCenter, a U.S. government contractor monitoring... (Associated Press)

"America needs to listen to Shaykh Usaamah very carefully and take his message with great seriousness," wrote the 21-year-old North Carolina resident on his blog. (Shutterstock.com; Composite)

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Online Jihad Seeks Western Converts