In analysing propaganda materials that serve the interest of the Islamic State, a distinction is generally made between the official media apparatus of the group (Arabic: al-'ilam al-rasmi) and content produced by pro-Islamic State outlets and supporters who are not part of the official media apparatus (Arabic: al-'ilam al-munasir). The editorial in the latest issue of the Islamic State's al-Naba' weekly newsletter focuses on the latter type of media, commending the munasir media role in supporting the Islamic State and its impact on continued incitement to jihad, frustrating and defying the efforts of the 'Crusaders', 'apostates' and other enemies of the Islamic State to clamp down on the voice of the munasir media. The emphasis on the importance of the munasir media comes through repeated militaristic language and comparisons to describe the munasir media role: the munasir media are no less important for the Islamic State than the military battles on the ground, they have 'invaded' and 'seized' media platforms and rendered them an 'arrow' in the 'quiver' of the mujahideen, the need for 'collective media raids' etc. The imagery and language are in keeping with the Islamic State's longstanding conception of the importance of media and propaganda in conveying its messaging and the idea that media work is a kind of jihad. The editorial also contains predictable advice on the need for those working in the media realm to be patient, close ranks, counsel each other etc.
Below is the editorial translated by me in full.
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Issue 289
Thursday 22 Shawwal 1442 AH
The Munasir Media
The Crusader study centres continue to issue their reports and recommendations, which warn the states and governments of the danger of the munasir media of the Islamic State, and they focus on the notion that its danger springs from its foundational role in continuing incitement to jihad in the path of God Almighty and targeting of the disbelievers and apostates in every place around the world.
The Crusaders realised early on the danger of these media that aid the official media of the Islamic State, so they have held dozens of conferences and spent millions of dollars and gathered their experts and mobilised their employees and exerted their utmost efforts, with the aim of destroying these munasir media and silencing their violence, as they know of their prominent role and big impact in the media war that proceeds side-by-side with the military wars and battles on the ground.
And at the time in which Crusader America led a global alliance from various states with the aim of military confrontation against the army of the Islamic State on the ground, the alliance was itself leading another war against the Islamic State's army in the realm of the Internet, especially after the recommendations of the most prominent centres of war against Islam in that the military confrontation is not sufficient on its own to destroy the Islamic State, and that there must be a war of ideas and media coinciding with the military wars.
And over the years of this raging war, no government has remained without participating in it in one form or another, such that there has been change to terms and restrictions on many of the media platforms that the soldiers of the munasir media have invaded and seized and have rendered an arrow in the quiver of the mujahideen after they were for years a knife in the backs of the Muslims, misleading their sons and causing their creeds to deviate and corrupting their morals.
And despite the fierce war that these disbelieving governments and their intelligence apparatuses and experts have waged against the mujahideen and knights of conveyance, which has been no less fierce than the military war, it has nonetheless failed by the grace of God Almighty in realising its declared aims, and the messages and news of the mujahideen, and their visual releases, have continued to invade the regions of the world, which has confounded the understands of the disbelievers and made their minds dumbstruck.
And among the faces of this war was the intense effort by the intelligence apparatuses of the Crusaders and their desperate attempts to split the rank of the supporters and stir up fitna among them, pursuing in that all the Satanic means and ways that we have all lived through during the past years, but their efforts resulted in failure by the grace of God Almighty and the voice of the Islamic State has remained heard and its call has remained ongoing, calling to Tawheed and waging war on idolatry with the proof, spearhead, word and deed. So if you know that, oh media mujahid, and you realise your capability in this war, then embrace your stirrup and renew your intention and make it just and strive against yourself and tame it and be patient in all that you do in the path of God Almighty, for patience and intention guarantee for you the continuation of the path if God Almighty wills.
So make efforts to secure your intention and its purity of devotion towards God Almighty and know that your steadfastness in the field of media has a great impact on your mujahideen brothers in the fields of fighting, for you are their voice that reaches the Muslims and you are their other rifle by which they confront the armies of falsehood in the battle of Tawheed.
Also we remind our brothers the knights of the munasir media to pledge to each other to remind so one of them counsels his brother, and they encourage each other, for indeed the war is ongoing and has not yet ended, and the coming stage is in need of strengthening of zeal and closing of ranks, and organisation of work and launching media raids, and we specify among them the collective media raids, which have so often overstrained and caused the disbelievers and hypocrites to be sleepless as they have stood unable and bewildered before this torrential flow of the supporters of the Islamic State, who have put in place a separating media print in the history of the jihadist media that has become the focus of attention of the friend and enemy.
And we remind our brothers that in work in the field of jihadist media like other acts of worship besides it, there may befall man lethargy, shortcoming or boredom, and this undoubtedly occurs in the human soul so repel it from yourself through patience, endurance, effort and striving, for the work of the Muslim cannot be right without that and indeed all of life is suffering and burden even in the realisation of this world, so what then of what is higher and more precious than this world and what is in it: namely Tawheed and jihad?!
And what repels that problem also is contemplation in what God Almighty has prepared for His mujahideen servants from the reward, for as it has been said: 'The one for whom the reward has loomed, the costs have become easy on him.' Also what repels that problem is praying and seeking help from God Almighty, for He is the One who grants success and guides to the straight path.
Indeed the enemies of the Islamic State and its adversaries have done all they can in searching for a solution to stop the activity of the munasir media but they did not find and will not find by the permission of God Almighty, and what increases the rage of these people and their hatred of the knights of the munasir media is their success in recruiting new supporters to work in this field and perform ribat on this blessed frontline. This means the continuation of the jihadist media without stopping, and it is what has resulted in a state of despair that has become clear in the statements and fallings of the tongue of the cadres and experts of the Crusaders and the apostates who spend night and day monitoring the activities of the munasir media guy for the Islamic State on the various media platforms and sites.
And after long chapters of the raging battles between the soldiers of al-Rahman and the soldiers of Satan on the media fronts, we can say that the efforts of the Crusaders and the apostates and with them the armies of the hypocrites have failed by the grace of God Almighty in stopping the engine of the blessed jihadist media that chugs on without stopping, calling to Tawheed and the establishment of the Shari'a of God Almighty on His Earth and incitement to jihad, fighting the disbelievers and targeting them above every land and under every sky.
And as we touch on the hearings of the heroes of the munasir jihadist media with these words, we also seek to remind them of the grace of God Almighty on them in that He has guided them and granted them success to proceed on this path, and has prepared for them the reasons to join this blessed frontline that is no less important than the other frontlines of jihad.
Therefore it has become incumbent upon whosoever knows the importance of this frontline and the extent of its impact on the course of the battles, to continue on it and expend more effort and activity in it. And let him take to heart the sincerity of devotion of work to God Almighty, for it is among the greatest causes of continuation and steadfastness on this frontline and every frontline. And let every media mujahid remember that what he does is an obligation, not voluntary work, and on this Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (may God accept him) says in directing his words to those who have borne the trust of conveyance: 'Keep to your frontline in this field, for you are repelling from the monotheists the evil God is aware of, embrace your frontline for we need you in your place. Beware of reckoning that your work is taken for granted in word or deed: your work is an obligation on you, so strive in what trust you have been given to bear.'
We ask God Almighty you help us and you in this great trust ad to use us and you to support His religion and defend His Shari'a and support His mujahideen servants. He is the trustee of that and capable of it.