Terrorists tapping social media to raise money for jihad
Anonymity and extensive reach make online platforms ideal
Indonesia says it has identified an unlikely group of terrorist financiers: 45 maids and nannies working in Hong Kong.
The group are radicalised Islamic State supporters who use social media to raise money for terror groups, reports Channel News Asia, citing comments by the head of the Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK).
“Their marriages with jihadists and the use of social network platform enable them to support the groups financially,” PPATK boss Kiagus Ahmad Badaruddin reportedly said. “Considering the fact that more than 500,000 migrants from Indonesia work in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, these numbers may seem small, but the radicalisation of Indonesian maids and nannies working in East Asia is alarming.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Insurgents are increasingly turning to social media, drawn by its anonymity and wide reach, to drum up support and funding, says CNBC.
“That trend particularly applies to terrorist operations in conflict zones such as Syria,” Nolwenn Bourillon-Bervas, a terrorism analyst at Risk Advisory Group, told the broadcaster.
Hajjaj Fahd al-Ajmi, for example, a Kuwaiti national identified as a terror financier by the US and the UN, used Instagram to ask his 1.7million followers for funding, CNBC says. His account was shut down by the Facebook-owned platform 24 hours after the news channel inquired about it.
In other cases that do not involve direct pitches, people may not realise they are donating money to fund conflicts, believing rather that they are helping charities or other good causes, according to a recent report by the London-based Royal United Services Institute.
“With social media usage unlikely to decrease, this tactic will only grow in the coming years,” the report says.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The Perfect Couple: glossy Netflix murder-mystery starring Nicole Kidman
The Week Recommends However hard you try to resist it, 'you will want to know the who, what, where and why-dunit'
By The Week UK Published
-
Why more and more people believe in aliens
In The Spotlight Growing numbers say they have seen a UFO – and even US politicians are getting caught up in the trend
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
'A show of unity in a contentious campaign'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
A brief history of third parties in the US
In Depth Though none of America's third parties have won a presidential election, they have nonetheless had a large impact on the country's politics
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Modern royal scandals from around the world
The Explainer From Spain to the UAE, royal families have often been besieged by negative events
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Zelenskyy says 31,000 troops dead in 2 years of war
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a rare official military death toll
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published