New Delhi: A report had revealed that a Bengaluru-based Indian executive could be the one of the biggest online recruiters for Islamic State terror group.
A #UK based Channel 4 News claimed, the “man behind the most influential IS Twitter account” is called “#Mehdi” and he is an executive in Bengaluru working for an Indian conglomerate.
Channel 4 News has not revealed the full name of Mehdi and said says his life would be in danger if his true identity was made public.
It also said, “His tweets, written under the name Shami Witness, were seen two million times each month, making him perhaps the most influential Islamic State Twitter account, with over 17,700 followers.”
Notably, Shami Witness, “the most influential pro-Islamic State Twitter account to be followed by foreign jihadis” is no more active after the probe uncovered the identity of the man behind it.
According to Channel, Mehdi used to spend his day sending thousands of tweets of propaganda about the Islamic State militant group, acting as the leading conduit of information between jihadis, supporters, and recruits.
Social media is “one of the key organisational strengths of the Islamic State” claimed a recent report by the Brookings Institute.
Channel while discussing over the report, said that the group uses such channels “to spread and legitimise IS’s ideology, activities, and objectives, and to recruit and acquire international support.”
The channel said, “Two thirds of all foreign fighters on Twitter followed him (Shami Witness). When a fighter’s Twitter account is suspended, he often promoted the new one and urged people to follow it.”
On his Twitter account, in November he wrote, “May Allah guide, protect, strengthen and expand the Islamic State … Islamic State brought peace, autonomy, zero corruption, low crime-rate.”
Bureau Report
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