By Nick O'Brien Wednesday 31 December 2014
Photo: Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis has been claimed as one of the jihadists of the Islamic State. (Sergio Dionisio: AAP)
The new edition of Islamic State's magazine claims the Sydney siege gunman as a righteous jihadist, and we shouldn't dismiss this level of propaganda lightly, writes Nick O'Brien.
Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis has been claimed as one of the jihadists ("mujahidin") of the Islamic State, with the newly released edition of the organisation's online propaganda magazine Dabiq declaring:
"He did not do so by undertaking the journey to the lands of the Khilāfah and fighting side-by-side with his brothers but rather, by acting alone and striking the kuffār where it would hurt them most - in their own lands and on the very streets that they presumptively walk in safety."
The message in this statement is clear. It hurts "the West" most if attacks are carried out at home. There is no need to travel to Iraq or Syria to make a difference.
Islamic State would certainly be aware of the worldwide media attention that the Martin Place siege attracted and would want to replicate that if at all possible.
The latest comments in Dabiq echo those of Shaykh Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the official spokesman for the Islamic State (IS), who said in September:
"If you can kill a disbelieving American or European - especially the spiteful and filthy French - or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be. Do not ask for anyone's advice and do not seek anyone's verdict."
Online propaganda like this should not be dismissed lightly. Dabiq and its Al Qaeda counterpart, Inspire, are cheap and easy to produce. All you need is a laptop and an internet connection to produce a reasonable publication. The fact that both publications are in English ensure that they reach the widest possible audience.
Issue 5 of Dabiq was released in November. It stated: "In Australia, Numan Haider stabbed two counterterrorism police officers." It then went on to discuss two terrorist attacks in Canada, including the one on the Canadian parliament, and one in New York.
The section concluded:
"All these attacks were the direct result of the Shaykh's call to action, and they highlight what a deadly tinderbox is fizzing just beneath the surface of every western country, waiting to explode into violent action at any moment given the right conditions."
The "Shaykh's call to action" mentioned here is presumably the statement made in September 2014.
Who knows whether the attacks mentioned above were triggered by the words of "the Shaykh"? However, it is likely that most, if not all, of the attackers in these scenarios had read Dabiq and/or Inspire.
The terrible events of Martin Place this month followed the release of Dabiq issue 5 and the police will be forensically examining every detail of the attacker's life. It is highly probable that Monis had both read the above comments by Shaykh al-Adnani and had read issues of Dabiq, either at home or in an internet café to afford him some anonymity.
If this proves to be the case it would not be right to conclude that it was the words or the contents of Dabiq that caused the attack, but the conclusion could certainly be drawn that they were factors that contributed to Monis's actions.
It's also worth mentioning that the newly released Dabiq issue 6 includes an "interview" with the 26-year-old Jordanian pilot, Muath al-Kasaesbeh, captured by IS following the crash of his aircraft. He is described as a "crusader pilot" and it's the end of the interview that is chilling:
Dabiq: Do you know what the Islamic State will do with you?
Pilot: Yes ... They will kill me...
Dabiq 6 goes on to assert: "There will be others who follow the examples set by Man Haron Monis and Numan Haider in Australia, Martin Couture-Rouleau and Michael Zehaf-Bibeau in Canada, Zale Thompson in America, and Bertrand Nzohabonayo in France, and all that the West will be able to do is to anxiously await the next round of slaughter."
Somewhat dramatic perhaps, but the sad fact is that, as we move towards 2015, the person who wrote those words is probably right.
Nick O'Brien is Associate Professor Counter Terrorism at Charles Sturt University. He was previously a police officer at Scotland Yard, London. View his full profile here.
Why Islamic State glorified the Sydney siege - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
