Internet Spreading Dangerous Ideology?

In Wake Of U.K. Terror Raids, Internet Fostering New Distrust Between Generations Of Muslims

(CBS)  Written for CBSNews.com by London field producer Steve Berriman.

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The terror raids in Birmingham Wednesday have prompted much anger among the area’s Asian community. But they have also made local mosque leaders question the source of the rise in Islamic fundamentalism among Britain’s young Muslims.

Shabir Hussain, the imam of a mosque near one of the homes stormed by anti-terror police, believes that the dangerous ideology of radical Islam is coming not from a small number of imams sowing anti-western sentiment at secret meetings, but from the Internet.

"The children are not learning from the mosques, not learning from the parents,” he said. “Young kids, they see the news and see the Internet. They think, ‘something's happening in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Palestine, in Kashmir, and Muslims are oppressed everywhere and some injustice is happening in the world.’”

The personal — and some might say secretive — nature of Internet use could be creating a sense of paranoia that is being felt inside the homes of British Muslims.

"Something is happening in the house,” Mr Hussain said. “Father is looking at son, 'What are you looking at on the Internet? What are you watching on the TV? Where are you going? Who are your friends?’ These kinds of things are already happening."

A London based producer who monitors daily a range of jihadi Web sites for CBS News, believes there is a host of factors contributing to the groundswell of anger evident among many young Muslims in Britain.

"They've lost a sense of belonging. Integration doesn't work. There's the recent spate of arrests,” he said.

But it could be the easy access to militant Islamic websites that is increasing and channeling this anger.

CBS News' producer said that young British Muslims are “more politicized than others their age, simply because of their background” and that some seek the unsanitized view of the world offered by the Internet, a view that many feel is lacking in more mainstream news.

"There's no barrier between the youngsters and what occurs in the world in terms of conflict," he said. “You go into a website at random and put in ‘beheading clips’ and you will find them, starting from Daniel Pearl in Pakistan to Ken Bigley in Iraq.”

The alleged plot by the nine terrorist suspects arrested yesterday to kidnap a serving British Muslim soldier, behead him and broadcast the footage on the web is chillingly similar to the media-savvy tactics employed by jihadist groups in Iraq.

The fighters who construct these Islamist websites have even taken to calling themselves "electronic mujahideen."

"Every operation they make, there's a camera filming it and then it's posted on the Internet," the producer said. "There's messages from al Qaeda, and now they're going on Arab satellite channels and American security centers.”

[cfmoreira]

As for the Internet, well it is just a medium of communication which has allowed anyone around the world to communicate with anyone else.

It's not the gun which kills but the hand which holds it and the during the Indo China war, the North Vietnamese, the and Cambodian rebels used both AK47s and M16s against the Americans.

However like with all media, whether script on paper, handbills, leafletts, newsletters, newspapers, magazines or books, radio, TV, cinema or theatre, the ruling class will not hesitate to suppress, ban or jam them with penalties upon those who access them, if they seriously threaten their rule.

During the insurgency by the Communist Party of Malaysa in the 50s and 60s and even uotim the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, possession of Communist literature, including classics like the Communist Manifesto was a jailable offense in Malaya and tecjnically still is until today, though it's now not enforced.

[cfmoreira]

This whole issue really boils down to the history of colonial ocupation of countries of the Middle-East by the European imperialist nations and the neo-colonial, meaning nominal polital independence under rule by local elites, while the former colonial master U.S. imperialists exploit ts economy, land, labour and resources.

It also is related to the domination and expansive aims of Zionist Israel within the Middle East and especially its domination and suppression of the Palestinan people and their right to a homeland.

Stop the aggression, invasion, interference in their affairs and all this will revert to peace and tolerance again.

[jimibear]

"None of you would recognize a dose of reality if it grew on your privates.
Posted by jairod at 09:37 AM : Feb 02, 2007
+ report this comment"

Probably true; I'd mistake it for the warts your Mom gave me.

[jimibear]

"Only a liberal would make the comment Bush ran from duty"

Not true. Lots of people of all political stripes say that Bush is a liar, a coward and a draft dodger. Among many other, even worse, things.


"....tell that to the guards that serve time in Iraq...that they ran from duty."

I wouldn't do that. I would question what the *** the NATIONAL Guard is doing in an INTERNATIONAL war, though. That's not their job, and our Clueless Leader sent them there anyway, which didn't happen when he was in the Guards. The issue is not Bush joining the Guards, although at the time that was a guarantee of not seeing combat. The issue is his documented failure to fulfill his duty as a Guard and why he was not punished for that.

"BTW Clinton didnt serve, as a matter of fact he was going to communist countries...visiting during nam"

That's true, and why not? He's allowed to visit anywhwere he can, legally. Better that than a president who thinks Africa is a country. But:

1) What the hell does Clinton have to do with this? He's not president any more 2) He did in fact register for the draft while studying at Oxford. He just was never drafted; his number never came up.

Starting your post with "only a liberal" immediately branded you an idiot. You show yourself as unable to distinguish individual opinion from group ideology.

[jairod]

None of you would recognize a dose of reality if it grew on your privates.

[drinuk]

Could this be yet another scare story by "Big Brother" to control the internet. Governments worldwide hate the truth, they don't want the electorate finding out that they are in bed with arms manufacturers, Big Pharma and all the other corporate criminals who use "Bent" politicians to screw us. If you are a raving loony of whatever religion or race you will believe rubbish wherever it is written. Keep the net free!!

[mopone]

Only a liberal would make the comment Bush ran from duty....tell that to the guards that serve time in Iraq...that they ran from duty. BTW Clinton didnt serve, as a matter of fact he was going to communist countries...visiting during nam

[mopone]

Bush lied???? Intel lied, british and a few other western nations yapped about WMD, hell Sadam bragged about having them, and dont forget Clinton even talked about WMD. Im not crazy about bush either but the spewing of hate toward a sitting pres is making the anti-bush seem as bad as radical muslims

[jsilver2th]

"Internet Fostering New Distrust"

Really it's who uses the internet- it's not the internet.

That's kind of a dated way of looking at it- for ill or good the internet is modern communication and has passed beyond novelty.

If some political group was making phone calls would you say "Telephones Fostering New Distrust?"

[dallison7]

Internet Spreading Dangerous Ideology?

And it's name is singinrick.