Website launched to counter jihadists
France launches website to counter jihadist propaganda
French society examines roots of homegrown terror 02:49
Story highlights
- The website borrows the methods of online jihadist recruiters to debunk their message
- Family and friends concerned about radicalization are urged to call a toll free number
Paris (CNN)The
French government launched an online platform Wednesday to counter
jihadist propaganda, just three weeks after deadly terror attacks which
claimed 17 lives in Paris.
The
target audience is families and friends of young people at risk of
radicalization, young people themselves, and the wider public, according
to a government news release.
A look through Paris' 'no-go' zones 01:19
Entitled "Stop jihadism," the website
opens with a two-minute video which borrows the kind of visual codes
normally employed by cyber jihadists: violent images sometimes
punctuated by an ISIS flag on a Facebook page.
Then a message from a "recruiter" pops up, written in French slang:
"Hi.
Cool stuff that you like, does it interest you what is happening in the
Levant at the moment? If you have questions don't hesitate, the truth
is over there, it is now that we must leave! If you want more
information give me your number I have friends there that fight I will
put you in contact."
Then the video debunks, point by point, common arguments used by cyber recruiters:
- They tell you: "Sacrifice yourself with us, you will defend a just cause."
- In reality: You will discover hell on earth and die alone, away from home.
- They tell you: "Come start a family with one of our heroes."
- In reality: You will raise your children in war and terror.
- They tell you: "Join us and come help Syrian children."
- In reality: You will be an accomplice in the massacre of civilians.
Each point is underlined on the screen by images of violence and suffering.
After
the video, users are directed to the website's homepage, where they can
find out more about the terrorist threat, the government's response,
how to debunk jihadist propaganda and how French people can join
together against the threat.
A
toll-free number for "prevention of radicalization" is provided for
families and friends who notice alarming signals such as "a sudden
change of dietary habits" or "the rejection of family members."
'It's not just cosmetic'
"The
platform is not a gadget, it's not just cosmetic. It is really
essential to establish this link between families, relatives, and public
authorities to ensure they are listened to but also that there is a
response," says Interior Ministry spokeman Pierre-Henry Brandet in one
of the videos featured on the website.
Has French prison become a university of terror? 02:47
In
others, radicalization experts explain the mechanisms of jihadist
propaganda and what can be done to prevent it from ensnaring new
recruits.
The website points out that
more than 400 French people are currently in Iraq and Syria. The young
people who've been indoctrinated by terrorists promoting a corrupt
version of Islam come from all backgrounds and areas of France, it says.
"More than 70 French citizens or residents of France are already dead from having fallen into their trap," it says.
The
website is a response to concern that the Paris attacks, carried out by
three French citizens, could be followed by others as disaffected young
people are recruited to the cause of radical Islam by skilled online
recruiters.
France, like other European
nations including Belgium and Britain, is also concerned about the
threat posed by jihadists returning home from Syria or Iraq and seeking
to carry out attacks on their native soil.
Terrorism expert and journalist David Thomson told Le Figaro newspaper he doubted that this kind of government counterpropaganda would have any impact on young would-be jihadists.
"However,
it may have positive effects on the awareness of families, who can then
understand better what is going on and call the famous anti-jihad
toll-free number," Thomson said.
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