Radical Islamist 

English-Language 

Online Magazines

Research Guide, Strategic Insights,

and Policy Response

Robert J. Bunker

Pamela Ligouri Bunker 

U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE

i

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v

Strategic Studies Institute

and 

U.S. Army War College Press

RADICAL ISLAMIST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE 

ONLINE MAGAZINES: RESEARCH GUIDE, 

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS, AND POLICY 

RESPONSE

Robert J. Bunker 

Pamela Ligouri Bunker

August 2018

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ISBN 1-58487-784-7

ix

FOREWORD

This unique Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) 

resource, authored by Robert J. Bunker and Pamela 

Ligouri Bunker—both of whom possess considerable 

counterterrorism analytical expertise—required many 

months of sustained research, analysis, and writing 

to produce. Simply collecting and cataloging the initial publication dataset itself represented a time-consuming process. As a result, this new research guide 

constitutes the most comprehensive work done to date 

on radical Islamist English-language online magazines 

for U.S. military educational and applied response 

purposes. This topical area is of great importance to 

the U.S. Army—and our national security posture in 

general—due to the association these magazines have 

with radical Islamist propaganda and recruitment, 

migration (hijrah) to Syria and Iraq, and attacks on the 

West utilizing “open source jihad (OSJ)” and later “just 

terror” techniques.

This book discusses and analyzes the more wellknown radical Islamist English-language online publications—al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine, the pro-Taliban 

Azan magazine, and the Islamic State’s (IS) Dabiq magazine—as well as a number of lesser-known publications associated with al Shabaab (Gaidi Mtaani and 

Amka) and al-Nusrah Front (Al-Risalah). Additionally, 

early Islamist works such as Benefit of the Day, Jihadi 

Recollections, and Defenders of the Truth are highlighted. 

Further, Inspire guides and special theme publications 

and IS reports, news, and little-discussed eBooks—the 

Black Flags, Shudada (Martyrs), Islamic State, and The 

West series—are addressed. It next offers a comparative analysis of basic narratives found in 30 combined 

issues of Inspire and Dabiq magazines. Al-Qaeda and 
x

IS online magazine clusters are then provided along 

with a discussion of the differing strategic approaches 

of these transnational terrorist organizations. Finally, 

policy response options are offered as a counter to the 

emergence of these publications, a detailed radical 

Islamist online magazine chronology has been constructed, and a glossary of Arab terms found in the two 

dominant magazines is provided.

SSI hopes this unique research guide focusing on 

radical Islamist English-language online magazines 

(and many lesser-known guides and eBooks), and the 

strategic insights and policy response recommendations found within it, will be of great interest to U.S. 

Army organizations engaged in offensive and defensive operations against these terrorist entities as well 

as to the broader U.S. strategic community, especially 

within counterterrorism and homeland securityfocused agencies.

DOUGLAS C. LOVELACE, JR.

Director

Strategic Studies Institute and

U.S. Army War College Press
xi

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ROBERT J. BUNKER is an international security and 

counterterrorism professional and is presently an adjunct research professor at the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) of the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) 

and an instructor with the Safe Communities Institute, 

University of Southern California. Past associations include Futurist in Residence, Behavioral Research and 

Instruction Unit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation 

(FBI) Academy in Quantico, VA and Distinguished 

Visiting Professor and Minerva Chair at SSI, USAWC. 

Dr. Bunker holds university degrees in political science, government, social science, anthropology-geography, behavioral science, and history and has undertaken hundreds of hours of specialized counterterrorism and counternarcotics training. He has delivered 

hundreds of presentations—including U.S. Congressional Testimony—and has hundreds of publications 

including numerous books, booklets, reports, papers, 

articles, response guidance, and research notes. Radical Islamist-focused publications and activities include co-editorship of a recent five-volume Small Wars 

Journal anthology series on this topical area as well 

as earlier works ranging from the weaponization of 

unmanned aerial systems (UAS), use of teleoperated 

sniper rifles and machine guns, and suicide bombers 

(including internal body cavity), along with related efforts extending back to pre-9/11 research on al-Qaeda doctrine, later published for U.S. law enforcement 

counterterrorism purposes, as well as pre- and post9/11 Los Angeles Terrorism Early Warning Group (LA 

TEW) activities.
PAMELA LIGOURI BUNKER is a researcher and 

analyst specializing in international security and terrorism—with a narratives analytical focus—and is 

presently a non-resident fellow in terrorism and counterterrorism, TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu 

Dhabi and an associate with Small Wars Journal—El 

Centro. She is a past senior officer of the Counter-OPFOR Corporation and has professional experience 

in research and program coordination in university, 

non-governmental organization (NGO), and city government settings. She holds undergraduate degrees 

in anthropology-geography and social sciences from 

California State Polytechnic University Pomona, an 

M.A. in public policy from the Claremont Graduate 

University, and an M.Litt. in terrorism studies from 

the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland. She is a 

co-editor of Global Criminal and Sovereign Free Economies and the Demise of the Western Democracies: Dark 

Renaissance (Routledge, 2015) and has published a 

number of referred and professional works—individually and co-authored—in Small Wars & Insurgencies, 

Small Wars Journal, FBI Library Subject Guides, and in 

various edited book projects including Narcos Over the 

Border (Routledge, 2011) and Criminal-States and Criminal-Soldiers (Routledge, 2008). She is currently engaged 

in research projects related to the Islamic State (IS) 

online magazine Rumiyah and “just terror” activities, 

strategies to mitigate IS foreign fighters from returning 

to their homelands, and the effects of rising economic 

inequality in the United States and the United Kingdom and its Armed Forces employment implications.

xii
xiii

SUMMARY

Radical Islamist online magazines first appeared in 

November 2003 with the publication of Sawt al-Jihad

(Voice of Jihad) in Arabic. This magazine discontinued 

publication in April 2005 after 29 issues, having been 

shut down by the Saudi security services. The magazine was produced by the Saudi branch of al-Qaeda 

that later evolved into al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). It called upon other al-Qaeda groups to 

develop and franchise their own magazines. Besides 

the plethora of radical Islamist online magazines in 

Arabic that has been produced since 2003—along 

with those in many other languages including Urdu, 

Russian, German, French, and Turkish—English-language editions have been in existence since April-May 

2007. There have been a number of these magazines 

published at varying dates and for varying periods of 

time. Some, such as Al Rashideen and Ihya-e-Khilafat, 

were initiated but fell by the wayside, victim to a lack 

of audience, the capture or death of an editor, or their 

initiating group’s evolution. In the cases of al-Qaeda’s 

Inspire and Islamic State’s Dabiq magazines, the publications have been ongoing—until very recently with 

the demise of Dabiq—with over a dozen issues each, 

and have notably been cited in relation to terrorism 

cases by law enforcement. Beyond their propaganda 

potentials, each magazine can be said to promote a 

specific jihadi culture, to be embraced in total by followers of the particular group in question in order to 

achieve its desired utopian vision. Toward that end, 

components of these online magazines address the 

group’s successes and legitimacy, offer a vision of a 

desirable end state, encourage recruitment into their 

ranks, direct violent action against stated enemies, 
xiv

and provide instructional materials and advice with 

regards to its enaction. 

The fact that an online magazine-style format has 

been used across groups over a notable period of time 

and the availability of a comprehensive data set of the 

issues of these magazines, both current and archived, 

is believed to provide a unique opportunity for evaluation of the nature of the threat these organizations 

potentially pose. It is not surprising, then, that the 

appearance and ongoing publication of English-language based magazines have caught the attention of 

scholars and counterterrorism researchers who have 

analyzed the better-known series of these magazines 

in numerous manuscripts, reports, and articles. Where 

useful, these works have been cited in the magazine 

database that follows. In reviewing the work done 

to date on radical Islamist English-language online 

magazines, however, efforts toward the analysis of 

online radical jihadist media in general—and online 

English-language magazines in particular—have been 

piecemeal. The results fall into three main categories: 

single magazine generalizations, comparisons between 

magazines, and those—largely popular media—pieces 

connecting these magazines to violent action.

In investigating these radical Islamist English-language online magazines and the body of work surrounding them, the authors determined that there 

was no document available in open-source form providing a comprehensive overview of this magazine 

genre, along with their predecessors and offshoot 

English-language periodicals. In addition, none of the 

existing studies provided a thorough look at the entire 

contents of Inspire and Dabiq—as the two then-primary 

ongoing publications—in a way that would be useful 
xv

to U.S. military and governmental researchers and 

policymakers.

The focused analysis of these magazines in this 

book, both chronologically and comparatively in their 

entirety, has not been done before, and provides essential insights into both the development and ebb and 

flow of the publications themselves, as well as how the 

narratives related to the important aspects of these terrorist groups have differed, overlapped, and adapted 

over time. In the following sections, the authors have 

provided a broad in-depth overview and analysis 

of the subject matter that they believe will provide 

invaluable information to researchers as well as useful 

insights to policymakers in this area. First, the authors 

have constructed an informational database of the radical Islamist English-language online magazine genre. 

In it, they have identified a wide breadth of precursor 

works that exist in a magazine or similar format to the 

online English-language magazines in question along 

with more tactically focused works of these or similar 

groups. The authors then present a profile of each magazine in terms of its editor, contributors, the region of 

publication, target group, length, and dates and numbers of issues. Information on each specific issue of a 

particular magazine, including its stated topic, date, 

length, and main articles, as well as offshoot documents, is also included. Next, the authors undertake 

an in-depth analysis identifying the basic narratives 

found among and between issues of the two main radical Islamist English-language magazines—Inspire and 

Dabiq—with regard to four primary topics: the desired 

end state of the group; the “enemy” relevant to that 

particular issue; statements made related to recruitment strategies; and any particular tactics, techniques, 

and procedures advocated—along with the narratives 
xvi

supporting them within each magazine data set by 

issue and as a whole. They further determined what 

specific themes arose per issue and between groups 

along with changes and trends over time. Finally, the 

authors provide preliminary recommendations toward 

an appropriate U.S. policy response given those trends 

that have been identified within. In addition, a glossary of all Arabic terms used in Inspire and Dabiq is 

included herein, plus a master listing of all radical Islamist English-language online magazines (see appendix I), and a listing of those magazines’ allegiance and 

foreign terrorist organization (FTO) affiliation (see 

appendix II) are provided.

Two strategic insights can be readily gained from 

the research and analysis conducted on radical Islamist 

English-language online magazines. First, such magazines exist in distinct clusters or groupings, revolving 

around either al-Qaeda or the Islamic State terrorist 

organizations. Second, these competing terrorist organizations have very different strategic approaches that 

they are promoting in their core magazines Inspire and 

Dabiq, respectively. Some of the narratives related to 

these differing strategic approaches were analyzed in 

this book; however, some additional narratives can 

also be tentatively surmised.

The strategic approaches related to these terrorist 

organizations and promoted in their supporting online 

magazine clusters are presented in table form in this 

book. This table represents an extension of the four 

themes—pertaining to end state, enemy, recruitment, 

and tactics—found in the Inspire and Dabiq datasets 

analyzed earlier. To this table has been added a wide 

range of additional attributes related to the differing 

strategic approaches of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. 

These additional attributes have been deduced by 
xvii

means of a close reading of the magazine datasets as 

well as the other magazines and eBooks in their respective English-language publication clusters.

A suggested generic policy response to the emergence of radical Islamist English-language magazines 

has been provided in this manuscript. It draws upon a 

targeting schema that identifies five stages in the magazine life-cycle process: environmental motivators, 

production, end product, distribution, and outcomes. 

Each of these life-cycle stages represents target sets 

that can be influenced by the U.S. Army, joint force, 

intelligence community, and ultimately whole-of-government response activities. These magazine lifecycle stages, as well as the desired response end state 

and the response measures required to achieve that 

response end state, are highlighted in a table provided 

in the book. Given the research project boundaries of 

this book, only a generalized response template and 

analytical discussion will be provided. Further, a “Blue 

Sky” response measures approach has been taken so as 

not to initially narrow the policy options that may be 

explored. There is hope that these elements will provide 

a form of “intellectual program starter” upon which 

U.S. agencies can build in order to respond to the emergence of Islamist English-language online magazines. 

Of course, for implementation purposes, two distinct 

programs—one focused on the Inspire (al-Qaeda) and 

the other focused on the Dabiq (Islamic State) magazine 

clusters and the inherent differences in their strategic 

approaches—must be specifically developed in order 

to respond to their emergence effectively.
xviii

CONTENTS

Foreword.......................................................................... ix

About the Authors .......................................................... xi

Summary ........................................................................xiii

Radical Islamist English-language

Online Magazines: Research Guide, 

Strategic Insights, and Policy Response.........................1

Online Magazine Profiles.................................................6

Jihad Recollections (al-Qaeda Affinity) ..................7

Defenders of the Truth (Al Mosul Islamic 

Network; al-Qaeda) ..................................................10

Inspire (AQAP)..........................................................12

Gaidi Mtaani (al Shabaab) ......................................18

Azan (Taliban/Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan)............22

Dabiq (Islamic State).................................................26

Resurgence (AQIS) ....................................................32

Amka (al Shabaab—al-Muhajiroun component)..34

Al-Risalah (al-Nusrah Front)..................................36

Additional Online Magazines .................................38

Islamic State News (ISN) and Islamic State 

Reports (ISR) and eBooks ........................................54
Comparative Analysis ....................................................68

Al-Qaeda (Inspire) Narratives ................................69

Islamic State (Dabiq) Narratives.............................91

Strategic Insights ...........................................................123

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Online 

Magazine Clusters...................................................123

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Strategic 

Approaches ..............................................................129

Policy Response.............................................................135

Environmental Motivators.....................................137

Production................................................................137

End Product .............................................................138

Distribution..............................................................139

Outcomes..................................................................139

Endnotes.........................................................................143

Glossary of Arabic Terms ............................................165

Appendix I .....................................................................191

Radical Islamist Online Magazine Chronology........191

Appendix II....................................................................197

xix
Radical Islamist English-Language 

Online Magazine’s allegiance and 

Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) affiliation .....197

Endnotes – Appendix II ...............................................198

xx
1

RADICAL ISLAMIST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE 

ONLINE MAGAZINES: RESEARCH GUIDE, 

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS, AND POLICY 

RESPONSE

Increasingly, the primary threats to U.S. security 

have involved hybrid warfare challenges including the 

use of irregular tactics and the rise of nonstate actors. 

Hybrid warfare merges conventional warfare with 

non-traditional military approaches including terrorism, insurgency, and information and cyber warfare, 

and the U.S. Army has had to adapt its role in responding to these new and varied threats.1 In the post-9/11 

period, the nature of its global counterterrorism and 

counterinsurgency response has necessitated shifting 

its information operations focus in order to deal with 

the impact of radical jihadist organizations’ skillful use 

of social media and the internet at large, particularly 

as these are used to propagate narratives supporting 

the employment of tactics, techniques, and procedures 

hostile to the United States and its allies and interests 

around the world.

One innovative way in which these radical jihadist organizations have attempted to promote their 

narratives is through the use of online radical Islamist English-language magazines that draw upon 

that method of publication in order to reach out to 

a broader cohort of existing constituents and affinity groups in the West while maintaining an internet 

presence that intimidates outsiders. The magazine 

format allows an organization to present a coherent 

and encompassing vision of their status and mission 

without the distortion found in more interactive forms 

of online media such as chat rooms and forums, which 

are subject to questions and commentary from outside 
2

the established “party line.” In addition, they provide 

the ease of access of an online resource with the ability 

to print out and circulate the magazine to those without access or those who are simply more comfortable 

with an older media format—something the publishers have actively encouraged. While the singular effectiveness of an online magazine in achieving a group’s 

intentions is outside the scope of this paper—and, 

ultimately, very difficult to ascertain—the ideals set 

forth in terms of the narrative presented and the tactics, techniques, and procedures promoted can be seen 

as representing the desired means and ends of these 

groups in question. 

Radical Islamist online magazines themselves first 

appeared in November 2003 with the publication of 

Sawt al-Jihad (Voice of Jihad) in Arabic. This magazine discontinued publication in April 2005 after 29 

issues, having been shut down by the Saudi security 

services—although a 30th issue may have been published in February 2007.2 The magazine was produced 

by the Saudi branch of al-Qaeda that later evolved into 

al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). It called 

upon other al-Qaeda groups to develop and franchise 

their own magazines.3 Besides the plethora of radical 

Islamist online magazines in Arabic that has been produced since 2003—along with those in many other languages including Urdu, Russian, German, French, and 

Turkish—English-language editions have been in existence since April-May 2007. There have been a number 

of these magazines published at varying dates and 

for varying periods of time. Some, such as Al Rashideen and Ihya-e-Khilafat, were initiated but fell by the 

wayside, victim to a lack of audience, the capture or 

death of an editor, or their initiating group’s evolution. 

In the cases of al-Qaeda’s Inspire and Islamic State’s 
3

Dabiq magazines, the publications have been ongoing—until very recently with the demise of Dabiq—

with over a dozen issues each, and have notably been 

cited in relation to terrorism cases by law enforcement. 

Beyond their “propaganda” potentials, each magazine 

can be said to promote a specific jihadi culture, to be 

embraced in total by followers of the particular group 

in question in order to achieve its desired utopian 

vision. Toward that end, components of these online 

magazines address the group’s successes and legitimacy, offer a vision of a desirable end state, encourage recruitment into their ranks, direct violent action 

against stated enemies, and provide instructional 

materials and advice with regards to its enaction.

The fact that an online magazine-style format has 

been used across groups over a notable period of time 

and the availability of a comprehensive data set of the 

issues of these magazines, both current and archived, is 

believed to provide a unique opportunity for evaluation 

of the nature of the threat these organizations potentially pose. It is not surprising, then, that the appearance and ongoing publication of the English-language 

based magazines have caught the attention of scholars 

and counterterrorism researchers who have analyzed 

the better-known series of these magazines in numerous manuscripts, reports, and articles. Where useful, 

these works have been cited in the magazine database 

that follows. In reviewing the work done to date on 

radical Islamist English-language online magazines, 

however, efforts toward the analysis of online radical 

jihadist media in general—and online English-language magazines in particular—have been piecemeal. 

The results fall into three main categories: single magazine generalizations, comparisons between magazines, 
4

and those—largely popular media—pieces connecting 

these magazines to violent action.

In the first case, some works have looked at individual (or even several) issues of a single online 

English-language magazine to make generalizations 

on its overall content.4 There is often great interest at 

the onset of a new magazine’s publication, falling off 

in the attention-cycle after that point unless an issue 

is particularly sensational in nature. With Inspire and 

Dabiq in particular, the focus is often upon their glossy 

and Western style of presentation contrasted with the 

emphasis on radical Islamist ideology. Many authors 

rely largely upon the title to discern the issue’s primary content and emphasis. Much in particular is 

made of the potentials for radicalization and recruitment of Western Muslims without any in-depth study 

evidencing those effects. Most of what is written about 

the publications primarily focus upon specific issues 

of academic interest or else paint the collection of 

issues with a broad stroke. A few of these, however, 

have made a note of the strategic and tactical insights 

to be found.5 The next common type of analysis of 

these online magazines are those which focus on two 

or more in comparison, largely Inspire and Dabiq—

with particular note of their rivalry—although early 

attempts considered Azan and others in the mix.6

The last type are largely popular media pieces which 

mention a magazine in relation to its presumed connection with inciting violent acts—these crop up most 

often just after a specific terrorism-related event or 

just after publication of a specific issue promoting 

such an act.7 In investigating these radical Islamist 

English-language online magazines and the body of 

work surrounding them, the authors determined that 

there was no document available in open-source form 
5

providing a comprehensive overview of this magazine genre, along with their predecessors and offshoot 

English-language periodicals. In addition, none of the 

existing studies provided a thorough look at the entire 

contents of Inspire and Dabiq—as the two then-primary 

ongoing publications—in a way that would be useful 

to U.S. military and governmental researchers and 

policymakers.

The focused analysis of these magazines in this 

book, both chronologically and comparatively in their 

entirety, has not been done before, and provides essential insights into both the development and ebb and 

flow of the publications themselves, as well as how the 

narratives related to the important aspects of these terrorist groups have differed, overlapped, and adapted 

over time. In the following sections, the authors have 

provided a broad, in-depth overview and analysis of the subject matter that they believe will provide invaluable information to researchers as well as 

useful insights to policymakers in this area. First, the 

authors have constructed an informational database 

of the radical Islamist English-language online magazine genre. In it, they have identified a wide breadth 

of precursor works that exist in a magazine or similar format to the online English-language magazines 

in question along with more tactically focused works 

of these or similar groups. The authors then present a profile of each magazine in terms of its editor, 

contributors, the region of publication, target group, 

length, and dates and numbers of issues. Information 

on each specific issue of a particular magazine, including its stated topic, date, length, and main articles, as 

well as offshoot documents, is also included. Next, the 

authors undertake an in-depth analysis identifying the 

basic narratives found among and between issues of 
6

the two main radical Islamist English-language magazines—Inspire and Dabiq—with regard to four primary topics: the desired end state of the group, the 

“enemy” relevant to that particular issue, statements 

made related to recruitment strategies, and any particular tactics, techniques, and procedures advocated—

along with the narratives supporting them within each 

magazine data set by issue and as a whole. They further determined what specific themes arose per issue 

and between groups and changes and trends in these 

over time. Finally, the authors provide preliminary 

recommendations toward an appropriate U.S. policy 

response given those trends that have been identified 

within. In addition, a glossary of all Arabic terms used 

in Inspire and Dabiq is included herein, plus a master 

listing of all radical Islamist English-language online 

magazines (see appendix I), and a listing of those magazines’ allegiance and foreign terrorist organization 

(FTO) affiliation (see appendix II) are provided.

ONLINE MAGAZINE PROFILES

The online English radical Islamist magazines that 

will be profiled in the initial part of this section are 

the better-known ones. They are Jihadi Recollections, 

an al-Qaeda affinity magazine initially published in 

April 2009, Defenders of the Truth, an al-Qaeda linked 

magazine initially published in July 2009, Inspire, an 

AQAP magazine initially published in June 2010, 

Gaidi Mtaani, an al Shabaab magazine initially published in April 2012, Azan, a Taliban magazine initially 

published in March (or possibly May) 2013, Dabiq, 

an Islamic State magazine initially published in July 

2014, Resurgence, an al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) magazine initially published in October 
7

2014, Amka, an al Shabaab—al-Muhajiroun magazine 

initially published in February 2015, and Al-Risalah, an 

al-Nusrah Front magazine initially published in July 

2015. Of these nine magazines, Inspire and Dabiq are by 

far the most influential, have had the greatest impact 

on radical Islamist thinking, and have the most digital issues, 16 and 15 respectively. The profiles of all 

of these magazines follow. In addition to a short overview of each magazine, tables have been provided that 

list all of the issues of these digital publications, images 

of their covers, and the main articles contained within 

them (see tables 1-9).

Jihad Recollections (al-Qaeda Affinity)

The first widely known online English-language 

magazine to be published is Jihad Recollections, whose 

initial issue came out in April 2009.8 Four issues of the 

magazine were produced with the last one appearing in September 2009 (see table 1). The magazine 

was published by Samir Khan—a U.S. citizen born 

in Saudi Arabia—who produced the magazine in the 

basement of his father’s home in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a teenager, Khan increasingly became radicalized through ties to a local branch of the Pakistani 

Tanzeem-e-Islami. Two years prior to publishing the 

magazine, he initially established an online blog called 

Revival and was later followed by the blogs Inshallahshaheed (A Martyr, God Willing) and Revolution.9

 Given 

Khan’s expanding extremist ties, his magazine was distributed by al-Qaeda’s al-Fursan Media. This brought 

him increased notoriety in the radical Islamist community. He then left North Carolina in October 2009 and 

traveled to Sana’a, Yemen to join AQAP. There he continued his online magazine editorship under the new 
8

al-Qaeda flagship magazine that he founded, Inspire.

10

The first three issues of Jihad Recollections averaged 75 

pages in length, with thematic clusters such as politics 

and economy, religion and biography, strategy and 

lessons, social technology, and health evident in issue 

2. The fourth issue produced was much smaller at 49 

pages and dropped the thematic clusters with only a 

features section, possibly attributable to the fact that 

Khan was preparing to move to Yemen. One critique 

of the work said, “The magazine was overproduced—

slick but too busy and at times unreadable, loosely 

inspired by popular American magazines.”11 The 

magazine provided original jihadi-inspired material 

up to the master’s degree level of writing to Englishspeaking Muslims—per the editor’s introduction in 

the first issue— to begin to get them caught up to what 

their brothers in the Arabic jihadi media were reading. Besides the usual jihadi rhetoric, the articles on 

technology are of note. Some of them explain practical 

items such as generations of night vision technology 

and how mobile shooter detection systems work, while 

others focus on esoteric areas of little present utility for 

jihadists, such as electromagnetic pulse devices and 

sixth sense computer interfaces. No method of contacting the editor of the magazine is listed in any of the 

issues. Jihad Recollections does provide links to various 

videos and a few speeches as well as recognized jihadist websites.
9

Table 1. Jihad Recollections Online Magazine.

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 1 The Predications 

of the Conquering 

of Rome

Rabi’ al-Thani 

1430H

(April 2009)

70 pp. The Predications of the Conquering of Rome; The Emphasis for 

an Identity in the Storm of the 

Kufr; Staying in Shape Without 

Weights; Obama’s Questionable 

Economic Stimulus Package; The 

Warrior Trainer; The Siege of 

Tawheed Al-Hakimiyyah; The 

Political Implication of the CIA’s 

Scandal in Algeria; Four Practical 

Steps to Expand the Global Jihad; 

The Science Behind Night Vision 

Technology.

Issue 2 Obamaturk: The 

Secular

 Phenomenon

Jumada 

al-Awwal 

1430H

(May 2009)

73 pp. Obamaturk: The Secular Phenomenon; Western reaction to Abu 

Mansoor al-Amriki; Infaq: The 

forgotten deed; A critical look 

into Dr. Israr’s ‘Tanzeem-e-Islami’; America: Bully among bullies and Columbine’s Macrocosm; 

Forget cell phones—the sixth 

sense is coming; Tips on making 

your exercises realistic.

Issue 3 From Uncle Sam to 

AllahuAkbar

Sha’aban 1430H

(August 2009)

82 pp. From Uncle Sam to AllahuAkbar: 

My life in Iraq and Journey to Islam; Defending Afghanistan: Is 

it defending Islam or defending 

al-Qa-idah?; Tableeghi Jama’ah 

on the strategic spectrum; Assessing the Role and Influence of 

As-Sahab Media; Islamic Demonstrations and their relationship 

with the Mujahideen; The Techno-Tawqa age.

Issue 4 The Men Behind 

9/11 and The

 Motives That 

Bound Them

Ramadan 1430H

(September 

2009)

49 pp. The Men Behind 9/11 and The 

Motives That Bound Them; Letter 

from Michael Scheuer to Usama 

bin Laden; The Hidden Reasons 

for 9/11: US Foreign Policy and 

the Islamic World; An unforgotten Sentiment; The Last Moments 

before the world changed; Is 9/11 

Directly Responsible for the US & 

Global Financial Crisis?
10

Defenders of the Truth (Al Mosul Islamic Network; 

al-Qaeda)

This online magazine was produced by the Al 

Mosul Islamic Network—an al-Qaeda linked group. 

No individual or individuals claimed editorship of this 

five issue magazine that was published from July 2009 

through January-February 2010 (see table 2). Very little 

analysis has been written on Defenders of the Truth with 

the primary Al Mosul website—which also provided 

jihadist videos, news, and press releases—shutting 

down by April 2010.12 An internet search found one 

defunct English site, which was established as early 

as April 2009—a few months before the magazine’s 

publication—apparently as an affiliated site.13 Their 

primary Al Mosul Media website and a secondary site 

have also since been shuttered.14

The magazine was predominantly written in English 

with some Arabic script present. Articles are presented 

in a two-column format like Jihadi Reflections, but the 

type of font and line spacing gives this magazine a less 

polished feel. Graphic color pictures—especially of 

armed mujahid and martyrs—are peppered throughout the issues with many advertisements for links to 

jihadi videos.15 Writers associated with the magazine 

include: Hamzah al Farooq (also spelled Hammzah 

Farooq), a frequent contributor; Abu Hazma; Abu Thareef (also spelled Thareer); and Ibrahim Abdul-Wahid with the spelling variations suggesting that 

author pseudonyms are being utilized. The magazine 

attempted to appeal to the global al-Qaeda ummah of 

interest with stories and imagery spanning the globe 

including accounts of jihadist groups in the Caucuses, 

Pakistan, Thailand, Yemen, Somalia, and the Maghreb 

while still somewhat remaining focused on activities 

in Iraq.
11

Table 2. Defenders of the Truth Online Magazine.

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 

1

No Title Rajjab 1430

(July 2009)

57 pp. The reason behind the Declaration of the Islamic Emirate 

of the Caucasus; Slaying and 

Striving in Allah’s Cause—A 

Glimpse into Jihad; Jihad in the 

light of Ahadith; The Islamic 

personality; The reason 9/11 

attacks were a justified attack; 

Islamic Fundamentalism in 

Southern Asia.

Issue 

2

No Title Sha’baan 1430

(August 2009)

65 pp. Theoretical Notes on Snipers; 

The Rewards of Martyrdom 

(Part 1); Notes on Program[m]

ing; Jihaad in the light of the 

Ahadith, The Truth about Jihad—Part I; Islamic Fundamentalism in Central Asia; The 

Blessed Month of Sha’baan.

Issue 

3

Death of 

Nationalism

Shawwaal/

Dhul Qa’dah 

1430

(October 2009)

51 pp. The Truth about Jihad (Part 

II); The Western Muslim Complex—A Short Introduction; 

Jihad in the light the Ahadith; 

The Islamic Maghreb; Exploits 

in Jihad by Women Companions; Death of Nationalism—

The Signs of Calamity over the 

Despotic Regimes.

Issue 

4

The place 

for Shariah: 

Amongst the 

causes of Islam

Dhul Qa’dah/ 

Dhul Hijjah 1430

(November/

December 2009)

36 pp. Introducing the Salafi Jihadi 

Movement; The Rewards of 

Martyrdom (Part 2); The Place 

for Shariah amongst the causes of Islam; Salaah (prayer) 

in Islam; Friends of Allah; 

Hamas. 
12

Table 2. Defenders of the Truth Online Magazine. 

(cont.)

Inspire (AQAP)

The flagship al-Qaeda English-language magazine Inspire is published by al-Qaeda Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) via its propaganda arm Al-Malahem 

Media. Given the high profile nature of the magazine, 

a number of reports and studies have been written 

about it.16 The magazine has been publishing since 

June 2010 and has recently come out with its 16th 

issue in November 2016 (see table 3). The magazine 

was founded and edited by Samir Khan, who was discussed earlier concerning his publication of Jihad Recollections. Along with Sheik Anwar al-Awalki—another 

American who went over to join al-Qaeda and became 

an enemy of the United States—they were involved 

in the publication of the initial seven issues of Inspire

until both of them were killed in a U.S. drone strike in 

Yemen at the end of September 2011. No issues of the 

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 

5

Battle Ground 

Iraq, The Post 

Graduate

 University of 

Muslim 

Mujhahid

Muharram/

Saffar 1431

(January/

February 2010)

39 pp. A Glimpse into the Lives of 

the Women Companions; The 

Acquisition of knowledge in Islam; Al-Mosul Media Exclusive 

Interview with a Mujahid of 

the Tareek-e-Taliban in Swat; 

Battle Ground Iraq, The Post 

Graduate University of Muslim 

Mujhahid.
13

magazine were published until May 2012 when issues 

8 and 9 under the new editorship of Yahya Ibrahim 

appeared. This new editor has consistently provided 

a very short “Editor’s Letter” since taking over publication of the magazine—it is unknown, however, if 

this is the editor’s real name or likely a pseudonym, 

given the inherent danger involved in being the editor 

of this magazine. This slick, professional magazine, 

which contains minimal Arabic script, varies in length 

from 23 to 102 pages with about 60 to 70 pages being 

an average issue size with wide page fluctuations 

taking place. Numerous articles are published in each 

issue with some advertisements for jihadi audio messages and videos provided. One of the most important 

components of the magazine is its “open source jihad 

(OSJ)” section that is meant to promote lone jihad 

attacks. A comprehensive overview of certain narratives found within this magazine will be covered later 

in this book. Starting with the initial issue, the explanation of how to use encrypted messages by means of 

the Asrar al-Mujahideen program was described in the 

magazine.17 This program could then be used with a 

changing 2048-bit public key to contact the magazine 

editor and staff by means of various email addresses.18 This resulted in “Letters to the Editor” becoming 

a regular feature of the publication. By issue 3, email 

communication difficulties appeared which were fixed 

by the next issue with these email addresses changing over time as accounts were either compromised 

or closed down.19 By March 2014, in issue 12, reader 

email communications with the magazine were permanently suspended due to technical and security reasons, though a “temporary notice” has been utilized to 

this effect for over 2 years now.20
14

Table 3. Inspire Online Magazine.21

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 1 May Our Souls Be 

Sacrificed For You!

Summer 1431

(June 2010)

67 pp. May our souls be sacrificed 

for you!; Abu Basir Interview; 

Make a bomb in the Kitchen of 

your Mom; Six calls of al-Anfal; How to use Asrar al-Mujahideen: Sending & Receiving 

Encrypted Messages; The Jihadi Experiences [The Schools 

of Jihad].

Issue 2 Photos from the 

Operations of 

Abyan

Fall 1431

(October 

2010)

74 pp. The Operations of Abyan in 

Images; I am proud to be a 

traitor to America; The New 

Mardin Declaration; Interview with Shaykh Abu Sufyan al-Azdi; My life in Jihad; 

Obama’s ploy and the peak of 

Islam; A Call to Islam; Legitimate Demands 2.

Special 

Issue 3

$4,200 Fall 1431 

(November 

2010)

23 pp. $4,200; The Objectives of Operation Hemorrhage; Technical 

Details; Exclusive Images.

Issue 4 The Ruling on 

Dispossessing the 

disbelievers wealth 

in Dar al-Harb

Winter 1431

(January 

2011)

67 pp. The Ruling on Dispossessing 

the disbelievers wealth in Dar 

al-Harb; Q&A with Shakyh 

Adil al-Abbab on targeting 

non-Muslim civilians and Yemeni soldiers; The Jihad in Abyan; The Central Issue; Which 

is better: Martyrdom or Victory?; Why did I choose al-Qaeda?; Roshanara & Taimour: 

Followers of the borderless 

loyalty.
15

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 5 The Tsunami of 

Change

Spring 1431

(March 2011)

70 pp. The Tsunami of Change; The 

short & long-term plans after protests; The Overlooked 

Backdrop; Al-Saud: Lodging 

a Criminal; The Oppressor’s 

End; The Egyptian; The way 

forward; Individual Terrorism 

Jihad; The Middle path & the 

Enemy’s plot; What to expect 

in Jihad?; My Life in Fallujah.

Issue 6 Sadness, Contentment & AspirationSummer 1432

(August 

2011)

61 pp. Sadness, Contentment & Aspiration; The Martyrdom of 

Shakyh Usama; An Address to 

the Revolutionaries; Progeny 

of the exceptional; Shuhada’s 

Special; A Question on takfir; It 

is either Jihad or Disgrace. So 

Choose.; Why did I choose al 

Qaeda? [part 3]; Conditions for 

the Resistance to use individual jihad; Making Acetone Peroxide; Training with the AK.

Special 

Issue 7

The Greatest

 Special

Operation of all 

time

Fall 1432

(September 

2011)

36 pp. The Greatest Special Operation 

of all time; The Media Conflict; 

Iran & the Conspiracy Theories; A Decade in Pictures from 

9/11 Till Today.

Issue 8 Targeting Dar alHarb PopulationsFall 1432

(May 2012)

63 pp. Targeting Dar al-Harb Populations; The Jihadi Experiences: 

The main arenas of operation 

for individual jihad; Lust and 

Fear: An insight into the Pakistani Army & its role in the 

Crusades; Take from their 

guidance for there is no refuge from jihad; Freedom from 

blind following; Shuhada Arabian Peninsula; Training with 

the handgun; Remote Control 

Detonation.

Table 3. Inspire Online Magazine.(cont.)
16

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 9 Win[n]ing on the 

Ground

Winter 1433

(May 2012)

62 pp. Win[n]ing on the Ground; The 

convoy of martyrs; It is of your 

freedom to ignite a firebomb; 

Qualities of an Urban Assassin; My story with Al Awlaki; 

Samir Khan: The Face of Joy; 

Was Al Awlaki justified in his 

dislike of America?; The Jihadi 

Experiences: The most important enemy targets aimed at by 

the individual jihad.

Issue 10 We Are All Usama Spring 1434

(March 2013)

60 pp. We Are All Usama; Inspire Exclusive: From Adam Gadahn; 

Torching Parked Vehicles; 

Causing Road Accidents; The 

Jihadi Experiences: The Strategy of Deterring with Terrorism; Woman of the Glorious 

Ummah.

Special 

Issue 

11

Who & Why Spring 1434

(May 2013)

39 pp. Who and Why?; The Inevitable; America’s Bitter Harvest; 

Inspired by Inspire; Allah will 

restrain the evil might of those 

who disbelieve.

Issue 12 Shattered: A Story 

About Change

Spring 1435 

(March 2014)

72 pp. Shattered: A Story About 

Change; Car Bombs Inside 

America; Car Bombs: Field 

Data; Rumbling Blaze Under 

Calm Ash; The Crusade and 

The Swap of Stances; Palestine: Betrayal of Human Conscience; 24/7 Terrorism.

Table 3. Inspire Online Magazine.(cont.)
17

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 13 Neurotmesis Winter 1436 

(December 

2014)

102 pp. Neurotmesis: Cutting the 

Nerves & Isolating the Head;

Exclusive Interview with the 

AQ-Chef; The Hidden Bomb;

Letter to the America People; 

Strike the Sea with Your Stick; 

Independence & Courage; 

The Story of Abu Rawi AsSway’Ari; The Glad Tidings 

of Victory; The Virtues of Inghimaasi; Between Yesterday 

& Tomorrow; Al-Malahem’s 

Q&A Session.

Issue 14 Assassination

 Operations

Summer 1436 

(September 

2015)

88 pp. Assassination Operations; 

Making a Timed Hand Grenade; Assassinations—Field 

Tactics; The Blacks in America; Conditions of the Word of 

Tawheed; Charlie Hebdo Military Analysis; If You Return, 

We Too Shall Return; Remembering Boston.

Issue 15 Professional 

Assassinations

Spring 1437 

(May 2016)

90 pp. Professional Assassinations; 

Making explosives for home 

assassinations; Exclusive Interview: Abu Khubeib As-Sudani; 

Jihad Upon Clear Insight; O 

Knife Revolution, Head Towards America; The Coner: 

Inside Obama’s Rationality; 

Jihad Profiles: Khalid Sheikh 

Muhammad; Natural Calamities or Terror.

Issue 16 The 9/17 

Operations

Autumn 1438 

(November 

2016)

48 pp. Inspire Guide #4; The Successful Pressure Cooker Bomb; 

Those Who Defy Justice; A 

Thousand Times Greater 

than the USS-Cole; Echoes of 

Events; Rulings of Lone Jihad; 

The Issue of African Americans; A Message to Our Muslim Brothers in America; The 

American Globalization is 

Falling.

Table 3. Inspire Online Magazine. (cont.)
18

Gaidi Mtaani (al Shabaab)

The magazine Gaidi Mtaani published by al Shabaab 

loosely means “Terrorist on the Street” or “Street Terrorism” in Swahili.22 Its seven issues (see table 4) were 

published from April 2012 through February 2015 

with issue size widely fluctuating between 14 pages 

in issue 1, to 65 pages in issue 7. The initial editor 

of the magazine was listed as Abu-Saif (also spelled 

Abu-Sayf) with Abu Usama al-kenyi listed as the later 

editor. Of note was the increasingly English content of 

the magazine, which also featured articles in Swahili, 

from one or two articles in the initial issues to multiple ones in the later issues. The choice of using Swahili itself is of note because that language is not widely 

spoken in Somalia. It was said that al Shabaab chose 

that language because it would allow for better access 

to Muslims in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania where it 

has official status and is greatly utilized.23 This is in line 

with an expert who analyzed the magazine in the context of al Shabaab’s then-activities: 

This Swahili publication, with the occasional English 

language item, is explicitly targeted at the Kenyan Ummah. 

Launched three months after al-Shabaab declared it [sic] 

intentions to mount war within Kenya, four issues were 

produced up to November 2013. The articles are well 

written, and show a good understanding of Kenya’s 

history and the particular concerns of its Muslim 

population. Professionally produced, with multiple 

illustrations and eye-catching slogans, Gaidi Mtaani is 

visually powerful and clearly intended to appeal to a 

younger audience.

The magazine provides a powerful insight into the 

organisation’s public relations mission, revealing 

important aspects of al-Shabaab’s recruitment and 

propaganda strategy. Articles link current oppression to 

Kenya’s long-history Muslim marginalisation, portraying 
19

the Kenyan state as being in collaboration with foreign 

powers that wish to attack Muslims.24

From a U.S. homeland defense perspective, this 

focus on Kenyan Muslim populations and those in 

surrounding African states, rather than actual clusters of Somalia expatriates in the United States—such 

as in Minnesota—is welcome news. This is especially 

true given the fact that the English content of the 

magazine rose over time, since this would mean that 

English-speaking audiences in Africa were the primary targets of the al Shabaab propagandists rather 

than individuals living in the United States. Still, some 

converts from the Twin Cities were identified in the 

magazine.25 Some additional limited analysis of Gaidi 

Mtaani has taken place noting that occasional Arabic 

script is also included in the magazine as well as 

the typical selective usage of Quranic passages supporting jihadist narratives. The magazine’s stance in 

later issues that “democracy is blasphemy and jihad 

is the solution” was also noted with calls for readers 

to remove themselves from the unbelievers and seek 

martyrdom.26 Additionally, one of the more practical 

articles in the magazine focused on cell phone security as a counter to the capabilities of Western security 

forces.27 While the layout of the magazine increased 

professionally over time with a glossy feel and plenty 

of images, the few supporting links mainly pointed 

to YouTube videos and a file-sharing site rather than 

dedicated jihadist websites. However, by issues 3 and 

4, more web resources were listed.28 A contact email 

was also provided as well as a Twitter account, which 

had no activity and only a handful of followers.29
20

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles 

(In English)

Toleo 

No. 1

Operation Linda 

Uislamu

Rabi al-Thani 

1433

(April 2012)

14 pp. Leveling the Scales.

Toleo 

No. 2

The Long Road to 

Kismayu

Rajab 1433 

(June 2012)

27 pp. The Long Road to Kismayu; Operation Linda 

Ukafiri.

Toleo 

No. 3

Sheikh Aboud Rogo Rabi al-Thani 

1434

(March 2013)

41 pp. A Greater Scheme of 

Things; What is Democracy and what is the Islamic verdict on democracy; 

Molotov Cocktail; Mobile 

Phone Security.

Toleo 

Special 

Edition 

No. 4

#Westgate Dhul Hijja 

1434 (November 2013)

45 pp. Westgate Operation; 

#Westgate; Was the Badru Nairobi Operation A 

Cowardly Act?; The Basis 

of the Defeatist Movement; More Than Just A 

Thousand Words.

Table 4. Gaidi Mtaani Online Magazine.
21

Table 4. Gaidi Mtaani Online Magazine. (cont.)

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles 

(In English)

Toleo

Special 

Edition 

No. 5

Muslims of Bangui 

& Mombasa: A Tale 

of Tragedy

Not listed

(November 

2014)

30 pp. Muslims of Bangui & 

Mombasa: A Tale of 

Tragedy; On Bangui; On 

Events in Mombasa; To 

the Believers in the Levant; On Chechyna; More 

Than Just A Thousand 

Words.

Toleo 

No. 6

My Journey of Hijra 

& Jihad

Dhul Qaada 

1435 (December 2014)

57 pp. My Journey of Hijra & Jihad; The Path to Paradise: 

From the Twin Cities to 

the Land of Two Migrations; Fight for the Sake of 

Allah Not For Democracy; 

More Than Just A Thousand Words; Who Was 

Gary Schroen?

Toleo 

No. 7

May Our Mothers 

Be Bereaved Of 

Us Should We Fail 

to Avenge Our 

Prophet

Jumada alUla (February 2015)65 pp. War with peace.; Diary of 

Mujahid: The Battle; From 

the ‘hood’ to an Eternal 

Paradise; May Our Mothers Be Bereaved Of Us 

Should We Fail to Avenge 

Our Prophet; Perplexed 

Propaganda; More Than 

Just A Thousand Words.
22

Azan (Taliban/Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan)

The name of Azan magazine in Arabic script means 

“A Call to Prayer,” though its unknown editor was 

also attempting to associate the word with “A Call to 

Jihad” as the cover of the first issue of the magazine 

suggests.30 Hence, the initial issue editorial states that:

the call of mankind has always been the same: to be free 

of the servitude of created beings to the servitude of The 

One, The Almighty, The Law-Giver, The Creator of the 

heavens and the earth, Allah. It is this very call that Azan

aims to invite mankind to.31

By engaging in this call—that requires the actions of 

the Mujahid against the forces of Satan—the salvation 

of mankind will take place. Azan is produced by the 

pro-Taliban Abtalul Media Group and is linked to the 

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. It is one of the better-known 

examples of the English-language radical Islamist 

online magazines in addition to the much larger Inspire

and Dabiq series. As a result, two focused products—an 

initial short report in 2014 and a more detailed scholarly article in 2015—have been produced pertaining to 

this magazine.32 Six issues and one special report were 

published from March 2013 through August 2014 (see 

table 5) with the issues roughly 50 pages in length with 

their length steadily dropping over time. Similarities 

between Azan and Inspire are evident—although it is 

devoid of an OSJ section—with some writers suggesting it helped to fill the jihadist publication gap while 

the AQAP magazine ceased publication from mid-2013 

for about 10 months.33 Analysts state that the magazine focuses on promoting domestic Western attacks 

over joining jihadi groups overseas, though some 

of the groups in the al-Qaeda cluster—specifically 
23

al-Nusrah Front and al Shabaab—had now been promoting Western recruitment over such attacks during 

late 2013.34 The magazine had a professional feel with 

a good use of imagery and colors, with Arabic script 

occasionally mixed in as a supporting Islamic cultural 

archetype. Cover titles maximized their propaganda 

value with statements such as “You’ll Never Be Safe,” 

“An Awakened Ummah,” and “To the Jihadis in the 

West” meant to send continued threatening messages 

to the United States and Europe.35 A number of articles across the issues focused on the United States’ 

use of armed drones, which is a preoccupation of the 

Taliban given the ongoing leadership losses that they 

have suffered from such attacks over the years. Also 

of interest is the special issue/report focusing on the 

American security firm Blackwater (renamed Xe, now 

Academi) and Pakistani intelligence—the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)—supposedly working together 

based on the debriefing of a young teenager who was 

captured by the Taliban mujahideen. In the initial issue 

of Azan, an email contact address was provided for the 

magazine; however, issue 2 provided a different contact email, and later issues saw further address iterations.36 Asrar-ul-Mujahideen Version 2 website links to 

download encrypted software belonging to that program as well as updated public keys were provided 

in the various issues, although only one reference to 

jihadist videos for download was made in the entire 

series, suggesting that the editor thought the readership might have had broadband download or streaming limitations or simply did not see the value of such 

videos.37
24

Table 5. Azan Online Magazine. 

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 1 A Call to Jihad Jamadi-ul 

Awwal 

1434H

(March 2013)

80 pp. The Road to Khilafah; The 

Drone Chain; Malala, Education and an Unruly Media; 

The Pakistan Army Doctrine 

U-Turn; Prison Break: Adnan 

Rasheed; All the more reason 

to Rise...; The Religion of Democracy; Nationalism and Islam.

Issue 2 You’ll Never Be 

Safe

Jamadi II/

Rajab 1434H

(April/May 

2013)

97 pp. The Last Night; Boston Special: 

The Victorious Strangers; Let’s 

understand “Suicide Bombing...”; Secular Education; Disavowal of the Kuffar: A Quranic Perspective; Fatwa: “The 

Islamic Ruling on Media”; My 

Story: A Mujahid’s journey; 3rd

World War and Dajjal.

Issue 3 An Awakened UmmahSha’ban/

Ramadan 

1434H

(June/July 

2013)

84 pp. Destroying the “Country” 

idol; An Address to the Ummah; An Open Letter to Malala 

Yousafzai; An Interview with 

Brother Abu Adam; The Real 

Freedom; To the Muslims of 

India; The Emergence of Imam 

Mehdi.

Issue 4 To the Jihadis in the 

West

Autumn 1434

(December 

2013)

74 pp. To the Jihadis in the West; The 

Grave; Destroying the Country Idol (Part 2); Around the 

World; Pharoahs: Today & 

Yesterday; Dajjal (Part 1); The 

Wisdom and Goals of Jihad, 

Steeds of War.
25

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 5 Those Who Bow 

Down To Allah Do 

Not Bow Down to 

Anyone Else!

Winter 1435

(March 2014)

37 pp. The Life after Death: “Reward 

and Punishment in the Grave”; 

Counter-Drone Strategy (Cover Story); Destroying the 

“Country” Idol (Part 3); Establishing Islam through Democracy?; Conflict of Definitions: 

“Peace”; The Mir Ali Massacre; 

Third World War and Dajjal: 

“The Fitan of Dajjal.”

Special 

Issue

Blackwater & ISI Sha’aban 

1435

(June 2014)

18 pp. Atif Khan captured and debriefed by the Mujahideen 

related to Blackwater and ISI 

working together in Pakistan.

Issue 6 The Scales Have 

Turned!

Sha’aban 

1435

(August 

2014, 

Summer) 

43 pp. The Resurrection; The Rise and 

Fall of America (Cover Story); 

Dajjal and The World Today; 

Rulings on the Participants of 

the Democratic System; The 

Fundamentals of the Islamic 

Khilafah; My Story: A Scholar, 

A Veteran, A Mujahid; From 

the Pages of History: Scholars 

of Resolve.

Table 5. Azan Online Magazine. (cont.)
26

Dabiq (Islamic State)

The Islamic State magazine Dabiq—which refers to 

the site where the End of Days battle will be fought 

as forecasted in radical Islamist eschatology—was 

initially published in July 2014, just weeks after the 

proclamation that the Caliphate had been reestablished. Since that time, 15 total issues of the magazine have been published with the last and final one 

being released in July 2016 (see table 6). The magazine 

is thought to be published in Raqqa, Syria, which is 

the capital of the Islamic State. As with Inspire, numerous papers and reports have been written about what 

was the Islamic State’s flagship English-language 

online magazine. One of the best and earliest analysis was written in August 2014 by the Institute for the 

Study of War.38 Other writings have been produced 

by The Clarion Project as well as in academic journals 

and related articles with more narrow research foci.39

Dabiq, which is published by the Islamic State Al Hayat 

Media Center, can be considered an extension of the 

earlier Islamic State News (ISN) and Islamic State Reports

(ISR), which had existed for a short time prior to its 

launching.40 The intent of the magazine is to specifically promote hijrah (emigration) by Western recruits 

to the Caliphate with in-place lone jihadist attacks 

being a secondary consideration. It is also being used 

as a vehicle to launch direct criticism against al-Qaeda 

and its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. It differs from 

Inspire in that no editor is identified and contributors 

to the articles are typically not listed. While this gives 

the magazine a slightly impersonal feel, it provides a 

united and somewhat monolithic magazine voice and 

further helps to protect the magazine staff from being 

specifically targeted for elimination by means of drone 
27

strikes or other methods.41 The magazine is professional in appearance with its use of colors and imagery 

and with Arabic script kept to a minimum. Weapons and action shots are common as are numerous 

advertisements for Islamic State action and execution 

videos. The magazine also contains highly controversial imagery, including the destruction of cultural sites 

and artifacts, slaves for sale, and graphic executions.42

The magazine averages about 60 pages with 42 to 83 

representing the lower and upper issue lengths. Recurring contents which have appeared over the course of 

a number of issues include ISRs, Among the Believers 

are Men, To Our Sisters, In the Words of the Enemy, 

mujahideen interviews across the globe, statements 

from John Cantlie, a British war photographer and correspondent who was kidnapped in Syria in November 

2012. Reader communication with the magazine editors was attempted in the third issue of Dabiq in September 2014, with three initial email addresses using 

the Asrar El Moujahedeen 2048-bit public key system.43

No letters to the editor were generated in the magazine from this outreach attempt, and no further reader 

outreach was ever attempted again in future issues. As 

with Inspire, an overview of specific narratives found 

within Dabiq are addressed later in this manuscript. 

It is then comparatively analyzed against it. With the 

Caliphate in decline and the foreseen loss of the actual 

town of Dabiq coming, this magazine has now been 

superseded by the new Islamic State magazine Rumiyah that began publication in September 2016 and is 

promoting a different narrative strategy.
28

Table 6. Dabiq Online Magazine.

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 1 The Return of the 

Khilafah

Ramadan 1435

(July 2014)

50 pp. Dabiq Magazine; Khilafah Declared; Islamic State Reports; 

Imamah is from the Millah of 

Ibrahim; The Islamic State in 

the Words of the Enemy; From 

Hijrah to Khilafah; Islamic State 

News.

Issue 2 The Flood Ramadan 1435

(July 2014)

44 pp. Foreword; It’s Either the Islamic State or the Flood; Islamic 

State Reports; The Flood of the 

Mubahalah; The Islamic State 

in the Words of the Enemy; Islamic State News.

Issue 3 A Call to Hijrah Shawwal 1435

(September 

2014)

42 pp. Foreword; The Islamic State 

Before Al-Malhamah; Islamic State Reports; Hijrah from 

Hypocrisy to Sincerity; The 

Islamic State in the Words of 

the Enemy; Foley’s Blood is on 

Obama’s Hands; The Complete 

Message from Foley.

Issue 4 The Failed Crusade Dhul-Hijjah 

1435

(October 2014)

56 pp. Foreword; Indeed Your Lord is 

Ever Watchful; My Provision 

was Placed on Me in the Shade 

of My Spear; The Revival of 

Slavery Before the Hour; Islamic State Reports; Reflections on 

the Final Crusade; In the Words 

of the Enemy; A Message from 

Sotloff; Hard Talk.
29

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 5 Remaining and 

Expanding

Muharram 

1436

(November 

2014)

40 pp. Foreword; Yahya Lessons from 

a Shahid; Islamic State Reports; 

Hikmah; Remaining and Expanding; In the Words of the 

Enemy; If Cantlie were the US 

President Today.

Issue 6 Al-Qaidah of 

Waziristan: A 

Testimony from 

Within

Rabi’ 

al-Awwal 1436

(December 

2014)

63 pp. Foreword; Advice from the 

Soldiers of the Islamic State; 

The Qa-Idah of Adh-Dhawahiri, Al-Harari, and An-Nadhari, and the Absent Yemeni 

Wisdom; Islamic State Reports; 

Al-Qa’Idah of Waziristan—A 

Testimony from Within; In the 

Words of the Enemy; Meltdown—John Cantlie.

Issue 7 From Hypocrisy 

to Apostasy: The 

Extinction of the 

Grayzone

Rabi’ al-Akhir 

1436

(February 

2015)

83 pp. Foreword; The Burning of the 

Murtadd Pilot; Advice for the 

Leaders of the Islamic State; Islam is the Religion of the Sword 

Not Pacifism; Islamic State Reports; Among the Believers 

are Men; The Extinction of the 

Grayzone; The Good Example 

of Abu Basir Al-Ifriqi; Interview with Abu Umar Al-Baljik; The Anger Factory—John 

Cantlie.

Table 6. Dabiq Online Magazine. (cont.)
30

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 8 Shari’ah Alone Will 

Rule Africa

Jumada 

al-Akhirah 

1436

(March 2015)

68 pp. Foreword; The Allies of AlQa’idah in Sham; From the 

Pages of History; Islamic State 

Reports; Hikmah; Among the 

Believers are Men; To Our Sisters; Irja’ the Most Dangerous 

Bid’Ah; In the Words of the 

Enemy; Interview with Abu 

Muqatil At-Tunusi; Paradigm 

Shift—John Cantlie.

Issue 9 They Plot and Allah 

Plots

Sha’ban 1436

(May 2015)

79 pp. Foreword; The Allies of AlQa’idah in Sham: Part II; The 

Virtues of Ribat for the Cause 

of Allah; Conspiracy Theory 

Shirk; From the Pages of History; Islamic State Reports; Hikmah; Among the Believers are 

Men; From Our Sisters; And 

Allah is the Best of Plotters; In 

the Words of the Enemy; Interview with the Amir of the Yarmuk Camp Region; The Perfect 

Storm—John Cantlie.

Issue 

10

The Law of Allah or 

the Laws of Men

Ramadan 1436

(July 2015)

79 pp. Foreword; The Allies of AlQa’idah in Sham: Part III; 

Tawhid and Our Duty to Our 

Parents; A Fatwa for Khurasan; 

From the Pages of History; 

American Kurdistan; The Qawqazi Caravan Gains Pace; 

Hikmah; Among the Believers 

are Men; From Our Sisters; The 

Law of Allah or the Laws of 

Men; In the Words of the Enemy; Interview with Abu Samir 

Al-Urduni.

Table 6. Dabiq Online Magazine. (cont.)
31

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 

11

From the Battle of 

Al-Ahzab to the 

War of Coalitions

Dhul-Qa’dah 

1436

(September 

2015)

66 pp. Foreword; The Allies of AlQa’idah in Sham: Part 4; The 

Evil Division and Taqlid; The 

“Mahdi” of the Rafidah: The 

Dajjal; Wala and Bara Versus 

American Racism; The Danger 

of Abandoning Darul-Islam; 

From the Pages of History; 

Islamic State Reports; Hikmah; Among the Believers are 

Men; To Our Sisters: A Jihad 

Without Fighting; From the 

Battle of Al-Ahzab to the War 

of Coalitions; In the Words 

of the Enemy; Interview with 

Abul-Mughirah Al-Qhtani.

Issue 

12

Just Terror Safar 1437

(November 

2015)

65 pp. Foreword; The Allies of AlQa’idah in Yemen; The Allies of 

Al-Qa’idah in Sham: The End; 

To Our Sisters: Two, Three, or 

Four; Hikmah; Military Operations by the Islamic State; And 

as for the Blessing of Your Lord, 

Then Mention It; O You Who 

Have Believed, Protect Yourselves and Your Families from 

Fire; The Revival of Jihad in 

Bengal; You Think They are Together, but their Hearts are Divided; Paradigm Shift Part II—

by John Cantlie; In the Words 

of the Enemy; Amongst the Believers are Men; Interview with 

Abu Muharib As-Sumali.

Issue 

13

The Rafidah: From 

Iban Saba’ to the 

Dajjal

Rabi’ al-Akhir 

1437

(January 2016)

56 pp. Foreword; Kill the Imams of 

Kufr; From the Pages of History: The Safawiyyah; Military 

Reports; Hikmah; Among the 

Believers are Men; To Our Sisters: Advice on Ihdad; Do They 

Not Then Reflect on the Qur’an; 

The Rafidah: From Ibn Saba’ to 

the Dajjal; In the Words of the 

Enemy; Interview with the 

Wali of Khurasan.

Table 6. Dabiq Online Magazine. (cont.)
32

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 

14

The Murtadd 

Brotherhood

Rajab 1437

(April 2016)

68 pp. The Murtadd Brotherhood; 

Foreword; Operations; From 

the Pages of History; Among 

the Believers Are Men; In the 

Words of the Enemy; Interview; The Knights of Shadadah 

in Belgium; Kill the Imams of 

Kufr in the West; Do They Not 

Then Reflect on Qur’an; The 

Blood of Shame.

Issue 

15

Break the Cross Shawwal 1437

(July 2016)

82 pp. Break the Cross; Foreword; 

Contemplate the Creation; 

From the Pages of History; The 

Fitrah of Mankind; Words of 

Sincere Advice; Why We Hate 

You & Why We Fight You; 

Wisdom; How I Came to Islam; 

Operations; Interview; Among 

the Believers Are Men; In the 

Words of the Enemy; By the 

Sword.

Table 6. Dabiq Online Magazine. (cont.)

Resurgence (AQIS)

Resurgence is one of two al-Qaeda associated magazines—along with Al-Risalah mentioned in the following section—ideologically targeting the Islamic State 

and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.44 Reports state 

that this online magazine is produced by As Sahab, 

al-Qaeda’s propaganda arm tied into its senior leadership.45 Adam Gadahn, a U.S. citizen who later joined 

al-Qaeda, in an interview in the second issue, said that 

it was conceived of by Jama’at Qa’eda al-Jihad in the 

Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), who produced and published it under the editorship of Hassan Yusuf.46 Prior 

to the magazine’s release, a video with an audio clip of 

Malcolm X over various images including the Boston 

marathon bombing was utilized to advertise it.47 The 
33

intent of the magazine, according to the editorial in 

the first issue, was to extend the wave of jihad originating in Afghanistan into the Subcontinent (i.e., Al 

Hind) which includes India and Bangladesh as well as 

Pakistan and Burma. The Word of Allah is to be made 

supreme and the archenemy of Islam and Muslims—

the United States—is to be targeted. The liberation of 

the Muslims in Palestine and Gaza is also mentioned. 

The magazine (see table 7) is only composed of two 

issues, with the first issue produced in October 2014 

and the second issue produced in June 2015.48 Each 

issue averaged about 105 pages in length. The first 

issue has a number of articles that are well-footnoted, 

giving the magazine an academic feel. While this magazine is written in English, the use of Arabic script and 

short Quranic passages is utilized to tie it to al-Qaeda’s cultural foundations. Given the great volume of 

Gadahn material utilized in the magazine, his death in 

January 2015—prior to the release of his second special 

issue interview—may have contributed to its limited 

existence. Reader contact with the magazine publishers was facilitated by email utilizing a public key for 

the Asrarul Mujahideen computer program.49
34

Table 7. Resurgence Online Magazine.

Amka (al Shabaab—al-Muhajiroun component)

This online magazine is issued by al-Muhajiroun 

(Emigrants of East Africa) and was meant to be periodic in nature. It began publication in February 2015, 

a month after the January founding of al-Muhajiroun 

from the merger of Ansar al-Mujahideen and al Hijra 

(formerly the Muslim Youth Center).50 The magazine (see table 8) was not sustainable, with only two 

issues created and the second issue published in July 

2015. The editor, Abu Salim Al-Kenyi, has been identified as Ahmed Iman Ali, a Kenyan, who is al-Muhajiroun’s senior leader.51 The group is composed of 

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 1

Besiege Them! Fall 2014

(October)

117 pp. A Step Towards Unity of Ranks; 

Keys with the Imam; The Land 

of the Prophets Awaits You; 

Besiege Them!; The Other Side 

of the Story; Land of the Other; 

The Future of Muslims in India; 

Islamization of a Declining System?; On Targeting the Achilles 

Heel of the Western Economies; 

Strategic Overstretch in Guerrilla Warfare.

Special 

Issue 2

An Exclusive 

Interview with 

Adam Yahiye 

Gadahn

Summer 

2015

(June)

92 pp. Adam Yahiye Gadahn Interview.
35

members mostly from Kenya as well as Canada, Australia, and France. Al-Muhajiroun is subordinate to al 

Shabaab—and its leader Sheikh Ahmad Umar Abu 

Ubaidah—until it matures and then it will become 

an independent al-Qaeda sanctioned terrorist group 

operating in Kenya.52 In the initial issue, the editor 

states that the magazine is supportive of al Shabaab 

(a terrorist group in Somalia) and swears “irrevocable Baya’-ah” (loyalty) to Ayman al-Zawahiri (current 

leader of al-Qaeda).53 In addition to English articles, 

which are the dominant focus of the magazine, the two 

issues also contain articles and notices written in Swahili and Arabic. Average issue size based on its two 

issues is about 26 to 27 pages in length. Amka provided 

their readership with email accounts to get more information and for correspondence purposes with the editor.54 Al-Muhajiroun’s organizational objectives are as 

follows:

Though the group[‘s] main focus of operation is [in] 

Kenya, its chief objectives are to spread jihad in East 

Africa as well as recalibrating Islamic discourse in the 

region so that it aligns to a strict Wahhabi interpretation 

of Islamic teachings.55

The magazine appears to be published in Kenya. 

The second issue specifically noted readership in the 

Mahenge region of Tanzania and Mombasa, Kenya, 

as well as the area of interest including Uganda and 

Somalia.56
36

Table 8. Amka Online Magazine.

Al-Risalah (al-Nusrah Front)

Al-Risalah, like Resurgence profiled earlier, is published by an al-Qaeda associate, and is meant to discredit the Islamic State and the ideology of its leader, 

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.57 The publisher—the Mujahideen in Bilad Ash Shaam (al-Nusrah Front or Jabhat 

al-Nusrah)—is primarily located in Syria with some of 

its personnel also operating in Lebanon. The first issue 

of Al-Risalah came out online in July 2015; the second 

issue in October 2015 (see table 9). An exclusive article 

on “Jihad: A Life Time” for the planned third issue was 

advertised in the second issue and eventually published 

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

(English Only)

Toleo 

No. 1

East Africa’s 

Baya’ah

Rabi’ul Thani-Jamadil Awal 1436

(February 2015)

23 pp. Statement from HSM 

Leadership; Charlie 

Hebdo (Attack); Message to the Ummah of 

East Africa; East Africa’s 

Baya’ah.

Toleo 

No. 2

East Africa: Jihad’s 

Homecoming

Shawaal 1436

(July 2015)

30 pp. Defying the Kuffar: 

Sheikh Makaburi; Eid 

Greetings from Amir 

Sheikh Abu Ubaidah; 

East Africa: Jihad’s 

Homecoming; Nusseyba—Islam’s Woman 

Warrior: Part I.
37

in two parts in the July 2016 issue.58 The editor of the 

magazine is not identified, with the high-quality publication thought to be produced somewhere in Syria. 

The average magazine issue is about 50 pages long 

with many of the pages composed of images. One 

analysis of the work states that:

The magazine presents to its readers Jabhat al-Nusra’s 

achievements, along with its partners in Jaysh al-Fath 

(‘Army of Conquest’)—a coalition of seven jihadist 

organizations which cooperate with each other to liberate 

Syria from the regime of President Bashar Assad, and 

work together to battle the Islamic State in Syria.59

In addition to hostility expressed toward the 

Islamic State and the Assad regime, animosity toward 

the Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah—that has 

sent fighters to support the Assad regime—is noted in 

the online magazine. Abu Qatada, the preacher and 

al-Qaeda sympathizer deported from Britain, also has 

an article (The Markets of Faith) in the second issue, 

although he later disavowed that he wrote the article.60

The first issue of this online magazine was released 

independently of any jihadi media groups with the 

second issue linked to the larger Global Islamist Media 

Front (GIMF), which released a promotional video 

supporting it.61 The GIMF also later defended the independent status of the magazine and its authenticity.62

The third issue is larger than the earlier issues and is 

self-sacrifice—imprisonment and martyrdom—as well 

as tactical combat clothing (i.e., jihadi cool) focused. 

Smartphone security and cell tower triangulation dangers are also highlighted in the issue. No email means 

exist to contact the magazine editor, but SureSpot 

and Media on Telegram (encrypted chat messengers) 

and a Twitter account are listed for online encryption 

queries.
38

Table 9: Al-Risalah Online Magazine.

Additional Online Magazines

In addition to the nine better-known radical Islamist English-language online magazines profiled 

above, a number of other more minor and lesser 

No. Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Issue 1 Al-Risalah Ramadan 1436

(July 2015)

43 pp. Jaish Al Fatah; Army of Victory; 

The Battle of Victory; The Keys 

of Jannah, Hijra—My Story; Ramadan: The Month of Striving; 

Khilafa One Year On; This is Al 

Qaeda; An eulogy for Shiek Abu 

Baseer al Wuhayshi; Halab Under Fire; An Exclusive Interview 

with Amir Muslim Shishani; Everlasting Reward.

Issue 2 Victory Loves 

Preparation

Muharram 

1437

(October 2015)

48 pp. Abu Tomahawk; A Call From 

Usama; And There is No Victory Except from Allah; The 

Mountains of Turkestan; The 

Markets of Faith: Sheik Abu Qatada; Legacy—Amer Deghayes; 

The Mountains of Turkestan—

Part 2; Exclusive: Interview with 

Sheikh Abu Firas; The Progress 

of Jaish Al-Fath: Sheikh Abdullah Al-Muhaysini; Judg[e]ment 

is for None But Allah; Encryption—Online Security; Everlasting Reward: Abu Hamza 

Sudani.

Issue 3 Has The Time Not 

Come

1437

(July 2016)

58 pp. Dougma: Self Sacrificial Operations; Jihad A Life Time: Journey to Guantanamo (Part I & II); 

Bilad Al Hijratayn: Abu Bushra 

Birtani; Has The Time Not 

Come; Everlasting Reward: Abu 

Baseer Al Birtani; Utopia: Smart 

Phone Security; Incite The Believers.
39

known ones exist. These tend to be more specialized 

or niche publications, very early and unknown series, 

relatively unsuccessful ones, or very recent ones with 

limited information currently existing on them. They 

are chronologically listed as follows with supplemental information on these magazines provided in table 

10.

Benefit of the Day (al-Qaeda Affinity)

This is the earliest identified English-language 

online magazine to be published. It predates the publication of Samir Khan’s Jihad Recollections magazine 

by 2 years, with the first issue appearing in April-May 

2007. The magazine has been mostly forgotten with 

little analysis or reporting existing on it. It was produced by At-Tibyan Publications, which was a website earlier administered by Aabid Hussain Khan—a 

British al-Qaeda supporter—who was sentenced by 

UK authorities in August 2008 for distributing terrorism-related materials online.63 The major difference 

between Benefit of the Day and Jihad Recollections is that 

the former one essentially only contained translations 

of pre-existing jihadi material.64 This material is provided in daily readings for each day of the month of that 

magazine issue. The magazine also has a less sophisticated—almost amateurish—desktop publishing feel to 

it and relies upon stock, clip-art type imagery, reminiscent of greeting cards or basic website designs with 

numerous nature scenes, although the al-Qaeda flag 

occasionally appears in some of the article headers. 

Numerous short essays promoting martyrdom and 

supporting the mujahideen interspersed with more 

mainstream Islamic tenants are hidden behind its 

benign veneer.65 Still, the more subtle orientation of the 

magazine, some of the topical foci, and the 2nd year 

series, which carried a “Dar At-Tibyan Sisters” banner 
40

cover on two of the issues suggest that women were 

a targeted audience for readership.66 Twelve issues 

have been identified as being published from April 

2007 through roughly October 2008, with issue gaps 

acknowledged. The typical issue size is about 22 to 32 

pages in length with Arabic script interspaced within 

the dominant English text. No editor or group contact 

information is provided in any issues of the magazine. 

The magazine’s original website is no longer available; 

however, some of the issues are presently available on 

a few file-sharing sites.67

In Fight (Taliban)

The English-language online magazine is published by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan that is 

linked to Ansar al-Mujahideen, which hosts an English 

Forum known as the Ansar-Al Mujahideen English 

Forum (AMEF).68 In 2012, this forum was “considered 

the primary English-language jihadi forum, disseminating the majority of al-Qaeda’s propaganda for the 

English-speaking West.”69 The magazine focuses on 

pro-Afghan Taliban military operations and propaganda related to Afghanistan. Images and listings of 

United States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 

and allied Afghan troop causalities are heavily focused 

upon in this publication. Forty-one issues of In Fight

can be readily accessed spanning issue number 20 

“War on Roads” posted in August 2010 (with no issue 

month or year designation) through number 60 “Retrospective NIMROZ...” listed as the December 2013 

issue.70 This English-language magazine originally 

dates back to June 2009 and was initially posted “on 

the website of the Taliban’s Arabic-language monthly 

magazine, ‘al-Samoud’” before it later migrated to the 
41

AMEF site. Paywall research access exists from issue 

number 60 to pre-number 20 issues.71 Images of an In 

Fight issue number 67 dating to September 2014 and 

an issue number 68 dating to November 2014 are the 

last ones that were identified, which suggests that this 

magazine is no longer being published.72

Al Rashideen (Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan [SSP])

The English-language magazine Al Rashideen (The 

Righteous) was published in February 2013 by “Sipahe-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), a Pakistani Salafist-jihadist 

group.”73 The first issue, which is not numbered, has 

the title “Iran Must Fall Before Palestine Can Be Liberated.” The magazine is anti-Shi’a and, interestingly, 

has “Free Syrian Army News” written on part of the 

cover.74 The Special (March 2013) issue is titled “The 

Iranian Revolution” while the third (also March 2013) 

issue has no specific featured theme. The magazine 

had a news Twitter account that was active from April 

2013 through February 2015, as well as a now-defunct 

supporting website and contact email address.75 The 

magazine was published by Saad Aziz—who attended 

the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi—

and some of his former classmates.76 Saad Aziz and his 

associates were later arrested by Pakistani authorities 

in May 2015 for their involvement in a large-scale attack 

on Ismaili (Shi’a sect) adherents on a bus.77 While the 

magazine issues can no longer be accessed from their 

original Scribd.com digital location, they all currently 

exist behind a for-profit intelligence group paywall.78
42

Lone Mujahid Pocketbook (AQAP)

This to-date single-issue 63-page periodical was 

published in March 2013 by AQAP. It was distributed 

by Al-Malahem Media with the cover designation 

“Spring 1434 | 2013 | OSJ Special.” The publication 

represents a compendium of OSJ articles from issues 

1-10 (June 2010 to March 2013) of Inspire magazine.79

It may be considered an addendum to it.80 Instructions are provided in the magazine for lone jihadists to 

torch parked vehicles, cause road accidents, start forest 

fires, drive a large pickup truck to run people down, 

use propane gas to blow up a building, make bombs 

(including acetone peroxide explosives and remote 

detonators), train and employ small arms, and send 

and receive encrypted messages for basic operational 

security requirements. A communication method to 

Al-Malahem Media is provided at the end of the document utilizing email accounts by means of a 2048-bit 

public key cryptosystem.81

Palestine (AQAP)

In August 2014, a single-issue 47-page English magazine was published by AQAP. The magazine, Palestine: Betrayal of the Guilty Conscience is derived from 

past content from earlier Inspire issues as well as from 

new writings created for this special publication. It was 

produced under the Al-Malahem Media banner and 

initially released via Twitter.82 In support of its focus 

on liberating Gaza and the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, it calls for attacks on the United States and Great 

Britain—as supporters of Israel—rather than upon 

Israel itself. This was to be accomplished by lone wolf 

terrorists utilizing such methods as a pressure cooker 
43

bomb or car bomb, both of which are detailed in stepby-step articles drawn from earlier Inspire issues.83

Azbiru (al-Nusrah Front)

The existence of this alleged al-Nusrah Front magazine was made known in September 2014. The first 

issue was roughly 18-pages long per the table of contents and said to be leaked by a Dutch Islamic State 

member who was mocking it for being so amateurish 

vis-à-vis Dabiq. The magazine was never officially published on radical Islamist websites and has a July 2014 

date on the cover. Much of the issue is said to be focused 

on “the personal story of a jihadist in Syria named Abu 

Ali al-Kiswaani.”84 This, however, is in variance to 

the table of contents that has numerous jihad-themed 

articles listed. It is unknown if this magazine—which 

appears to only have appeared in a single issue—was a 

forerunner of or in any way linked to the later al-Nusrah Front publication Al-Risalah which emerged about 

10 months later.

Ihya-e-Khilafat (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul 

Ahrar [TTPJA])

This magazine, the title of which means Revival 

of the Caliphate, first appeared in English in October 

2014 with “Re-structuring of Tehreek-E-Taliban Pakistan” listed as the dominant article on the cover. It is 

published by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has 

been publishing this online magazine in the Urdu language. Apparently, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan split 

into factions with TTPJA arising under the leadership 

of Omar Khalid Khorasani. The TTPJA faction was 

prompted to discuss their split from Tehreek-e-Taliban 

Pakistan in this first-ever English-language version of 
44

the magazine. Additionally, it is thought that by publishing in English, TTPJA may be able to draw recruits 

from the West. In an article in the inaugural issue, it was 

explained how public opinion on the jihadi movement 

had become a major challenge for the Taliban.85 Issue 2 

of the magazine appeared in December 2014 with the 

cover story “Who kills innocent people?” dominant.86

The opening editorial of the issue shows that the group 

is positioning itself as an ally of the Islamic State and 

gives Abu al-Baghdadi an honorific title. No further 

issues have since been published.

Inspire Guides (AQAP)

Two Portable Document Format (PDF) files, each 

four-pages long, were published in June and July of 

2016, focused on the active shooter “Orlando Operation” and the use of a truck in the “NICE Operation, 

France,” respectively.87 Evolution between the guides 

is evident, with the initial one having a less articulated and structured outline than the second. The first 

guide is broken down into a dedication to Allah, an 

overview (To Proceed:), a mention of the most important characteristics and advantages of the operation, 

and detractions related to targeting minorities (Latinos) as opposed to the Anglo-Saxon community even 

though the grouping was composed of “homosexuals.” Advice to make the attack more effective—that is, 

using explosives—referencing Inspire issues 1 and 12 

were made. The second guide has a delineated summary (and dedication to Allah), events of the operation, analysis of the operation, operation guide, and 

conclusion (Finally). It was critiqued as a much more 

effective attack than the earlier one and was directly 

linked to instructions for such actions published in 
45

Inspire issue 2. Both of these operational reviews were 

written by what is known as the “Lone Jihad Guide 

Team.” A third shorter one—“Comment on arresting 

our Muslim sisters in France”—has since appeared in 

September 2016.88 This has been followed by a fourth 

guide published in November 2016 in Inspire issue 16 

as well as a standalone publication published September 20, 2016.89 It is titled “New Jersey, Minnesota, and 

Chelsea Operations” with tactical points mentioned as 

operational critiques of the three attacks. The guides 

appear to be a novel method to quickly link OSJ promoted in Inspire to real-world al-Qaeda terrorism outcomes. They also serve as an instructional critique and 

rating of how the operation was carried out, giving 

AQAP members a publicly interactive means of reaching out to their readership and congratulating them 

on their lone wolf attacks—albeit posthumously. Such 

interaction may have become even more important 

since reader email communications with the Inspire

publishing staff were terminated by March 2014.

Rumiyah (Islamic State)

This new series is the Islamic State’s follow-on publication to Dabiq. Recognizing that the city of Dabiq, 

Syria would eventually fall to the coalition aligned 

against it—which subsequently happened in mid-October 2016—the Islamic State refocused its premier 

English-language online magazine on Rumiyah, which 

in classical Arabic means Rome. The new propaganda 

mythos is that the fall of Rome now needs to be focused 

upon instead of the End of Days battle at Dabiq.90 The 

first issue (issue 1: Dhul-Hijjah 1437) of this magazine 

was published in September 2016, the second issue 

(issue 2: Muharram 1438) published a month later, 

and the third issue (issue 3: Safar 1438) published in 

November. The first two issues are 37 pages long, and 
46

the third issue is 45 pages long. They do not have issue 

titles. Instead, they list the issue’s contents and a cover 

picture of a mujahideen (holy Islamic fighter) in ranks, 

that of a bloody combat knife being held up, and the 

front of a bombed out building along with responder 

personnel, respectively. The publication of this new 

magazine fully signifies a shift in Islamic State strategy 

from extending the Caliphate in Syria and Iraq to one 

of engaging in lone wolf and small cell attacks primarily in the West but also in locales such as Kenya and 

Bangladesh. Rumiyah is a shorter and inferior product 

to Dabiq and is illustrative of the mounting pressure 

the Islamic State is now under financially and militarily as it continues to lose cities and territories within 

its shrinking Caliphate.91 The third issue, however, has 

grown in size and appears to be increasing in overall 

quality.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist Online 

Magazines.92

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 1

No Title Rabee’ 

al-Awwal 1428

April-May 2007)

51 pp. Tawheed is the Most 

Trusty Handhold; Virtues 

of the Martyrs; Account 

Yourself; Another Day, 

Another Mission; Reflecting on Death; The Seven 

Blessings of a Martyr.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 2

No Title Jumaad 

al-Awwal 1428

(May-June 2007)

32 pp. The Virtues Of Encouraging Jihad; The Conditions 

of “Laa Ilaaha Illaa Allah”; Death; Advice from 

a Mujahid; The Muslims 

Must Unite; The Assemblies of Faith.
47

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 3

No Title Jummad 

ath-Thanni

1428

(June-July 2007)

30 pp. The Conditions of “Laa 

Ilaaha Illaa Allah”; Support the Mujahideen; O 

Christ Worshipers!; Beware of the Vulture Culture!; A Qur’anic Formula 

of remaining hidden from 

enemy sight; How to recognize if you are allied 

with the Kuffar.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 4

No Title Rajab 1428

(July-August 

2007)

30 pp. “...Then know...you are 

in the middle of a battle...”; The Straight Path; 

True Love of A Mujahid; 

“The Prophet was Sent 

with 4 Swords...”; Dead 

Hearts; Justifying Sins By 

Intention.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 5

No Title Sha’baan 1428

(AugustSeptember 2007)

31 pp. Malcom X: This is what 

I believe in...; The Two 

Faced Person; Letter from 

a Muslim Captive; The 

Muslims are all one Hand 

against those that Oppose 

them...; An Imprisoned 

Mujahid’s Dream that 

‘Isaa (‘alayhi assalam) is 

coming soon.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 6

No Title Ramadan 1428

(SeptemberOctober 2007)

22 pp. Allah is Sufficient as 

Witness; The Death of 

the People of Hell; Like 

Chickens in the Fields; 

“Before He was Taken 

to Prison”; How To Seek 

Laylatul-Qadr; The Winners in Ramadan.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
48

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 7

No Title Shawwaal 1428

(OctoberNovember 2007)

x pp.* Unknown.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 2, No. 1

No Title Muharram 1429

(JanuaryFebruary 2008)

22 pp. One Sin led to his Repentance; A Great Lady in the 

Battle of Jalalabad; Take 

Pride in Islam; Why We 

Should Migrate; The Severity of the Test Causes 

Elevation of Rank; Heroic 

Woman.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 2, No. 2

No Title Safar 1429

(Febrary-March 

2008)

23 pp. Umar’s Exile of the 

Jews...; “This day I have 

completed your religion,”; How to Benefit 

From the Qur’aan; Shari’a 

and Islam; Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taiymiya on 

Apostates; I Saw Fire!; 

There is No Bachelorhood 

in Islam.

Benefit of the Day

/Issue 2, No. 3

No Title Rabi’ al-Awwal

(March-April 

2008)

x pp.* Unknown.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
49

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Benefit of the Day

/Unknown

No Title Ramadan 1429 

(~SeptemberOctober 2008)

33 pp. Ramadan in History 

(Parts 1-3); Darkness & 

Its Lamps; Piety; Wisdom 

Behind Fasting (Parts 

1-7); Sharh As-Siyaam Wa 

Al-Qiyaam (Parts 1-4); 

The Majority of Hellfires 

Inhabitants.

Benefit of the Day

/Unknown

No Title Shawal 1429

(~OctoberNovember 2008)

x pp.* Unknown.

Al Rashideen

/Issue 1 

Iran Must Fall 

Before Palestine 

Can Be Liberated 

February 2013 x pp.* Unknown.

Al Rashideen

/Special Issue

The Iranian 

Revolution

March 2013 x pp.* Unknown.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
50

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Al Rashideen

/Issue 3

No Title March 2013 x pp.* Unknown.

Lone Mujahid 

Pocketbook

Lone Mujahid 

Pocketbook

March 2013 63 pp. Torching Parked Vehicles; 

Causing Road Accidents; 

Starting Forest Fires; the 

ultimate mowing machine (Using pick trucks 

to run down people); 

Destroying Buildings; 

Bomb Making: Kitchen 

Fun; Making Acetone 

Peroxide; Remote Control 

Detonation; Training with 

the Handgun; Training 

with the AK (I & II); Special Consultancy; How to 

use Asrar al-Mujahideen.

Palestine Palestine August 2014 47 pp. Palestine in Focus; Palestine Betrayal of the Guilty 

Conscience; Hatred Has 

Already Appeared From 

Their Mouths; Irrational 

Alliance; Blood for Blood 

and Destruction for Destruction; Timeline; Fighting...Our Obligation; Palestine...Now The Battle 

Has Reached Its Pinnacle; 

Liberating Palestine; O 

Hesitant One: It’s an Obligation; OSJ: Preparing 

a Pressure Cooker Bomb; 

OSJ: Car Bombs inside 

America.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
51

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Azbiru

/Issue 1

No Title 

(Jihad Theme)

Ramadan 1435

(July 2014)**

18 pp. Jihad Theme: Abu Qatadah Al Filistini; Abu 

Muhammad Al-Maqdisi; 

Giants of Jihad; Shaheed 

Stories; Journey to Jihad; 

Sahaba Stories; Sham; 

Shahda; Sahaba Stories, 

Wake Up; Ibn Qayyim 

Aljawzia.

Ihya-e-Khilafat

/Issue 1

Re-structuring of 

Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan

Safar-1436

(October 2014)

55 pp. Stat[e]ments of the leaders regarding the restructuring of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan; Operation 

Zarb-E-Azb; Nationalism: 

An Old Concept & A New 

Religion; In Pursuit of 

Territory; An Exclusive 

Interview of Respected 

Ameer Omar Khalid with 

Ihya-e-khilafat; Why I 

chose to join Jihad-e-Pakistan; Still Not Time to 

Wake Up; How Would 

Pakistan Look Under 

Shariah; Public Opinion: 

Major Challenge Faced In 

Jihad Of Pakistan.

Ihya-e-Khilafat

/Issue 2

Who kills 

innocent people

Safar-1436 

 (December 

2014)

47 pp. Muhammad Ali Jinnah: 

Hero or Traitor; Our Right 

to Spread Terror; Who 

Kills Innocent People; 

Army Proposed, Allah 

Disposed (Part 1); Interview with Ameer Omar 

Khalid Khorasani (Part 2); 

Naseeha from Frontline; 

Imam Izzudin; Mufti Nizammudin Shamzaee Fatwa; Obstacles in Jihade 

Pakistan (Part 1); Jihad—

The Solution of Pakistan’s 

Problems; Dream of Mujahida; Mujahid Kids; 

2014—What Was Gained 

and Lost.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
52

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Inspire Guide 1 Orlando 

Operation

1437/9/12

(June 17, 2016)

3 pp. Orlando Operation.

Inspire Guide 2 Nice Operation, 

France

1437/10 /12

(July 17, 2016)

3 pp. Nice Operation, France.

Rumiyah /Issue 1 No Title Dhul-Hijjah 1437

(September 

2016)

37 pp. Stand and Die upon That 

for Which Your Brothers 

Died; The Religion of Islam and the Jama’ah of 

the Muslims; Interview 

with the Amir of the Central Office for Investigating Grievances; Among 

the Believers are Men: 

Abu Mansur al-Muhajir; 

O Women, Give Charity; 

The Wicked Scholars are 

Cursed; The Kafir’s Blood 

is Halal for You, So Shed 

It.

Inspire Guide 3 Comment on 

arresting our 

Muslim sisters in 

France

Arabic Cover 

Version

1437/12/8

(September 10, 

2016)

1 p. Comment on arresting 

our Muslim sisters in 

France.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
53

Name

/No.

Issue Name Date Length Main Articles

Inspire Guide 4 New Jersey,

 Minnesota, and 

Chelsea 

Operations

1437/12/18

(September 20, 

2016)

4 pp. New Jersey, Minnesota, 

and Chelsea Operations.

Rumiyah 

/Issue 2

No Title Muharram 1438

(October 2016)

37 pp. A Message from East Africa; Important Memorandums; The Shuhada of the 

Gulshan Attack; Just Terror Tactics; The Religion 

of Islam and the Jama’ah 

of the Muslims—Part 3; 

Paths to Victory—Part 

1; Brutality and Severity 

towards the Kuffar; Glad 

Tidings of Imminent Victory to the Patient; Stories 

of Steadfastness from the 

Lives of the Sahabiyyat.

Rumiyah

/Issue 3

No Title Safar 1438

(November 

2016)

45 pp. The Weakest House is 

That of a Spider; This 

is What Allah and His 

Messenger Promised Us; 

Just Terror Tactics—Part 

2; Among the Believers 

Are Men: Abu ‘Abdillah 

al-Britani; The Religion 

of Islam and the Jama’ah 

of the Muslims—Part 4; 

Paths to Victory—Part 

2; Towards the Major 

Malhamah of Dabiq; The 

Obligation of Exposing 

Wicked Scholars; Jihad 

through Du’a; Sultan 

Mahmud al-Ghaznawi; 

Abide in Your Homes; 

Military and Covert Operations.

Notes:

*Page count is unknown.

**The magazine has the date of publication as July 2014 on it but the earliest online confirmation is September.

Table 10. Additional Radical Islamist 

Online Magazines.(cont.)
54

All of the English-language magazines identified 

in this book—both major and minor (except for In 

Fight with its 68 issues)—have been compiled into a 

master magazine chronological listing (see appendix I) 

for future research purposes. Further, for all of these 

magazines, this book provides their terrorist group 

allegiance/foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation (see appendix II) where applicable.93

Islamic State News (ISN) and Islamic State Reports

(ISR) and eBooks

In addition to the aforementioned radical Islamist magazines, the Islamic State experimented with 

two short-lived series of English-language news and 

reports that were eventually combined into Dabiq magazine in July 2014.94 These are the ISN and ISR series. 

They ran between 5 to 10 pages in length (not counting 

the cover) with about 7 pages being the norm. Three 

ISN and four ISR were produced, with all the magazines released in June 2014, except for the initial ISN 

issue that appeared on May 31, 2014. See table 11 for 

more information and cover images. These series are 

all available for research online.95 About the relationship of these publications to Dabiq:

ISIS’s [Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham’s] media strategy 

has adapted to prioritize this religious requirement in 

the aftermath of its June 2014 offensive. In the month 

before the invasion of Mosul, ISIS’s English-language 

military reporting came through the Islamic State News

(ISN) magazine, first released on May 31, 2014, and its 

English-language political reporting came through the 

Islamic State Report (ISR), first released on June 3, 2014. 

Each series published a few short issues until July 5, 

2014, when Dabiq apparently combined both ISN and 

ISR, adding additional religious commentary. The new 
55

magazine brings together ISIS’s military, governance, 

and religious activities into one united outreach effort. 

This change reflects an effort by the group to integrate 

military and governance actions to support a coherent 

religious vision.96

This analysis of the role of these publications is supported by the military themes focused upon in the ISN 

issues—car bombs, destroying tanks, military offensives, ambushes, and war plunder—and the political 

themes found in the ISR issues—governance, consumer protection, collecting taxes for the poor (zakah), 

the liberation of Mosul, the redrawing of political 

boundaries, and ethnic cleansing.97
56

Table 11. Islamic State News (ISN) and Islamic State 

Report (ISR) pre-Dabiq.

98

Title No./Date Length Series: Bylines (Selected)

Islamic State News

Top Story: Car 

Bomb Rocks ArRaqqah

1/June 1, 2014 

(Shaban 1435)

Posted online 

May 31, 2014

6 pp. Islamic State News: Car Bomb 

Rocks Ar-Raqqah; Gates of 

Al-Khair Reached; Shola in 

Homs Bombed; Hunting 

for Tanks; Aid Distribution; 

Command is for Allah; Retaking Al-Khayr.

Trade Flourishes 

Under the Rule of 

the Islamic State

2/June 5, 2014 

(Shaban 1435)

10 pp. Islamic State News: Fresh 

Produce; Implementing the 

Hudud; Istishhadiyyun; 

Fight Them; To Repent or 

Not; On the Hunt; Liberation 

of As-Sabhah and Al-Bareehah; Answering the Call to 

Prayer; Wait for Them in Every Place of Ambush.

Enter Upon Them 

Through the 

Gates

3/June 10, 2014 

(Shaban 1435) 

6 pp. Islamic State News; Enter 

Upon Them Through the 

Gates; Brazen Attack on Mosul; Join the Ranks Oh Brothers!; Maliki’s Forces Humiliated; Islamic State Advances 

on Al-Khayr; Community 

Shows Support for Hadd; Islamic State Provides Security 

to Farmers.
57

Title No./Date Length Series: Bylines (Selected)

Islamic State Report

Propagating the 

Correct Manhaj

1/June 3, 2014 

(Shaban 1435)

6 pp. Islamic State Report: Propagating the Correct Manhaj; 

Interview with Seminar Organizer Shaikh Abul-Hawraa’ Al-Jazaa’iri; On Patrol 

with the Office of Consumer 

Protection; Consumer Protection/Complaints Officials 

Interviews.

Farmers Reap the 

Rewards of their 

Harvest by Giving Zakah

2/June 7, 2014 

(Shaban 1435)

6 pp. Islamic State Report: Farmers 

Reap the Rewards of their 

Harvest by Giving Zakah; On 

the Beat: ISR Examines How 

the Islamic Police Safeguards 

Ar-Raqqah and their Importance to State Building.

Islamic State Liberates the City of 

Mosul

3/June 13, 2014 

(Shaban 1435)

5 pp. Islamic State Report: Islamic State Liberates the City of 

Mosul.

Smashing the 

Borders of the 

Tawaghit

4/June 21, 2014 

(Shaban 1435)

7 pp. Islamic State Report: Smashing the Borders of the 

Tawaghit; The Battle of Asadullah Al-Bilawi.

Table 11. Islamic State News (ISN) and Islamic State 

Report (ISR) pre-Dabiq.(cont.)
58

Additionally, a large group of English-language 

eBook publications has been produced and are associated with the Islamic State. While some of these 

early works predate the establishment of the Islamic 

State—and may initially be considered al-Qaeda manuscripts—they have since been co-opted by the Islamic 

State and integrated into their narratives. A short discussion of these publications is provided to facilitate 

future research, as no readily available listing of these 

eBooks, chronological or otherwise, exists anywhere in 

defense counterterrorism literature.99 This is due to the 

fragmented analysis that exists as well as some related 

title and publication date confusion that is evident. 

See table 12 for more information and cover images. 

Some of these eBook publications read very much like 

collections of internet essays combined with images, 

while others resemble mostly text-based reports with 

some supporting pictures and maps included in what 

appears to be word processing documents turned into 

PDF files. They can be roughly divided into four thematic series: Black Flags, Shudada (Martyrs), Islamic 

State, and The West.

The first series is composed of the following 

eBooks—Black Flags from the East: The Movements Past, 

Present, and Future 1979-2012 (November 2012), Black 

Flags from Syria: 2020: Return of the Global Caliphate

(May 2013), Black Flags from Arabia (September 2013), 

Black Flags from Persia (October 2014), Black Flags from 

Rome (Europe): Armed Gangs & Missiles (January 2015), 

Black Flags from Palestine (Magic, Deception & War) 

(April 2015), and Black Flags from the Islamic State: How 

al-Qa’idah became the Islamic State (1989-2016) (November 2015).100 These manuscripts primarily relate to 

prophecy, geopolitical events, and wars. The East

eBook is focused on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda 
59

with an emphasis on the years 1979 through 2011, discusses near future predictions (2012 onward), and then 

provides a special short section on Black Flags from 

the East, which is related to al-Qaeda goals. The Syria

eBook in the series is composed of sections on guerrilla warfare; events in Iraq from 2003-2011; the Syrian 

revolution from 2012 onward; al-Qaeda in Iraq and the 

Syria merger in April 2013; al-Qaeda’s 7-step strategy 

for a Global Caliphate by 2020; inside al-Qaeda; the 

Syrian dilemmas; Israel enters Syria; prophesized figures; updates on Muslim-world conflicts; al-Qaeda’s 

global guerrilla war; and the past, present, and future 

of al-Qaeda. The Arabia manuscript provides:

a brief history of the modern conflict in Arabia, explains 

how the conflicts in countries neighboring Arabia will 

lead to the fall of the tyrant rulers in the entire Muslim 

world, and how this will give rise to the Global Khilafah 

(Caliphate) which begins from Makkah, Arabia.101

The Persia eBook is divided into sections on the Pre-Islamic Persians, 2003: America invades Iraq & Revives 

the Persian empire, the Syrian Jihad and the Islamic 

State (2010-2014 onward), the Global Alliance against 

Sunnis, Yemen: the Houthi Shi’a take over Yemen’s 

capital, Predictions of near Future Events (up to 2020 

onward), the beginning of the Conquest of Rome, 

and the Malhama al-Kubra (Armageddon) spills into 

Europe—How? The Rome eBook discusses the events 

in Europe that—according to the prophetic narrations—could lead to an alliance between the Western 

Romans (Europeans) and the Sunni Muslims against 

the Russians and Shi’a Muslims. The Islamic State and 

the Roman alliance would win, with Persia then conquered by Sunnis and later a “breaking of the cross” 

would occur. This event would set in motion the battle 
60

at Dabiq to start the Malhama al-Kubra (The Great 

Armageddon). The Palestine work has sections on The 

History of the Jews (2000 B.C.–1800 C.E.), The goal 

to make Israel (1800–1986), Israel the State, Palestine: 

The Resistance & Islamic Awakening (1987-2014), The 

Islamic State Project (2014 onward), and The End of 

Time Battles. It draws upon radical Islamist prophecy 

to argue that a mujahideen army will eventually defeat 

Israel and the Black Flags will be raised in Jerusalem as 

a prelude to the Armageddon and final destruction of 

the Earth. Finally, the Islamic State eBook—that is more 

practical and applied in nature—chronicles the foundations of global jihad laid down by al-Qaeda and the 

rise of the Islamic State and then discusses lone jihad, 

insurgency, and the Paris attacks of November 2015.102

The second series is composed of The Undead Warriors (January 2013), Miracles in Syria (2012-13) (November 2013), Revivers of the Khilafah (November 2013), and 

Martyrs in Syria (2014) (July 2014)—also known as 

Heroes of Syria: Shuhada stories from al-Sham (September 

2014). These four works are spiritual and motivational 

in nature and focus on the martyrdom of Islamic State 

and earlier mujahideen fighters. The Undead Warriors

focuses on this Surah: “Think not of those who are 

killed in the Way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive, 

with their Lord, and they have provision” as it relates 

to early mujahideen martyrs in Afghanistan.103 These 

warriors are also known as Ushaq al Hoor (Lovers of 

the Maidens of Paradise), which is also one of the variant preface titles of this eBook. While equally pertinent 

to al-Qaeda adherents, this work is being promoted 

by the Islamic State in their eBook series media. Miracles in Syria chronicles the appearance of an angel on 

an urban battlefield, captured fighters bodies that do 

not burn, smiling martyrs in their burial shrouds, food 
61

meant for 5 feeding 20 grown men, enemy bombs that 

detonate but do not hurt Islamic State fighters, martyr 

bodies that do not decay, and related miracles taking 

place. The bulk of Revivers of the Khilafah is dedicated 

to stories of the Shuhadaa (martyrs) in Syria, Bilaal 

al-Bar’jaawi, Aboud Rogo Muhammad, Abu Huraira 

Al-Ansari et al., as well as providing information 

related to the war in Syria and information on Twitter accounts and additional eBook readings. Martyrs in 

Syria is divided into sections on stories about martyrs 

who have entered the eternal abode, Dutch Mujahideen in al-Shaam (Greater Syria), Dawlat al-Islam (My 

ummah [people], dawn has appeared—referring to the 

return of the Caliphate), and media extras.104

The third series is composed of the works The 

Revived Caliphate (August 2014), The Islamic State (January 2015), and Hijrah to the Islamic State: What to Pickup, 

Who to Contact, Where to Go, Stories and More! (February 

2015). The initial publication chronicles the rise of the 

Caliphate by means of a radical Islamist narrative. It 

first discusses the life of Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi and 

highlights events from 2003 in Iraq, and 2011 in Syria, 

and the merging of these event timelines in April 2013. 

Finally, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the prophecy that 

had been predicted to take place in 2017 are discussed. 

The second eBook provides an overview of the workings of the Islamic State. It is divided into sections on 

leadership, soldiers, services, media, and the future as 

well as information on Twitter accounts and further 

readings. The third work focuses on providing new 

Islamic State recruits a hijrah (emigration) guide to 

Syria and includes directions on what to pack for the 

trip and how to get through Turkish border security.105

It also includes a section on the stories of Arab fighters’ 

emigration to Syria.
62

The fourth series focuses on how individual operatives and small groups can attack Europe and the 

United States, and it is composed of How to Survive in 

the West: A Mujahid Guide (eBook 1: March 2015) and 

Muslim Gangs: The Future of Muslims in the West (eBook 

2: July 2015). The first work contains information on 

how a jihadist should hide their identity, make money, 

obtain weapons and train with them, and then engage 

in attacks.106 It also provides internet security protocols 

that should be undertaken for communication purposes. The second work focuses on shifting from lone 

wolf terrorism into resistance cells (e.g., small gangs) 

with military and propaganda arms.107 Gang recruitment, planning against police raids with fortified 

homes, and reaction protocols to limit the damage a 

police raid can do to a resistance cell are also covered.

Table 12. Islamic State eBooks Chronology.108

Title No./Date Length Series: Sections/Chapters

Black Flags from the East: 

The Movements Past, 

Present, and Future 1979-

2012 (Alternate Cover—

Black Flags from Khurasan: 

The Movements Past, Present, and Future 1979-2012)

Book 1; 

November 2012 

(Also dated to 

2013)

82 pp. Black Flags: Introduction: The 

Boy’s Dream; Part 1—1979-

1989—a new Islamic century; Part 

2—(1989-2000)—the Foundation 

of the Movement; Part 3: (2001-

2002); Part 4—(2002-2005)—Settling in Pakistan; Part 5—New 

Allies (2005-2012); Part 6— Block 

the Global supply routes; Part 7— 

The Arab Springs (2011+); Part 8: 

Osama gets killed; Part 9: Near 

Future Predictions (2012+); Part 

10: Special—the Black Flags from 

the East.
63

Title No./Date Length Series: Sections/Chapters

The Undead Warriors

(Alternate—Ushaq al Hoor 

and The Undead Warriors)

Book 1; 

January 2013

135 pp. 

(Part 1) 

(alt. version

 218 pp.)

Shuhada: History of Afghanistan; 

Virtues of the Martyrs; Martyrs 

listed; The Coalition Launches 

War; Martyrs listed; Stories from 

the Battlefield; The New Wave.

Black Flags from Syria: 

2020: Return of the Global 

Caliphate

Book 2; May 

2013

106 pp. Black Flags: What is Guerrilla warfare?; Ch. 1: Iraq (2003- 2011); Ch. 

2: The Syrian Revolution (2012+); 

Ch. 3: AQ Iraq & Syria Merger 

(April 2013); Ch. 4: Al Qa’idah’s 

7-step Strategy for a Global Caliphate by 2020; Ch. 5: How does 

Jabhat and AQ affiliates work?; 

Ch. 6: the Syrian dilemmas; Ch. 

7: Israel; Ch. 8: Prophecised figures; Ch. 9: Updates on the Muslim-world conflicts; Ch. 10: *Special*: AQ’s Global Guerrilla war— 

Smashing Borders; Ch. 11: Past, 

Present & Future of AQ; Further 

Reading.

Black Flags from Arabia Book 3; 

September 2013

126 pp. Black Flags: Sec. 1: Arabia— Bilaad 

al Haramain—The Land of the 

Two Holy Mosques; Sec. 2: Syria 

Updates (up to late August 2013); 

Sec. 3: The Islamic State (Dawlat-ul-Islaamiyah)—how is it like?; 

Sec. 4: Egypt (2013); Sec. 5: AQ 

Objective coming true: The West is 

losing its grip over Muslim lands; 

Sec. 6: Israel – the not-so-quiet borders; Sec. 7: An Interview with a 

Mujahid in Syria from the West; 

Sec. 8: Prophecies; Sec. 9: Ummah 

Updates; Sec. 10: Must Watch 

Videos.

Table 12. Islamic State eBooks Chronology. (cont.)
64

Title No./Date Length Series: Sections/Chapters

Miracles in Syria (2012-13) November 2013 

(1434-1435)

77 pp. Shuhada: The Beginning—the Boy 

who sprayed on the Wall; Fighting 

Begins; “The 5 star Jihad”; Miracles (Part I & II); Funny stories of 

Battle; 6 Mujahideen vs. Bashar’s 

battalion; The Sahwa (Awakening) 

Groups of Syria; Shuhadaa (Martyrdom) stories; Twitter accounts; 

Further Reading ebooks.

Revivers of the Khilafah 

(Global Caliphate)

November 2013; 

Shuhadah

 Stories (1434 H 

I 2013)

104 pp. Shuhada: Stories of the Shuhadaa 

(Martyrs)—[Numerous individuals discussed; Series of Syria related questions]; Twitter Accounts; 

More Books.

Martyrs in Syria (2014) 

(Alternate Cover—Heroes 

of Syria: Shuhada stories 

from al-Sham)

July 2014 

(September 2014)

99 pp. 

(alt. 

version 

100 pp. 

[1 added 

blank]) 

Shuhada: Part 1: The Eternal Abode 

(Series 1 & 2); Part 3: Dutch (Netherlands) Mujahideen in al-Shaam; 

Part 4: Dawlat al-Islam—the Islamic State; Part 5: Extras—Media.

Table 12. Islamic State eBooks Chronology. (cont.)
65

Title No./Date Length Series: Sections/Chapters

Black Flags from Persia Book 4; October 

2014

85 pp. Black Flags: Sec. 1: The Pre-Islamic 

Persians; Sec. 2: 2003: America invades Iraq & Revives the Persian 

empire; Sec. 3: The Syrian Jihad 

and the Islamic State (2010-2014+); 

Sec. 4: The Global Alliance against 

Sunnis; Sec. 5: Yemen: the Houthi 

Shi’a take over Yemen’s capital; 

Sec. 6: Predictions of near Future Events (up to 2020+); Sec. 7: 

The beginning of the Conquest of 

Rome; Conclusion; Further Reading.

The Revived Caliphate eBook 1, Part 1; 

August 2014

105 pp. Islamic State: Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi—the man who sowed the seed 

of the Caliphate; Iraq (2003-2011+); 

Attack on the UN HQ in Iraq; Abu 

Hamza al Muhajir & Abu Umar 

al-Baghdadi—AQI to Dawlat 

al-Islam (2006-2010); The Syrian 

Revolution (2011+); Announcement: Islamic State of Iraq & Syria Merger (April 2013); The Sahwa (Awakening groups) of Syria 

(2014); Life in the Islamic State—a 

Personal experience; Khalifah 

Ibrahim—Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 

al Qurayshi al-Husseini al-Baghdadi; Prophecy: Order of International Conquests; Did You Know: 

European and Western Muslims 

in Syria; Summary.

The Islamic State (2015) eBook 1, Part 2 

(also eBook 2); 

January 2015

99 pp. Islamic State: Leadership; Soldiers; 

Services; Media; Future; Twitter 

Accounts; Further Reading.

Table 12. Islamic State eBooks Chronology. (cont.)
66

Title No./Date Length Series: Sections/Chapters

Black Flags from Rome 

(Europe): Armed Gangs & 

Missiles

Book 5; January 

2015

99 pp. Black Flags: Introduction; 90s—the 

Islamic Jihad Revival in Europe; 

European Arabs; Bosnian Jihad; 

2011+—The Syrian Jihad—which 

changed the world; Did You 

Know: How Intelligence Agencies work; Omar Nasiri’s story: A 

meeting with Laurent, the dealer; 

Muslims—the oppressed citizens 

turn to Insurgency; How will European borders be smashed? Answer: Russia; Italy on the Map; 

Further Reading.

Hijrah to the Islamic State: 

What to Pickup, Who to 

Contact, Where to Go, Stories and More!

No Designation;

February 2015

49 pp. Islamic State: How Islamic State 

members get into & out of Syria; 

Hijrah Advice—Suggested Setup 

for Packing, Know Your Strengths 

& Weaknesses, Getting Stopped in 

Turkey; Stories of Arab Fighters 

Migration to Syria; Interview with 

Abu Hurayra al-Ameriki—a miracle story; Twitter Accounts; Ahadith on Hijrah; Further Reading.

How to Survive in the West: 

A Mujahid Guide

eBook 1; March 

2015

70 pp. The West: Foreword; Introduction; 

Ch. 1: Hiding the Extremist Identity; Ch.2: Breaking Allegiance; Ch. 

3: Earning Money; Ch. 4: Internet 

Privacy; Ch. 5: Training; Ch. 6: 

Primitive Weapons; Ch. 7: Modern 

Weapons; Ch. 8: Bomb Making; 

Ch. 9: Transporting Weapons; Ch. 

10: What happens when you are 

spied on and get raided; Ch. 11: 

The Jihad Begins; Ch. 12: Escaping 

for Safety; Resources. 

Black Flags from Palestine 

(Magic, Deception & War)

Book 6; April 

2015

149 pp. Black Flags: Part 1: History of the 

Jews (2000 BC–1800 AD) Part 2: 

The goal to make Israel (1800–

1986); Part 3—Israel the State; 

Part 4: Palestine: The Resistance 

& Islamic Awakening (1987-2014); 

Part 5: The Islamic State Project 

(2014+); Part 6: The End of Time 

Battles; Further Reading.

Table 12. Islamic State eBooks Chronology.(cont.)
67

Title No./Date Length Series: Sections/Chapters

Muslim Gangs: The Future 

of Muslims in the West

No Designation; 

July 2015

44 pp. The West: Gangs—the Future trend 

in the modern world; Propaganda 

Arm; A Military Arm; How Gangs 

recruit?; Building Defences; The 

Battle of Badr—the victory repeated throughout history. 

Black Flags from the Islamic 

State: How al-Qa’idah 

became the Islamic State 

(1989-2016)

Book 7; 

November 2015

129 pp. Black Flags: Ch. 1: Al Qa’idatu 

al-Jihad (the Foundation of the 

global Jihad) (1989-2001); Ch. 2: 

Al Qa’idah dispersed (2001+); Ch. 

3: Iraq (2003); Ch. 4: The Arabian 

Peninsula (2003-2006); Ch. 5: Rise 

of the Islamic State (2006-2020+); 

Ch. 6: The Scary Events leading 

to the Future Global Jihad; Ch. 7: 

Lone wolves -> Clandestine Cells 

-> Insurgency -> Army; Ch. 8: 

The Jihad for Rome begins; Ch. 9: 

Final Chapter—Be prepared for a 

Global War which will hit every 

member of this Ummah (Muslim 

Nation); Further Reading.

Table 12. Islamic State eBooks Chronology. (cont.)

For this research book, the authors—due to project constraints—will solely focus on the 15 issues of 

the AQAP magazine Inspire and the 15 issues of the 

Islamic State magazine Dabiq that have been published 

through July 2016. This is being done in order to give 

the reader a more in-depth analysis of some of the 

major content themes that can be viewed over time. It 

should be noted that the 16th edition of Inspire recently 

came out in November 2016. Because of its sudden 

last-minute appearance, it was not incorporated into 

this preliminary analysis but has been included in the 

magazine dataset listings in other sections of this book. 
68

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

This section looks at the basic narratives with 

regard to four primary themes present in the entire 

dataset of existing (as of summer 2016) issues of Inspire

(see figures 1-15) and Dabiq (see figures 16-30) magazines. These four primary themes are those related 

to the desired end state of the group, the “enemy” 

as defined in that particular issue, statements made 

related to recruitment strategies, and preferred tactics 

(both broadly and narrowly defined) of the group—

together presenting a snapshot of the group as idealized in that particular issue. In the following figures, 

two or three representative quotes on each theme are 

provided, where available, making up a topical narrative. The dates given are the online release dates for that 

particular issue; thus, multiple issues may be sequential in subject matter yet share the same release date. 

The following should be considered not an end state 

for research but rather a preliminary analysis of the 

issues, providing enough detail to offer useful insights 

for researchers in the context of the current events of 

each specific issue’s publication date. Because it allows 

for recognition of general trends, it can then suggest a 

jumping off point for interested individuals desiring 

to pursue further research into specific issues without 

their having to do the groundwork into the expanded 

contents of each issue. This gets past having to rely 

merely on the title of each issue for guidance as the 

present authors have found that the titles are not necessarily representative of the ultimate content of that 

issue. In fact, a title often indicates simply the topic 

of the primary featured article—possibly only several 

pages out of a 50-80 page issue—and is thus deceptive of what that issue covers, if used as a research 
69

guidepost. It is hoped that the offered descriptions and 

subsequent preliminary analysis will be more useful 

toward that end.

Al-Qaeda (Inspire) Narratives

Although there is great deal of mention of Islam as 

eventually ruling supreme over the world, there is surprisingly little said in issue 1 about an eventual Caliphate except for in the introductory statements. America 

as crusader is the clear primary enemy throughout the 

issue—being guilty of everything from climate change 

to the ill effects of globalization—although its allies 

and “puppet governments” clearly fall into the target 

set of the jihadists as well. In this issue, individual 

Western targets are specifically indicated, primarily as 

a result of the outcry surrounding the publication in 

the Western media of cartoons mocking the Prophet 

Muhammad. Those countries, such as France, which 

were attempting to ban the wearing of the niqab or 

burqa were also given mention. Recruitment—heretofore seen by motivated individuals as requiring setting off to training camps in the Middle East to prepare 

for fighting in the fronts there—is broadened to focus 

particularly on young Muslims already in the West 

who are well-placed to attack Westerners by whatever means are available, creating fear and panic and 

resulting in increased (and costly) security measures. 

The tactic of bomb making and use is particularly 

focused upon with an emphasis on the operation of 

Umar al-Faruq al-Nigiri and his ability to bypass airport security while downplaying the “technical glitch” 

that did not allow it to come to fruition. The issue dedicates 16 pages to practical tactics and helpful hints 

for the jihadist. Its OSJ section includes the detailed 

(although questionably effective) and now infamous 

article “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom.”109
70

Figure 1. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 1: May 

Our Souls Be Sacrificed For You! (June 2010).110

If the first issue of Inspire could be said to imply that 

some extended period of rejuvenation and fighting of 

jihad must precede any reestablishing of the Caliphate, 

issue 2 furthers that idea in its sense that the establishment of Islamic rule it seeks is at present a localized 

one. It speaks to the issue of Palestine and Gaza and 

that this issue lies at the heart of its issue with the West. 

The Jewish state of Israel and the Shi’a state of Iran thus 

represent the worst of the near enemy, although the 

government of Saudi Arabia is presented as an apostate one with which to do battle. Recruitment focuses 

on those on the edge, pushing them to take the leap. 

The emphasis for Western recruits remains upon fighting in their own backyard over going abroad, but there 

is emphasis in the face of the new Mardin Declaration decrying extremist violence that nonviolent solutions to the issues of the Middle East are ineffective 

and unacceptable. Accordingly, there is some effort 

to recruit enemy soldiers to their ranks. Tactically, the 

photo section on the operations in the Abyan region 

of Yemen shows checkpoint attacks, a base ambush, 

vehicle bombings, and dead government soldiers. The 
71

OSJ section offers suggestions on how to use a modified pickup truck to mow down Western pedestrians 

in crowded locations and suggests the target countries 

of Israel, the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Denmark, Holland, and any 

others with either a sympathy toward Israel’s occupation of Palestine, the defamation of the Prophet, or 

the American invasion of Afghanistan or Iraq. The OSJ 

section also provides tips for Western jihadis on avoiding suspicion in executing operations. It suggests that 

firearm operations are the fastest and easiest to undertake, but that innovative ideas are always welcome 

and even effective weapons of mass destruction may 

not be out of the reach of those with a degree in the 

hard sciences.

Figure 2. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 2: 

Photos from the Operations of Abyan 

(October 2010).111

Issue 3, as a special issue dedicated to the operations 

in which al-Qaeda sent explosive packages on FedEx 

and UPS cargo jets, focuses on having achieved its goal 

of economically bleeding America by requiring it to 
72

continually put more effort and funding into its security efforts while at the same time serving to disrupt the 

economics of the airline industry. While the proximate 

end state is to “bring down America,” AQAP reminds 

readers that the issue of liberating Palestine and the 

Muslim lands remains central. To that end, its enemies 

are the allied crusader countries of the West, Israel and 

the Jews, and the traitor Arab governments. Recruitment here is largely by example with the suggestion 

that more could be done if other “true” Muslims 

responded to the call. As if proof of responsibility were 

necessary, Inspire goes into great detail regarding the 

operation with photos and the specifics of the devices 

used and suggestions of how they evaded security. 

Emphasis is placed on just how little these operations 

cost relative to their effects, even if considered “foiled.”

Figure 3. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 3 

(Special Issue): $4,200 (November 2010).112

The title of issue 4 implies that its focus is largely 

on the issue of economic attacks and the funding of 

jihad. While the six-page title article does address 

these issues—stressing that the taking of ghanimah

or war booty is an acceptable and important way of 
73

funding jihad especially in the light of a crackdown 

on fundraising—it is but a small piece of what is covered by the magazine. It reinforces the notion that the 

end state is indeed a Khalifah or Caliphate, but that 

there is much work to be done first in removing both 

the crusaders and disbelieving regimes from Muslim 

land and that, indeed, this was the raison d’etre for the 

al-Qaeda organization. The organization thus must 

fight the triad of enemies—the third side of which is 

the Rafidha sect of the Shi’a. Recruitment thus is on two 

fronts—those in the region are called to fight to save 

themselves from the Rafidha onslaught while those in 

the West should fight where they are until the Caliphate becomes a reality. Tactically, this is reinforced with 

the sense that winning will not come from fighting 

at open fronts but rather through guerrilla and terrorist operations. Specifically, the issue provides OSJ 

instruction as to the best way to burn and destroy 

buildings, in this case, a high-rise apartment complex, 

and training with Kalashnikov’s automatic (AK) rifle, 

the standard weapon of the mujahideen—as well as an 

invitation and help toward reaching out to al-Qaeda 

securely. There is also the beginning of an al-Qaeda 

self-promotion series by Sheik Abu Mus’ab al-Awlaki 

on “Why did I choose al-Qaeda,” contrasting it with 

other groups. The visual on the last page of a Palestinian child holding onto a dead loved one is an emotional 

reminder to supporters of what they feel is at stake.
74

Figure 4. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 4: 

The Ruling on Dispossessing the Disbelievers 

Wealth in Dar al-Harb (January 2011).113

This fifth issue comes in the wake of the events of 

the Arab Spring of early 2011. It offered al-Qaeda a 

chance to counter criticism of its methods in the wake 

of what was seen as a relatively peaceful change. Its 

response was to point out that the regimes that were 

being ousted were puppets of the West and that, in 

fact, these changes were good first steps toward the 

Islamic government they desired. They reiterated 

that change must often—citing Libya—come through 

force and that the people must always be prepared 

to back up their words with violent action. Through 

the removal of these regimes, al-Qaeda saw a clearer 

chance to target Israel now that the regimes hindering the mujahideen were being removed. Accordingly, recruitment to jihad in those states will now 
75

be free to proceed openly. Western recruits are still 

encouraged to remain in the West and are offered a 

number of potential targets there. The OSJ section of 

this issue offers a second part to training with the AK 

assault rifle while the method of “terrorizing enemies” 

is expounded as a religious duty and thereby praiseworthy. An AQAP Military Report is a new addition 

detailing recent operations in the region.

Figure 5. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 5: 

The Tsunami of Change (March 2011).114

This sixth issue was late in its release due to the 

aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden and his 

replacement by Sheik Ayman al-Zawahiri as head 

of the al-Qaeda organization. Beyond eulogizing bin 

Laden himself, the issue includes a section introducing the reader to five other “martyrs,” emphasizing 

the joy that comes with achieving such an honorable 

death and the signs that one has gone on to jannah or 

paradise. Accordingly, recruitment lies in the admonishment to those who do nothing to take up arms and 

seek out paradise as the martyrs have done or to die a 

death of disgrace. The end state is an eventual one of the 
76

promised Caliphate ruled by sharia, although here we 

find a broader definition than previous, extending its 

bounds beyond the Middle East, while the immediate 

end remains the obliteration of Israel. The OSJ section 

continues with a third lesson on the AK rifle in its “gun 

school,” while its self-described “bomb school” offers 

a recipe for making acetone peroxide—to be used as 

either a primer or a main charge in a homemade explosive device. Interestingly, while the previous mention 

of individual jihad had stressed a purposeful lack of 

direct coordination and using individual initiative for 

targeting, the article here by al-Suri specifically seems 

to contradict that idea while maintaining the emphasis 

on that method’s necessity as a strategic choice in the 

face of an overwhelming imbalance of power.

Figure 6. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 6: 

Sadness, Contentment & Aspiration 

(August 2011).115

This Special Issue 7 of Inspire, celebrating the 10th 

anniversary of the 9/11 operations, only offers 15 pages 

of actual articles. Beyond lauding both the short- and 
77

long-term “successes” of those events in that section, 

the second half of the magazine provides a photo essay 

of each significant al-Qaeda coordinated action against 

the West since that time. It admonishes the ummah 

not to let America “become great in your eyes,” citing 

the number of instances that small groups of al-Qaeda 

jihadists have struck and defeated them.116 It reinforces its animosity with the Shi’a and Iran in that they 

refuse to give al-Qaeda credit, thus showing how little 

they support jihad against the great enemy of America, without whose support of Israel they feel Palestine would be liberated. In emphasis of the theme of 

how just a few individuals can create great outcomes, 

they play up the role of their media efforts—especially 

Inspire—in spreading the word of the true face of the 

West as against the ideology of all Muslims. There is 

no OSJ section in this issue.

Figure 7. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 7: 

The Greatest Special Operation of all time 

(September 2011).117

Inspire issue 8 draws a line clearly polarizing Muslims from the West and the law of sharia from any 

man-made law. There is an attempt to tie the ends 

of the Arab Spring with those of al-Qaeda in that the 
78

removal of the apostate regimes will allow for the 

installation of rule by sharia, which is consistent with 

the values of the protesters. To this end, there is also 

a clear recognition that civilians within Dar al-Harb

(non-Muslim ruled nations) are legitimate targets and 

that “the continuation of jihad takes precedence.”118

This includes the tactics of poisoning and other forms 

of mass killing. There is an emphasis on the individual pursuing jihad wherever he can be present “in a 

natural way.” If in the West, one must undertake jihad 

then because there is a clear assertion that one cannot 

be an American and a Muslim. The issue also contains 

the now regular recognition of martyred soldiers and 

additionally singles out the Pakistani army as protecting the crusader’s supply lines and providing air bases 

for economic gain. Interestingly, in a list of priority 

regions to target, America—the head of the snake—is 

last (number seven of seven) with closer and easier targets listed first, despite the ongoing urging that Muslims target the West in its own backyard. This can be 

accomplished through handguns and remote control 

detonation training provided in the OSJ section.
79

Figure 8. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 8: 

Targeting Dar al-Harb Populations (May 2012).119

This ninth issue comes after the deaths of Sheik 

Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, who to this point 

had been chiefly responsible for the magazine’s publication and editorials. This issue’s new editor, Yahya 

Ibrahim, reaffirms that it will continue to fulfill its primary objectives: to inspire jihad in the English-speaking world and to provide operational instruction to 

carry out attacks in the West. There are martyrdom 

pieces eulogizing al-Awlaki and Kahn, and it is clear 

that there is a renewed sense of vengeance against 

America directly in the face of their loss. A particular 

issue is made of the U.S.-directed killing of al-Awlaki’s 

16-year old son in a drone strike. Another article presents strategic targets within the United States and her 

direct allies. In this issue’s OSJ, guidance is first provided into undertaking firebomb operations to create 

firestorm conditions in populated areas of the West (a 
80

later article provides the theological justification). Its 

second part provides direction as to whether one has 

the qualities to become an “urban assassin” and offers 

hints on targeting, as well as how to blend into normal 

Western society to avoid suspicion. The OSJ section 

also includes what might be called a “job application” 

in which those desiring to undertake individual jihad 

and particularly martyrdom operations are invited to 

apply via an encrypted email. There is an obvious tension then within the group as to whether “individual 

jihad” is to be undertaken by “lone wolves” who are 

operating in the name of al-Qaeda or by those who are 

still under al-Qaeda’s direct coordination. The tactic 

for recruitment here seems to be in a dare that only 

the toughest individuals can be a mujahideen and that 

Islam can only achieve its natural place of superiority 

if members of its ummah are willing to pay the price. 

Ultimately, this battle is the only way to achieve the 

stated end state of an Islamic Caliphate.

Figure 9. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 9: 

Win[n]ing on the Ground (May 2012).120
81

In Inspire issue 10, the two main current events 

driving the issue are the recent French military intervention in Mali and the release of the 14-minute long 

anti-Islamic film entitled “The Innocence of Muslims.” 

In response to this perceived blasphemy against the 

Prophet Muhammad, al-Qaeda called upon Muslims 

to defend his honor. A common chant during protests 

was the phrase “We are all Usama [Osama bin Laden].”121 Several articles in this issue allude to the fact 

that, despite his death at U.S. hands, Sheik Osama’s 

vision is now carried on by the millions embracing his 

path. The issue contains the first article in the series 

written by a woman urging other women to support 

jihad and encourage their male relatives to participate. In addition, there is a specific call to utilize the 

media in all its forms to get the word of jihad out—

both in the West and in the “newly liberated” countries of the region. The focus on performing individual 

jihad continues, and the OSJ section includes detailed 

instruction on torching parked vehicles using petrol 

and a matchstick and advice on causing road accidents 

through creating slick road conditions and camouflaged “tire-busters.” There is further advice on tactics 

geared toward individual professions such as doctors 

preparing anthrax or ricin. These operations will ultimately bring down America, the contention goes, at 

which point the secondary enemies will not have the 

incentive to participate. Then, the mujahideen can 

destroy Israel and bring about the “pan-Islamic state.”
82

Figure 10. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 10: 

We Are All Usama (March 2013).122

This issue turns its focus to what it calls the lie of 

American invincibility—illustrated, it purports, most 

recently by the Boston Marathon bombings and the 

killing of a British soldier on the streets of southeast 

London. Rather than posing large end-state goals, 

Inspire issue 11 contents itself with the satisfaction that 

recent events have further shown America’s weakness, and, just as the mujahideen convinced Russia to 

leave Afghanistan, it can exert the same pressure on 

the United States. The focus on America’s downfall 

is an interim end state justified as due to its support 

of Israel—the near-enemy preventing al-Qaeda from 

its more primary goal of the liberation of Palestine. 
83

Therefore, the terrorist acts in the West are seen as 

providing the necessary pressure to convince the “infidels” to pull out of the region and abandon support of 

Israel, thus leaving al-Qaeda to focus on Israel directly. 

Individuals are encouraged to join the jihad by the successes of the past as well as the wide-ranging effects of 

the recent acts in the West. They are shown that using 

only items at hand, as the Tsarnaev brothers did, they 

too can find glory in the eyes of God. Thus, recognizing these acts in the magazine will serve to recruit new 

individuals to undertake further lone jihad operations. 

Tactics, techniques, and procedures for these operations do not require “a balance of power,” but merely 

supplies one can find in the kitchen and for one to be 

opportune in one’s targeting and timing.

Figure 11. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 11: 

Who & Why (May 2013).123

The title of Inspire issue 12, “Shattered,” refers to 

America’s loss of reputation and economic power as 
84

it has developed as a superpower after the Cold War. 

Instrumental in this, the point is made, were the work 

of jihad beginning with the “shattering” blow of 9/11 

through the more recent terrorist attacks both on its 

soil and on those sharing its interests, the most recent 

being the Nairobi Mall attack with mention of a foiled 

car bombing attack in the United States. To that end, 

the OSJ section shares information on how to put 

together car bombs at home with available materials to 

bring to fruition this type of attack. The focus is clearly 

upon lone jihad attacks designed to hit America’s 

civilian population in order to exhaust its economic 

resources in an attempt to maintain domestic security. 

There is an emphasis on anyone with sympathies to 

not hesitate and move to individual jihad as soon as 

possible. As the prime enemy, the United States is said 

to be guilty of any number of concrete violations of the 

rights of the lands of Islam, from which it must withdraw. Contrastingly, the goals of the al-Qaeda organization are implied to be firmly in the realm of ideology 

and belief: a clash of civilizations that will only end 

with one winner. The group foresees that its own organization would potentially disappear as unnecessary 

once “the whole ummah” is drawn into this battle.124
85

Figure 12. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 12: 

Shattered: A Story About Change (March 2014).125

The title of Inspire issue 13, “Neurotmesis,” is 

defined in the issue as “Cutting the Nerves and Separating the Head from the Body,” with the nerves 

of the war with America being its economy, and the 

goal of the operation is to “decapitate America from 

the rest of the world.”126 (An interesting reference is 

made therein to anti-sectarianism and cooperation 

with groups outside al-Qaeda.) The overall program is 

set to achieve these goals by the two-pronged strategy 

of occasional large centrally directed operations and a 

large number of lone jihad operations set to target the 

“Achilles’ heel” of America’s security—its transportation system.127 To that end, the OSJ section educates the 

individual jihadi on ways to breach airport security, 

the choice of targets, and—its pièce de résistance—the 

making of a hidden (potentially even a body cavity) 

bomb. Youth, in particular, are singled out by al-Qaeda’s recruitment. With its emphasis on the actions 

of an individual, there is a concern addressed as to 
86

how one attributes responsibility for the attack to a 

felt affiliation with al-Qaeda. The magazine provides 

suggestions including calling during the execution 

of a martyrdom operation or using a timed email or 

other method that won’t affect the operation’s chances 

of success or—in non-martyrdom operations—either 

anonymously claim using Wi-Fi or leaving an untraceable attribution or symbol at the scene. In an attempt to 

address the operations at the fronts, there is a piece on 

inghimaasi (fighting one’s way in close up before detonating a bomb with an assumption of one’s own death) 

operations. The early mention of the killing of the hostage Luke Somers, after the 3-day ultimatum for the 

release of U.S. prisoner Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, becomes, 

in this issue, something of an afterthought. Though the 

end state is said to be about religion, there is a sense 

here that much is about vengeance, particularly for 

Palestine.

Figure 13. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 13: 

Neurotmesis (December 2014).128

Inspire issue 14 followed up on the January 2015 

attacks against the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper 
87

cartoonists in response to its mocking of the Prophet 

Muhammad. The attacks put France front and center 

as a clear enemy alongside the United States. The operation demonstrated clearly the two strands of al-Qaeda 

tactics in the West—large operations centrally organized along with the support of al-Qaeda influenced 

but independently orchestrated lone jihad acts. While 

the incidents in France clearly dominated this issue, 

other significant pieces covered the issue of the shootings of black Americans by the police (pointing out 

that Islam does not differentiate by race) and, in several other pieces, giving admonishment to be merciful 

to your fellow Muslims and engage in forgiveness not 

faultfinding—avoiding internal division among jihadi 

groups.129 As a companion piece to the Charlie Hebdo 

coverage, the OSJ section covers assassination operations—targets, collecting information, preparation 

(acquiring weapons, training, and spiritual contemplation), and an example of its execution at a workplace. 

There is also a detailed piece on designing a timed 

hand grenade. While reference to a Caliphate has been 

scarce, a graphic in this issue professes that “America’s 

Defeat + Da’awah + Defense = Establishing Khilafa.”130
88

Figure 14. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 14: 

Assassination Operations (September 2015).131

Inspire issue 15, while nominally—and indeed 

specifically in its OSJ section—deals with the topic 

of professional assassinations, very little of the actual 

text covers this topic beyond a piece dedicated to the 

so-called ongoing “knife revolution,” which since the 

1980s has seen Jews targeted in stabbing incidents.132

Instead, an underlying theme of this issue seems to be 

one of crisis, patience, and unity. While not an obvious 

tactic, technique, or procedure per se, the mention of an 

emphasis on conduct in the quote below is indicative 

of a sense that al-Qaeda seeks to distinguish itself (and 

other jihadist groups which share its views) from those 

who are singled out by the Muslim people as extremist 
89

and harsh in their judgments of the ummah at large, 

pronouncing anyone whom they do not like as takfiri. 

In one sense, this is a tactic to hold together its support 

base in the face of competition while, at the same time, 

it encourages the lone jihadi to ensure they follow 

the goals and priorities of the al-Qaeda organization. 

The list of enemies is long, and the fall of America is 

a crucial first step. As the holy war will not be quick, 

the mujahideen must fight tirelessly, without wasting 

energy bickering among themselves. In the OSJ section, the focus is on home assassinations of important 

targets with the tactics of the parcel bomb, magnetic 

car bomb, and door-trap bomb detailed.

Figure 15. Selected Excerpts from Inspire Issue 15: 

Professional Assassinations (May 2016).133
90

In summation of the previous 15 issues of Inspire

magazine, we see both continuity and fluctuation 

depending on the topical area viewed. With regard 

to the desired end state of the group, we see an ebb 

and flow between whether the focus is on ultimately 

bringing down Israel for the liberation of Palestine 

or whether the true end lies in the establishment of a 

“pan-Islamic state” or Caliphate, predicated on sharia 

law. The extent of this Caliphate’s boundaries also 

seems somewhat in question. Al-Qaeda presents itself 

as something of a tool designed to reawaken the commitment to jihad for the sake of Allah and Islam yet 

also does not seem to project its role beyond facilitating the destruction of America and, ultimately, Israel. 

This goes hand-in-hand with its identification of its 

primary enemies. America is—and remains throughout—utmost as the “head of the snake,” protecting 

Israel and insulting Islam. Other enemies include of 

course Israel, and then Jews, Christians, America’s 

allies, Russia, Iran and the Shi’a, with the more local 

“apostate” governments and Alawite groups considered a secondary concern. Understandably, then, the 

focus has been on recruiting individuals—especially 

youth—in the West to perform jihad where they are. 

While in the early issues, simply reawakening individuals to jihad itself was a focus and attacking American and other Western interests in the Middle East 

was also a parallel theme, later issues focused primarily on returning the battle to the West at home and, 

in particular, to America. With regard to tactics, techniques, and procedures the emphasis increasingly 

moved away from centrally planned operations and 

moved to centrally “inspired” lone jihad undertaken 

by individuals. Inspire magazine’s major focus has 

been to offer these individual jihadists the al-Qaeda 
91

organization’s assistance in planning actions based on 

approved means and targets so as to stay in line with 

their overall goals of jihad. A primary goal is to shatter 

the United States economically through the continual 

need for it to spend large amounts on increased security in reaction to terrorist acts in new arenas and by 

upgraded means. Thus, while air transportation has 

remained a continued focus since 9/11, the types (passenger or cargo) and means of attack (various types of 

explosives from underwear to packages to potentially 

internal) have shifted. On the other hand, al-Qaeda has 

also encouraged street-level efforts as well, including 

having “inspired” the high-profile Boston Marathon 

bombings and putting its efforts into both “inspiring” individual actors while simultaneously putting 

together organized operations as in the case of the 

Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Islamic State (Dabiq) Narratives

The first issue of Dabiq’s narrative relies heavily on the words of Amirul-Mu’minin (Commander 

of the Faithful) Abu Bakr al-Husayni al-Qurashi 

al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State and emir of 

the Caliphate. It establishes that the Caliphate is the 

rightful authority within the territory it holds and that 

those who oppose it will be fought, indeed “struck 

upon the neck.” Tribes are urged to give allegiance to 

the group and join its forces as are those from other 

regions which are encouraged to emigrate as soon as 

possible to the Islamic State—particularly those with 

useful skills for state-building. It has a wide range of 

enemies it will be fighting to hold onto the territory it 

claims and into which it desires to expand including 

America, its allies, Russia, the Jews, the disbelievers, 
92

and those jihadi “claimants” who are frozen at a prior 

stage of tactics and who have deviated from the true 

path upon their founder’s death, a veiled reference to 

al-Qaeda under al-Zawahiri. There is a short three-page 

accounting of recent attacks among various villages in 

the area, during which only the enemy seems to incur 

civilian casualties. There is also a listing of those who 

have “repented” upon surrender to the Islamic State, 

amounting to thousands of individuals in all.

Figure 16. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 1: 

The Return of the Khalifah (July 2014).134
93

If expanding the Caliphate is the Islamic State’s 

end state, then issue 2 makes clear that those people 

that come under its territorial umbrella must toe the 

line with regard to their—correct—version of Islam. 

In holding with these beliefs, photos show the group 

demolishing religious tombs and shrines of non-conforming groups. It encourages recruits to this new 

territorial Caliphate through inviting them to the new 

homes and services that are awaiting them and their 

families upon arrival and appealing to their desire to 

make a difference in the liberation of the Holy cities of 

Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.135 The focus therein is 

on the near enemies including the apostates, the Jews, 

the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, and the Jawlani—otherwise known as the al-Nusrah Front, an al-Qaeda 

affiliate. The group is particularly sensitive to being 

“slandered” by competing groups such as the Jawlani. 

The following list outlines the tactics employed during 

one of several operations—here, in Raqqa—in which 

the typical Islamic State response of fighting to the 

death or execution of the enemy is underlined.
94

Figure 17. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 2:

 The Flood (July 2014).136

Unlike many issues of the jihadi magazines, this 

particular one largely sticks to its theme of hijrah (emigration) to the Islamic State. The Islamic State sets 

itself aside as a unique entity based on the expanse 

of its territory and its Caliphate being populated by 

a sampling of Muslims from around the world who 

have come solely to dedicate themselves to its cause of 

establishing a Caliphate in the name of the religion of 

Allah. There is a very direct focus on recruiting people 

to join the movement to hijrah, giving up all earthly 

things in order to support it. They are very clear that 

this Caliphate concerns itself with not only jihad but 

with all aspects of its citizens’ lives in order to keep 

them upon the appropriate methodology. There is 
95

a carrot-and-stick encouragement in that should one 

choose to come, they will have benefits in this life and 

the next such as leaving the world of work and sin 

behind, but this comes hand-in-hand with the reminder 

that there really is not a choice since it is obligatory 

according to religious doctrine. This third issue also 

coincides with the period in which the American journalist hostages James Foley and eventually Steven Sotloff were beheaded when the United States refused to 

negotiate with the Islamic State by releasing Muslim 

prisoners, and there are a couple of articles covering 

this topic. The Islamic State makes no hesitation in listing just who its overarching enemies are—America, 

the Christians, the Jews, and the apostates—but also 

makes it clear that it considers tribes who cross them 

and other jihadist groups that oppose it to be equally 

worthy of its scorched-earth retribution.
96

Figure 18. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 3: 

A Call to Hijrah (September 2014).137

Dabiq issue 4 rests greatly upon an impassioned 

speech by Sheik Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in which 

he rallies the Islamic State soldiers and threatens their 

enemies with his declarations that the Islamic State 

does not fear death and that it is preordained that they 

will reign victorious as this is the crusader’s final campaign. The West is encouraged to send as much military 

equipment as they can to the front as it will only end 

up in the hands of Islamic State soldiers as ghanimah or 

war booty. After the previous issue’s focus on the role 

of hijrah, there is no mention of it to be seen, but rather 

a hailing of the pledging of allegiance by local groups 
97

and the inciting of Western Muslims to rise up and 

attack the crusaders where they live in the manner of 

lone jihad (encouraged by al-Qaeda) but with distinct 

attribution to the Islamic State. This is notably the first 

issue to have a piece by the British journalist hostage 

John Cantlie.138 Cantlie decries the United States and 

the United Kingdom for their policy of not negotiating 

with the Islamic State in the face of the beheadings of 

his four cellmates—James Foley, Steven Sotloff, David 

Haines, and Alan Henning—while hostages from 

other countries have been released. There is also mention of the execution of the men and the well-publicized taking of female slaves—along with justification 

of this action—from amongst the Yazidi population.

Figure 19. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 4: 

The Failed Crusade (October 2014).139
98

With the ongoing success of the Islamic State in 

holding and expanding its territory, issue 5 of Dabiq

expounds upon those successes and offers many visuals of the Black Standard flying over their newly taken 

lands. The end-state narrative follows that the flag will 

not only continue to fly over these lands but will fly 

over Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem and Rome, indeed 

to the very eastern and western ends of the earth. It 

will do so, moreover, because Allah wills it and they 

have given their blood in his name to ensure that happens, thus confounding the will of their enemies—the 

Americans, the Jews, Christians, the Shi’a, and the 

house of Saud. With regard to the latter, it is pointed 

out that the jihadi claimants—read as al-Qaeda affiliates—have only served to hinder progress in the fight 

against these groups. The emphasis is on consolidating 

the state in their name (e.g., the move toward coinage) 

and seeking the allegiance of an increasing number 

of groups in the adjacent territory in order to further 

expand at the perimeters. This momentum in increasing the numbers of local followers has led to their 

downplaying hijrah from the West in the issue, with 

an emphasis on the strides those groups have made 

back at home in lone jihad-type operations in its name 

in direct response to the calls from Sheik Abu Muhammad al-Adnani printed in the last issue.
99

Figure 20. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 5: 

Remaining and Expanding (November 2014).140

Interestingly, the foreword of Dabiq issue 6 spent 

no time on its title subject but instead again lauded the 

accomplishments of the lone jihadists who undertook 

attacks in the West. There was also an article with 31 

pieces of advice for soldiers of the Islamic State—with 

a few pieces of uncharacteristic advice for the group 

such as admonishing them not to declare takfir without giving credence to preventive factors and with full 

evidence, and to “deal gently with the people.”141 The 

two articles addressing the title subject, a 10-page article—“The Qa’idah of adh-Dhawahiri, al-Harari, and 

an-Nadhari, and the Absent Yemeni Wisdom”—and 

the 16-page feature article—“al-Qaidah of Waziristan: 
100

A Testimony From Within”—make up the bulk of the 

issue. The first of these focuses on Harith an-Nadhari 

in Yemen, who was seen as emulating the response 

of the al-Jawlani Front (the al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusrah), while the latter details one jihadi’s experience 

with al-Qaeda and how it changed after the death of 

Osama bin Laden, leading him to break his bay’ah and 

join the Islamic State. While the foreword covers successes of lone jihad, the Islamic State as primarily an 

insurgent group comes through in this issue with its 

emphasis upon local recruitment and the training of 

soldiers in Islamic State camps. Receiving disgruntled soldiers from al-Qaeda and other groups is seen 

as a fruitful recruitment technique. Dabiq issue 6 also 

includes references to the killing of American petroleum expert William Henderson and the capture of a 

Jordanian pilot (who was later burned alive), but these 

are not covered in much detail. Despite its successes, 

the Islamic State ultimately recognizes that it has some 

way to go before it is anywhere near its desired expansive end state and must be on its guard to hold on to 

its territory.
101

Figure 21. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 6: 

Al-Qa’idah of Waziristan (December 2014).142

At a substantial 83 pages, Dabiq issue 7 covers a lot 

of territory. Articles include everything from advice 

for the leaders of the Islamic State from Abu Hamza 

to a mocking of a plea from al-Zawahiri to Muhammad Morsi to an article by the newly emigrated wife of 

the mujahid (Amedy Coulibaly) who died in the recent 

operations in Paris. A general theme is a stark comparison between the Islamic State and other jihadist 

groups, setting the former apart for its stark willingness 

to engage in tactics and procedures it feels follow the 

letter of sharia law. For example, it covers the beheading 

of a Japanese captive, the burning alive of a captured 

Jordanian pilot, a revenge attack of Coptic Christian 

Egyptians, the execution of a Pakistani soldier, throwing a man off a building for “sexual deviance,” and 

the stoning of a woman to death for adultery among 

other punishments. It also lists any number of ways to 

target Western civilians including explosives, bullets, 
102

and fists. There should be no mistake, it contends, that 

Islam is the religion of the sword. That sword is meant 

to target polytheists, the Christians and Jews, the religious hypocrites, and the aggressors. The 14-page feature article, “Extinction of the Gray Zone,” critiques the 

differences between the Islamic State and other groups 

now that there are only two camps: belief and disbelief. 

One of the first matters renounced by the hypocrites 

abandoning the gray zone and fleeing to the camp of 

apostasy and kufr (disbelief)—or remaining in the land 

of kufr versus performing hijrah—was the clear-cut 

obligation to kill those who mock the Messenger. The 

article also launches an attack against apostate imams 

(now considered hypocrites) who took for themselves 

a masjid (mosque) in order to sow harm and disbelief 

among the people. Jihadi claimant groups, it says, are 

more interested in maintaining power than the unity 

of the ummah under the Caliphate, whose message it 

sees as inheritor to the legacy of that of the Prophet. 

Recruits continue to be primarily through the bay’ah of 

local groups, especially disgruntled members of al-Qaeda affiliates, over an encouragement in the magazine 

for emigration since it is putting more emphasis on the 

success of attacks in the West.
103

Figure 22. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 7: 

From Hypocrisy to Apostasy (February 2015).143

Dabiq issue 8 is entitled “Shari’ah Alone Will Rule 

Africa,” however, the attention paid in the issue specifically to that region is limited to the three-page 

article “The Bay’ah from West Africa” and two pages 

noting actions in the Libyan Arena. In contrast, there is 

a 16-page article on “Irja: The Most Dangerous Bid’ah 

(and its effect on the jihad in Sham).” The latter article discusses at length the concept of irja, literally 

meaning “postponing.” As an Islamic philosophy, irja

means holding off on violent action and letting God be 

the judge. The Islamic State decries this notion as an 
104

innovation in religious matters, without precedent as 

set in the religious texts. It claims in the article that to 

embrace this notion trivializes even major sins and thus 

dilutes the religion. They cite the Salaf who warned 

that it would lead to an abandonment of the religion 

altogether. The significance for the Islamic State is that 

they are often likened to the Khawarij, against whose 

extreme obligations to action the original irja was 

directed. Thus, they perceive it as a direct affront and 

consider it at best hypocrisy. The Islamic State attribute 

irja most directly in the article to the “jihad claimants,” 

often a veiled reference in Dabiq to certain al-Qaeda 

affiliates—among other groups. These groups at large 

are seen as accommodating nationalistic sympathies 

in their regions. Where the idea of the sharia ruling in 

Africa does come into play in the issue is in its return 

to a call for hijrah—here to the nations of Chad, Niger, 

and Libya where the Islamic State has taken hold of 

territory and needs greater numbers of sympathetic 

and skilled individuals to back it up and where emigrating does not set up as much of a red flag. A further 

article by a female writer serves to incite women to 

recognize their own obligation for hijrah. Of particular 

note in this issue with regard to tactics are the employment of “lion cub” child soldiers, who have their own 

dedicated Islamic State training camps and who have 

been seen on video performing the execution of captives. Additionally mentioned is the rationale behind 

the destruction of art and artifacts of ancient cultures—with pictures showing the sledgehammering of 

Assyrian antiquities due to the fact that they represent 

civilizations Allah has doomed to fail and thus should 

not be held up as anything to be revered.
105

Figure 23. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 8: 

Shari’ah Alone Will Rule Africa (March 2015).144

The title of Dabiq issue 9, “They Plot and Allah 

Plots,” is the first part of a verse of the Quran—the 

second part of which is the title of its 10-page feature 

article “And Allah is the Best of Plotters.” The article 

uses a number of theological references to make its case 

that, despite the “deviance and arrogance” of its enemies who plot Allah’s religion, they are weak because 

they are the plots of Shaytan (Satan). These plots of the 

enemies, therefore, will end in their own demise. The 

lesson for the Muslims, then, is not to be dismayed 

about plots against them and lapse in their religion as 

Allah favors those who are true to the truth. This will 

be their last plot, moreover, because the crusaders are 

weak and forced to make allies of their own enemies 

such as Iran. The topic is further covered in the six-page 
106

article, “Conspiracy Theory: Shirk.” Therein, the conspiracy theories trying to deny the role of the Muslim 

mujahideen in carrying out 9/11 are discussed, as are 

their impossibility given the number of people whose 

secrecy would have to be relied upon. The reasoning 

behind such conspiracy theories is attributed to those 

who want to deny the Muslims their humiliation of 

America and those who wish to abandon jihad and 

bay’ah and instead pursue the dunya or life on earth in 

the way of the kuffar. The narrative of the end state, 

then, is to reiterate that Islam is a religion of war and 

that it has carried out great operations without resort 

to any kind of conspiratorial actions just as it has 

accomplished such in the past. The enemies thus are 

those who openly conspire together against the Islamic 

State, and these are listed. Recruitment remains on 

bay’ah and hijrah although those that remained behind 

in the West and pursued lone jihad-type activities are 

also lauded. There is a focus on the process of operations, generally given a more superficial overview in 

the magazine with the focus merely on the end result. 

One extended quote, given below, shows the extent 

to which its tactics, techniques, and procedures are 

detailed. The capture of the 4th Regiment Base (a key 

piece of linking territory) and the Yarmuk Camp (near 

the region of the prophesied “al-Mahalma”) are each 

given their own articles, as both are important strategic moves. This issue offers a woman’s support for the 

mujahideen’s taking of concubines from among captured “slave girls,” claiming it is a more moral treatment than the Western use of women as prostitutes. 

There are a number of criticisms of al-Qaeda and affiliates with the implication that al-Zawahiri is the only 

reason al-Qaeda still exists. Finally, while it may be 

easy to disregard these as mere propaganda to frighten 
107

the West, note that the regular article by John Cantlie 

throws in a reference to the ease by which one can procure and transport nuclear devices.

Figure 24. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 9: 

They Plot and Allah Plots (May 2015).145

The 15-page feature article of this 10th issue of Dabiq

is entitled “The Law of Allah or the Laws of Men,” 

but its subtitle “Is Waging War Against the Khilafah 

Apostasty?” really gets to the heart of its argument 

that, because the Sahwah Coalition (including the Free 

Syrian Army, the Shamiyyah Front, Faylaq as-Sham, 

Jaysh al-Islam, and the Jawlani front) nor any other 
108

groups with the ability to hold land did not rule by 

the sharia in a single village but rather by manmade 

laws, they ruled outside Allah’s law despite their claim 

that they would achieve this after the war is over. The 

Islamic State, on the other hand, claims to rule solely 

by the word of sharia in all its territory, thereby having 

legitimacy, and thus those who oppose it are waging 

war against the religion of Allah. Further, aiding the 

kuffar against the Muslims is apostasy. It instead calls 

for the soldiers to turn on these groups and to fight 

them in their strongholds.146 The present Khilafah is 

the end state to only be writ large as it spreads and 

grows in territory and recruits until there is no more 

land to incorporate. The words of its leader or Khalifah are enough to demand submission to the group. 

The above groups—and the crusader supporters—are 

the enemy and even a wife must separate from her 

husband to save themselves from sin should they not 

follow the Islamic State. This call is the way of recruitment—turning groups and families on themselves. 

Tactics remain harsh, both locally and abroad, but all 

of it is justified one way or another as the defense of 

Islam and the Muslim ummah rather than for their 

own aggrandizement.
109

Figure 25. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 10: 

The Laws of Allah or the Laws of Men (July 2015).147

Dabiq issue 11 compares the historical events 

leading to the Prophet fighting the coalitions of the 

mushrikin (polytheist) tribes, along with the Jews and 

“hypocrites” of that time, in the Great Battle of Badr 

to those that have beset the Islamic State at present. In 

the former battle, the Muslims prevailed in the face of 

an overwhelming number of opponents. The feature 

article outlines the four coalitions that are currently 

battling the Islamic State which totals more than 70 

nations and groups, including alliances—or at least tolerance—between entities that are otherwise enemies. 
110

A particular focus is upon the operations of Iran and 

Russia in Syria. Another main focus of the issue is on 

the recently revealed death of the Imam Mullah Omar, 

the former leader of the Afghan Taliban to whom large 

numbers of mujahideen—including those of affiliates 

of al-Qaeda—had pledged their allegiance. Omar, it 

seems, had actually died 2 years previous in 2013, a 

fact that was kept secret from the public. Those operating in his name, the foreword states, purposefully used 

the concealment of his death to release statements supporting national reconciliation with the Afghan regime 

and to allow them to wage war against the Khilafah—

splitting from earlier positions. As a result, increasing 

numbers of its fighters were said to have joined the 

ranks of the Islamic State. Al-Qaeda scholars, however, maintained their justification for the untruth. The 

Islamic State criticized al-Zawahiri for having pledged 

allegiance to Akhtar Mansur, the man who had perpetuated the lie. A strong theme is this corruption of 

the “scholars” and the duplicity of the “jihadi claimants” who ultimately “side with the crusaders and 

apostates” against the Islamic State. There is still a call 

for a large number of recruits to make hijrah to Libya 

as it is a new addition to the Caliphate and needs personnel to fill jobs there. It is a place of darul-Islam, in 

contrast to the many Syrians making hijrah to the West 

which is a place of darul-kufr—a sin—and the Islamic 

State use of the now famous picture of the 3-year old 

Syrian boy’s body washed up on the beach in Turkey 

to make a point of what might happen to one’s family 

if one chooses this path. On the other hand, women 

are targeted in the pitch for the wonders of the end 

state of living in the Khalifah, especially the ability to 

provide a righteous upbringing for children. In terms 

of tactics, the emphasis is placed on the use of istishhadi
111

operations and, for women, the importance of gaining 

knowledge in order to argue those who might set them 

on the wrong path. Notable at the end of the magazine are two “for sale” posters seeking ransom for the 

Islamic State’s Norwegian and Chinese prisoners.

Figure 26. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 11: 

From the Battle of Al-Ahzab to the War of 

Coalitions (September 2015).148

Dabiq issue 12 seems to have been prepared in haste, 

despite its lengthy 65 pages. The page number does 

not fit with the other issues (which count the cover 

page), and there is no dedicated feature article—the 
112

closest it gets is the regular contribution by hostage 

John Cantlie, who writes therein on the proposal that 

the West considers (at least openly) the Islamic State’s 

actions to be “just terrorism.” He contends that the 

reality, should one care to look, is that the Islamic State 

is indeed a full-fledged state—minting coins, collecting taxes, dispensing justice, and providing necessary 

services to its people by well-paid professionals. His 

speculation is that, by making it a “terrorist” organization, the West keeps up the urgency and willingness to 

support military action. Thus, the end state hoped for 

is well underway—the Islamic State functioning as a 

true Caliphate and fighting the good fight against the 

aggressor crusaders and the apostates until the time 

comes to move things into the next stage as prophesied. Despite the fact that they are considered a lesser 

enemy compared to America, France, and Russia, Dabiq

continues to spend a lot of line space—as it has in the 

last couple issues—continuing its attacks on al-Qaeda 

and its affiliates. This time, several articles focus on 

al-Qaeda affiliates and allies in Yemen and Sham and 

their relations with al Shabaab. There are four pages 

dedicated to recent operations, including the Paris 

attacks. The tactics of the latter and those of the Russian attack are discussed—stressing in Cantlie’s piece 

that a state can indeed use “terrorist” tactics as part of 

its toolkit. With regards to recruitment, the importance 

of hijrah is emphasized, pointing out that it is not only 

an obligation but has the positive results of allowing 

one to both fit into society and protect the next generation.149 Finally, a piece directed at women by a woman 

writer seeks to defend the practice of polygamy.
113

Figure 27. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 12: 

Just Terror (November 2015).150

This 13th issue of Dabiq concerns itself with the correct interpretation of and the appropriate way to deal 

with the sins of the Rafidah; the enemy focused most 

upon therein. An early three-page article addresses the 

question of “Who were the Safawiyyah?” looking in 

historical detail at the evolution of the group which 
114

“subdued Persia with ambitions to wipe out all traces 

of the Sunnah and its people.” A not so veiled reference 

to the Shi’a, it goes on to deny that this group follows 

Islam but claims that it instead deters people from it. 

The title article, “The Rafidah: From Ibn Saba’ to the 

Dajjal,” is 13 pages and compares the Rafidah with the 

Jews and cites the “Jewish” beginnings of the sect—

emphasizing that the latter, however, are worse in that 

they have apostatized by rejecting legitimate Islamic 

authority and have been pronounced takfir. The issue 

also uses the article as another chance to discredit the 

jihadi claimants—in particular, al-Qaeda under alZawahiri.151 The issues of the Rafidah are also touched 

upon in the seven-page “Interview with the Wali of 

Khurasan.”152 Besides the Rafidah and the “jihadi claimants,” another group singled out as apostates are the 

Saudis, especially the Islamic scholars supporting the 

regime. With regard to recruitment, the bay’ah from 

numbers of soldiers of the Taliban following the confirmation of Mullah Omar’s death are noted as having 

increased the Islamic State’s numbers. Recruitment is 

also emphasized in recognition of the recent lone acting 

San Bernardino bombers—man and wife—whom they 

feel set the standard for others to follow in their own 

countries. Emigration to the region of Khurasan, however, takes precedence here. The reason for this is the 

emphasis placed on the importance of the region as a 

stepping-stone in reclaiming neighboring lands into 

the Khalifah toward its desired end state. General advice 

toward operations includes the necessity of treating 

the Rafidah with the severest of acts—going beyond 

basic beheading—although more detailed tactics in 

a number of regions can be found in the six pages of 

operations listed.153 A final notable piece included in 

the issue is the article for women on ihdad or the period 
115

of mourning after a husband’s death—showing a further reaching out to include women in its readership.154

Figure 28. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 13: 

The Rafidah—From Ibn Saba to the Dajjal 

(January 2016).155

Again focusing on a near enemy, Dabiq issue 14 

looks at the long-standing Egyptian based Islamic 

organization, the Muslim Brotherhood or “Jama’at 

al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin,” which it finds to be an invasive entity—a cancer—spreading a deviant form of the 

religion that accepts democracy, liberalism, pacifism, 

and socialism for the ends of political expediency. 

The Muslim Brotherhood’s founder Hasan al-Banna is 

quoted as saying that “Pure Islam does not oppose a 

religion nor destroy another creed”—the antithesis of 

what the Islamic State proposes to do in its end-state 
116

mission to spread Islam to the world.156 The topic of the 

Ikhwan is the subject of a 16-page feature article regarding the relation of the Ikhwan to the Rafidah, who were 

featured in the last issue, as well as to crusader states 

and complicit regimes such as that of Egypt’s Hosni 

Mubarak. Once again, the Islamic State ensures that 

the jihadi claimants are called out—this time for their 

having been penetrated years previous by the Ikhwani

through the Salafiyyah.

157 In the article “Kill the Imams 

of Kufr in the West,” the crusaders are said to use murtaddin like the Ikhwan imams to create disunity among 

the Muslims. Thus, the crusader enemies—with the 

focus of the forward section upon recently attacked Belgium as representative of Europe—are also not forgotten. Recruitment then can come from those performing 

hijrah to the East to join the ranks of the mujahideen or 

those performing jihad in the name of the Islamic State 

from where they are in dar al-kufr using any weapon 

and with any number of valid and obligatory targets. 

The tactics used in the latter encompass—per John 

Cantlie’s article “the only message they [America] will 

respond to”—the seemingly indiscriminate violence 

that it says will continue to haunt the West.158 On a 

more detailed tactics, techniques, and procedures note, 

six pages of recent operations are included in the issue.
117

Figure 29. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 14: 

The Murtadd Brotherhood (April 2016).159

At 82 pages long, the 15th issue of Dabiq is a substantial issue dedicated to the reinforcement of the contention that the only way forward for those whom the 

Islamic State is currently fighting is to repent, accept 

Islam, and submit to Allah. The majority of articles 

therein follow this logic either through individual testimonials of their conversion (or posthumous ones in 

the case of two who were martyred), a historical look at 

what happened when societies encountered Islam and 

were not enlightened by its tenets, or through detailing the reasons behind why the Islamic State fights its 

enemies. The 17-page feature article attempts to force 

other people of the book to see the ways these religions 

(Judaism and Christianity) have moved away from the 

true path. It covers where Islam feels the religions overlap (e.g., the names of God, the shared prophets) and 
118

where those other religions falsely moved apart (e.g., 

that the “pagan” trinity was a political creation, that 

the crucifixion as told was a falsehood attributable to 

the writings of Paul who never met Jesus). The coming 

of Muhammad, moreover, is explained as foretold by 

Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and, indeed, it is said that 

Jesus himself will break the cross and crush the false 

notions of Christianity. Thus, since “the true religion 

of Jesus Christ is . . . Islam,” the Islamic State gives the 

crusaders a final invitation to convert.160 Should this 

not happen, the issue provides a foreword detailing 

the latest attacks in the West, six pages of the Islamic 

State operations across its territories, and an article 

entitled “By the Sword” which explains that this is a 

divinely warranted war, that the “Lord” in the Bible 

and Quran is a “person of war,” and that even Jesus 

clearly refers to violently applying the law of God. The 

Muslims, it contends, unlike the others, are simply not 

afraid of following God’s rules. The first step to this 

is hijrah or, alternatively, performing jihad where one 

finds oneself.
119

Figure 30. Selected Excerpts from Dabiq Issue 15: 

Break the Cross (July 2016).161

Over the 15 issues of Dabiq, which are covered here, 

there is no mistaking that the end state for the Islamic 

State is the consolidation and expansion of their fledgling Caliphate. The rhetoric soundly affirms that this 

Caliphate is unique and significant—the one prophesied to usher in the end battle—and that it, therefore, will 

remain and spread until its flag flies from East to West. 

As the legitimate source of authority for the Muslim 

ummah, all are obligated to follow its rulings, or they 
120

will find themselves in the camp of “untruth.” There is 

no compromise—no room for nationalism or working 

with the enemy. This is a definite zero-sum game—us 

or them, all or nothing. While there is something of a 

hedge in that the Islamic State recognizes that the final 

battle may not take place in this generation, it nonetheless assures readers that it will definitely be under this 

everlasting Caliphate’s watch. The priority enemy to 

be fought, however, fluctuates per issue. While the primary battle is with the disbelievers—seemingly with 

America and Israel as their figureheads—the actual 

fighting is prioritized as with the near enemy, within 

the Caliphate and at its borders. The crusader West 

(including here, Russia and Japan) which is committing 

airstrikes is a definite target, as are Israel and the Jews 

and Christians within their midst. However, these are 

the obvious ones. The Islamic State over time, as portrayed through its issues of Dabiq, stands ever ready to 

condemn anyone who stands in its way, and the locally 

grown enemy is first in its gunsights. Those who are 

thought to be apostates to the religion are considered 

worse than those who have never believed and are to 

be dealt with in the harshest ways. Thus, the Islamic 

State finds itself declaring battle against any number of 

coalitions which may overlap, going beyond the crusaders in all their forms to the Safawi (Iran, Russia, and 

Syria), Rafidha (Shi’a), Sahwah (Iraqi tribal groups who 

rose up against the brutality of the jihadists), Ikhwan

(Muslim Brotherhood), the jihad claimants (primarily 

al-Qaeda affiliates), and Gulf puppet and apostate governments. In fact, Dabiq issue 11 lists 70 such groups in 

its enemy list. It is of no wonder then that the emphasis on recruitment is—with caveats—on encouraging 

individuals in the West to make hijrah to the territories controlled by the Islamic State and to demand that 
121

tribal and jihadi groups (currently in it or in territory 

it wants to move to) declare bay’ah to its leadership. 

Over time, there is a noticeable fluctuation in this 

demand for hijrah in the issues, conceivably because 

their ability to manage it becomes overwhelmed, and 

it may have sufficient fighters available in that specific 

region. Thus, during later issues, there is an uncharacteristic call for jihad in the West even as it continues to 

condemn life in dar al-kufr. When new territories open 

up, for example Libya, the push is once again for emigration to that specific region. Overwhelmingly, the 

tactics of the Islamic State lauded in these issues are 

brutal. They repeatedly use the concepts of “showing 

no mercy” and that Islam is a violent “religion of the 

sword.” There is a great deal of emphasis on the dire 

nature of the consequences that will fall not only on 

those faced in battle but also on all those who violate 

its strict adherence to the laws of sharia.

Having looked at each of the magazines’ sets of 

excerpts in isolation, it may be helpful to make a short 

comparison of them on each point. Inspire magazine 

was in existence for roughly 4 years prior to the first 

issue of Dabiq. During that time, the group which 

would become the Islamic State (originally, al-Qaeda 

in Iraq which then became the Islamic State of Iraq 

and al-Sham) was an affiliate of al-Qaeda and thus 

the comparison will begin at the point where the two 

magazines came into co-existence with release of the 

first issue of Dabiq in July 2014. While prior to this 

first issue and the Islamic State’s “establishment of the 

Caliphate” al-Qaeda had stressed in Inspire the need to 

fight in order to establish the beginnings of a pan-Islamic state, there is no direct reference in Inspire to the 

Islamic State’s claim or any recognition of its “Caliphate.” It instead continues to stress that the time is not 
122

yet right to fight on open fronts but rather that guerrilla and terrorist tactics are still the order of the day 

until America is defeated. The Islamic State, on the 

other hand, makes the point repeatedly that all other 

groups have a present obligation to pledge allegiance 

to it and to join its ranks. Further, it continually refers 

to its mujahideen as “soldiers of the Islamic State” in 

order to reinforce its position as a territorial entity. The 

taking of ghanimah (war booty) has further allowed it 

to assemble a respectable arsenal akin to that of a regular army. Al-Qaeda’s most pressing need, then, is for 

recruits in the West willing to undertake acts in those 

countries where the impact of terrorism is greatest; 

while the Islamic State needs skilled bodies to fill the 

practical requirements of its newly acquired territories 

and its ever-expanding army and thus presses recruits 

to hijrah. The two groups are also thus quite divergent 

with regard to their end state in that one is still seeking 

what the other claims it already has—although both 

feel the final scene of this present war is the end-ofdays battle at al-Malhama. In terms of identified enemies, the Islamic State makes a point of discrediting 

al-Qaeda and its affiliates whenever it can, particularly its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. It refers to them as 

“jihadi claimants” rather than the real thing. Al-Qaeda, 

for its part, disparages the Islamic State more obtusely 

by calling on its readers, and ultimately its mujahideen, 

to employ conduct—contrary to the Islamic State—that 

does not go against the sharia by committing aggression against fellow Muslims and to avoid dominating 

them as well as refraining from pronouncing takfir 

when unwarranted. Tactically, al-Qaeda remains true 

to its promotion of individual jihad, although under 

the guidance of the organization through Inspire magazine and other sources of media, as well as its own 

less frequent larger scale operations. In Dabiq, we see 
123

a need to come across as the group unafraid to follow 

God’s law to the letter as opposed to others who hold 

back from the most brutal of acts of the hudud—those 

punishments mandated under Islamic law.

STRATEGIC INSIGHTS

Two strategic insights can be readily gained from 

the research and analysis conducted on radical Islamist 

English-language online magazines. First, such magazines exist in distinct clusters or groupings, revolving either around the al-Qaeda or around the Islamic 

State terrorist organizations. Second, these competing 

terrorist organizations have very different strategic 

approaches that they are promoting in their core magazines Inspire and Dabiq, respectively. Some of the narratives related to these differing strategic approaches 

were analyzed in the prior section of this document; 

however, some additional narratives can also be tentatively surmised. More specific information pertaining 

to these strategic insights follow.

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Online Magazine 

Clusters

Two major radical Islamist English-language online 

magazine clusters have been identified in this research 

monograph. The first magazine cluster revolves around 

al-Qaeda and its affiliates who have roughly produced 

11 different magazines, and 2 Inspire compilations 

since April-May 2007 (see figure 31). Inspire, produced 

by AQAP, is at the center of this cluster having been 

published now for over 6 years with 16 issues out 

between June 2010 and November 2016. Jihad Recollections, that was initially published by Samir Khan—

originally an al-Qaeda affinity member—from April 
124

to September 2009 with four issues produced, is the 

precursor to Inspire, given Khan’s future editorship of 

that magazine. The five issues of Defenders of the Truth

published by the Al Mosul Islamic Network from July 

2009 through January-February 2010 can be viewed as 

an auxiliary al-Qaeda-linked publication that existed 

just prior to the emergence of Inspire. At a minimum, 

it had to have had some indirect influence on Inspire

given its partial publication overlap with Khan’s 

Jihad Recollections as the only other somewhat similar 

jihadi English-language magazine then in publication. 

Defenders of the Truth is important given the global 

jihadist view it attempted to promote with stories 

highlighting al-Qaeda affiliated groups worldwide.

The two even earlier radical Islamist English-language online magazines that existed in the al-Qaeda 

cluster were Benefit of the Day and In Fight. Neither magazine appears to have had much influence on the later 

development of Inspire, with either considered niche or 

specialized publications. Benefit of the Day is by far the 

oldest magazine of this type to be published. Roughly, 

12 issues have been identified as being produced 

from April 2007 through October 2008. It was linked 

to Aabid Hussain Khan, a British al-Qaeda supporter, 

and provided daily Islamic and jihadist readings that 

had been translated. Beneath the benign façade of this 

magazine and its greeting card stock photos was an 

attempt to provide radical Islamist narratives to the 

reader periodically. In Fight—a Taliban linked publication—is another magazine outlier. Sixty-eight issues of 

this magazine were produced from June 2009 through 

November 2014, making its sheer number of issues 

produced greater than all the other al-Qaeda cluster 

magazines put together. Still, its impact has been quite 

limited given its primary focus on pro-Afghan Taliban 
125

operations and coverage of United States, Coalition, 

and Afghan Government causalities.

The Inspire publication team has also been involved 

in two derivative publications. Both the Lone Mujahid 

Pocketbook published in March 2013 and Palestine published in August 2014 utilized reprinted materials from 

that magazine. The Pocketbook represents a compendium of OSJ articles from issues 1 through 10 of Inspire. 

The Palestine magazine, on the other hand, brings in 

some new material in addition to past Inspire content. 

The magazine called upon its readers to attack the 

United States and Great Britain as supporters of Israel 

by means of lone jihad terrorist attacks. In addition, 

four short Inspire Guides have been created from June 

through September 2016 related to: the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooter attack; the Nice, France, truck 

rundown of pedestrians; the interdicted “Muslim sisters” attack in France; and operations in New Jersey; 

Minnesota; and Chelsea, New York. These guides are 

meant to show how OSJ in the various Inspire issues 

are resulting in actual terrorist attacks and also provide critiques of them so that their readers can become 

more tactically proficient.

A request by the al-Qaeda leadership for magazines 

similar to Inspire to be produced by affiliate groups 

has also resulted in numerous—albeit typically shortlived—publications to emerge. The initial one was Gaidi 

Mtaani produced by al Shabaab that saw seven issues 

published from April 2012 through February 2015. The 

magazine, which also includes articles in Swahili, principally focuses on recruitment in Kenya and surrounding states rather than in Europe or the United States. 

The next magazine was Azan produced by the Taliban 

with six issues and a special report published between 

March 2013 and August 2014. This was followed by 

Resurgence published by AQIS with two large issues 
126

that came out in October 2014 and June 2015. Both of 

these magazines promoted al-Qaeda network goals, 

though Resurgence was meant to target the legitimacy 

of the Islamic State and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Amika then enjoyed a short existence with two 

issues coming out in February and July 2015. The magazine was produced by the al-Muhajiroun component 

of al Shabaab just as Gaidi Mtaani was ceasing its publication run. It also focused on gaining recruits in Kenya 

and surrounding states as well as providing some of 

its articles in Swahili. The final two magazines—Azbiru

and Al-Risalah—are tied to the al-Nusrah Front. Only 

one issue of Azbiru appeared in September 2014. That 

magazine may have been later linked to Al-Risalah, 

which had three issues come out between July 2015 

and July 2016. If it is still publishing, a fourth issue can 

be expected to appear anytime in the near future.

Figure 31. Al-Qaeda and Affiliate Online Magazines.
127

The second online magazine cluster is focused on 

the publications of the Islamic State—including numerous eBooks—along with a couple of auxiliary magazines published as early as November 2012 (see figure 

32). This magazine cluster has more of a linear feel to it 

than that of the al-Qaeda cluster of magazines. That is 

because it is derived from the pre-Caliphate, Caliphate, 

and potentially post-Caliphate time periods. It should 

be remembered that the origins of the Islamic State 

are that of Jamaat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (1999-2004), 

al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004-2006), and Majlis Shura al-Mujahedin (2006) prior to its later becoming the Islamic 

State of Iraq (2006-2013) and then ISIS (2013-2014).162

It was only during the November 2012 through June 

2014 period of the pre-Caliphate when the Islamic 

State began to publish English-language eBooks and 

magazines. These publications were composed of six 

of the initial Black Flags and Shuhada series of eBooks 

along with the much later ISN and ISR that appeared 

in seven issues, although ISN and ISR only existed for 

a very short period between May through July 2014. To 

this initial cluster of works can be added Al Rashideen

as an auxiliary anti-Shi’a magazine. Al Rashideen was 

published by SSP with three issues appearing during 

February and March 2013. While SSP was not apparently directly linked to that early variant of the Islamic 

State, the group shared with the Islamic State strong 

anti-Shi’a sentiments, making some attributes of its 

brand of Pakistani Salafism readily compatible with it.

During the Caliphate period, the Islamic State published 10 more eBooks. These eBooks were from the 

Black Flags, Shudada, Islamic State, and The West series. 

They were produced between July 2014 and November 

2015, bringing the total number of such eBooks to 16 

before this line of publications was abandoned. It was 

also during this period, from July 2014 through July 
128

2016, that 15 issues of the Islamic State flagship magazine Dabiq were published. Additionally, the Islamic 

State affinity magazine Ihya-e-Khilafat produced by 

TTPJA was published. While only two issues were 

produced in October and December of 2014, the magazine portrayed how Taliban factions were positioning to align themselves with the Islamic State rather 

than with their traditional ally al-Qaeda. The potentially post-Caliphate phase is tied to the ongoing coalition—and tacit agreement—offensives being launched 

against the Islamic State from a host of major states 

and interests that would normally not work together 

except for the fact that they now all share a common 

enemy. With the Islamic State seeing the coming loss 

of the town of Dabiq, Syria, it ceased publication of 

its magazine with that name after the release of the 

15th issue “Break the Cross” in July 2016. In order to 

reposition its English-language narrative, the Islamic 

State created the new magazine Rumiyah, which means 

Rome, and began to publish that magazine in September 2016 a month before the town of Dabiq was captured by the Syrian rebel Hamza Brigade backed by 

Turkish forces.163 Two more issues of Rumiyah have 

since appeared in October and November 2016, with 

the magazine shifting its focus to promoting attacks 

(jihad) in the West rather than advocating emigration 

(hijrah) to the lands of the Islamic State.
129

Figure 32. Islamic State Online Magazines 

and eBooks.

Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Strategic Approaches

The strategic approaches related to these terrorist 

organizations and promoted in their supporting online 

magazine clusters can be viewed in table 13. This table 

represents an extension of the four themes—pertaining 

to end state, enemy, recruitment, and tactics—found in 

the Inspire and Dabiq datasets analyzed earlier. To this 

table has been added a wide range of additional attributes related to the differing strategic approaches of 

al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. These additional attributes have been deduced by means of a close reading 

of the magazine datasets as well as the other magazines and eBooks in their respective English-language 

publication clusters. Additionally, warnings concerning the “threat of caliphate yearnings and the eschatology that spawns it” were made at least 8 years prior to 
130

the initial establishment of the Caliphate in Syria and 

Iraq in June 2014.164 These centered on Al Zarqawi’s 

bay’at to al-Qaeda on October 17, 2004, and his use of 

quotes from the Hadiths. It was predicted that al-Qaeda’s later actions—in actuality, Zarqawi’s old splinter 

group—would follow three sequential aims which 

were to create a base of operation in a targeted nation 

(holding and taking land), enforce its version of sharia 

law on the populace (one of cultism and extreme brutality), and then produce a Caliphate candidate (Abu 

Bakr al-Baghdadi) in order to fulfill this eschatology.165

Such actions were followed, which have resulted in 

what has become known as the Islamic State. Being 

cognizant of such future potentials has thus allowed 

for some time and reflection to take place when surmising these strategic attributes.

Table 13. Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Strategic 

Approaches.166

Attributes Al-Qaeda (Inspire) Islamic State (Dabiq)

Post-Osama bin 

Laden

Leadership

Ayman al-Zawahiri is the 

rightful al-Qaeda leader; He 

has pledged loyalty to Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada who is the Taliban leader.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the 

rightful leader of the Caliphate; He is the absolute Islamic authority on earth.

Command and 

Control

Networked and devolved; 

Adaptive response to earlier elimination of al-Qaeda 

central.

More centralized and hierarchical; Sovereign state-mimicking.

Criticism of 

Opposing 

Group

Indirect attacks in Inspire on 

the Islamic State and its leadership; Use of Resurgence and 

Al-Risalah for proxy attacks.

Direct and constant attacks 

in Dabiq on al-Qaeda and its 

leadership.

Time Time is not important; This 

holy war will take generations.

The time is now; We live 

in special and prophesied 

times.

Physical Terrain Holding land at this point 

is meaningless and counterproductive.

Holding and taking land is 

key.
131

Attributes Al-Qaeda (Inspire) Islamic State (Dabiq)

Enemy Discriminate/selective; 

America as primary enemy; 

Followed by Israel, Jews, 

Christians, America’s allies, 

and Russia on down to lesser enemies.

Indiscriminate/all those not

with IS; Local enemies whose 

lands are being expanded 

into are given priority; Extreme anti-Shi’a hostility; 

America, Israel, France, Iran, 

and Russia amongst numerous other enemies listed.

Caliphate 

Establishment

The Caliphate is illegitimate; 

This is a premature and 

ill-advised action.

The Caliphate is legitimate; 

All must pledge loyalty 

(bay’at) to its leader.

End State Defeat America economically; Later establish the Caliphate; Then End of Days 

battle at Dabiq.

Expand the Caliphate; Later 

End of Days battle at Dabiq.

Brutality Instrumental violence; Do 

not alienate constituents; 

Don’t target holy places; 

Public opinion matters.

Unrestrained violence; Extreme forms of brutality—

crucifixion, torture, mass 

executions; Slave taking; 

Public opinion is of no consequence (as they are doing 

God’s will).

Western

Recruits

Utilize recruits in place for jihad in the United States and 

in Europe; and their interests 

elsewhere.

Utilize recruits for emigration (hijrah) to the lands of 

the Islamic State as fighters/

other personnel; Some calls 

for jihad in the West.

Tactics, 

Techniques, and 

Procedures

Terrorism via open source 

jihad directed against the 

West for destabilization, 

governmental overreaction, 

and economic warfare purposes; Al-Qaeda influence 

and support of lone jihad 

terrorists; Still some centrally planned operations take 

place.

Insurgency and conventional warfare; Terrorism conducted in support of Caliphate expansion; Utilize war 

booty (ghanimah) to fuel expansion; Islamic State direct 

command of forces.

Table 13. Al-Qaeda and Islamic State Strategic 

Approaches.(cont.)
132

Of the new differing attributes, the first one concerns post-Osama bin Laden leadership. The ideological schism between the original al-Qaeda group and 

the Islamic State challenger has gone straight to the 

supreme leader level with Ayman al-Zawahiri and 

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as competing authorities.167

Each leader has his own organizational vision of how 

he wants his radical Islamist group to operate and his 

place within the overall global ummah. Al-Zawahiri, 

for instance, has been willing to subordinate himself—

at least nominally—to the new Taliban leader Mullah 

Haibatullah Akhundzada while al-Baghdadi considers himself the supreme authority over all others as the 

rightly guided leader of the re-established Caliphate.168

Command and control differ between the two groups, 

with al-Qaeda learning to devolve its activities after 

much of its central leadership have been eliminated. 

This goes hand-in-hand with it considering the holding 

of physical terrain being counterproductive and taking 

a long-term rationalistic perspective with the holy war 

being conducted expected to take generations. On the 

other hand, the Islamic State is more centralized and 

hierarchical in nature—as al-Qaeda once was—and is 

sovereign state-mimicking with the physical terrain 

composing its Caliphate needing to be both consistently secured, administered, and expanded. This has 

given the Islamic State a more immediate concept of 

time and sense of destiny, which is also rather cult-like 

in orientation, with prophesied times now said to be 

upon us.

Al-Qaeda has also now been strategically following a path of moderation with indirect criticisms and 

attacks in Inspire on the Islamic State and its leader, 

whom they consider illegitimate. That group has long 

argued that this was an ill-advised action and that the 
133

establishment of a Caliphate would not be sustainable, which, given current events, may be borne out 

with current ground and air offensives being launched 

against the Islamic State’s shrinking physical territories from all sides. Further, this strategic moderation 

is also being seen in al-Qaeda attacks, which are more 

instrumental in nature. Holy places are not to be targeted, and public opinion needs to be at least considered so that al-Qaeda constituents—including affinity 

members and potential sympathizers—are not alienated. Still, high-profile attacks, such as the Charlie 

Hebdo operation in Paris in January 2015 linked to 

the AQAP, are being promoted in order to keep the 

group in the media spotlight as a viable movement. 

The Islamic State’s strategy, instead, has been one of 

excess. It has constantly directed criticisms and attacks 

against al-Qaeda and its leader in Dabiq and cares little 

for potential constituents or world opinion. The philosophy is that either you are with the Islamic State 

and must pledge allegiance to it or you are not. Those 

considered enemies of the Caliphate are subjected to 

extreme forms of brutality and torture—which may 

include crucifixion, drowning, or immolation—and 

being taken as slaves and forced as concubines, including underage girls. Targeting has taken an anything 

goes perspective with holy places—especially Shi’a 

ones—being actively bombed and archeological and 

World Heritage sites destroyed.

When the four themes of end state, enemy, recruitment, and tactics, techniques, and procedures are 

added into this overview of the contrasting al-Qaeda 

and Islamic State strategic approaches (see table 13), 

it can readily be seen that these groups operate very 

differently. Al-Qaeda can be principally considered 

a strategic level terrorist threat to the United States. 
134

That group is advocating for continental U.S.-focused 

terrorist attacks as well as those on airlines and other 

economic targets of critical importance. Their intention 

is to ultimately undermine the United States—either 

directly (via attacks) or indirectly (by U.S. governmental expenditures)—by bleeding it dry economically. 

Hence, al-Qaeda’s primary focus on OSJ and lone jihad 

attacks in the West. While much of this thinking is 

reflected in its online cluster of magazines, exceptions 

do exist with groups such as Al Shabaab (publisher of 

Gaidi Mtaani and Amka) and the Taliban (publisher of 

Azan) which have more regional and insurgent-like 

strategic considerations as priorities. The Islamic State, 

in turn, can be principally considered a strategic-level 

insurgent (and even conventional force) threat to U.S. 

allies. That group is advocating for outside of the 

continental U.S. territorial expansion in Iraq, Syria, 

Libya, and other regions of the world. Their intention 

is to create a transnational Caliphate under the direct 

authority of the Islamic State and those groups that 

have pledged bay’at to it. While substantial terrorism 

potentials linked to the Islamic State exist in the United 

States and Europe, this has not been their primary strategic imperative while publishing Dabiq. Hijrah (emigration to the Caliphate) over jihad in the West has been 

their principal view on the utility of new English-language speaking recruits. The strategy of Caliphate 

expansion over terrorism in the West, however, may 

now be changing with the publication of Dabiq ceasing 

after issue 15 in July of 2016 and the emergence of their 

new online magazine Rumiyah (Rome) in September 

2016.
135

POLICY RESPONSE

A suggested generic policy response to the emergence of radical Islamist English-language magazines 

has been provided below. It draws upon a targeting 

schema that identifies five stages in the magazine lifecycle process: environmental motivators, production, 

end product, distribution, and outcomes. Each of 

these life-cycle stages represents target sets that can be 

influenced by U.S. Army, joint force, the intelligence 

community, and ultimately whole-of-government 

response activities. These magazine life-cycle stages, as 

well as the desired response end state and the response 

measures required to achieve that response end state, 

are highlighted in table 14. Given the research project 

boundaries of this book, only a generalized response 

template and analytical discussion will be provided. 

Further, a “Blue Sky” response measures approach 

has been taken so as not to initially narrow the policy 

options that may be explored. There is hope that these 

elements will provide a form of “intellectual program 

starter” upon which U.S. agencies can build in order 

to respond to the emergence of Islamist English-language online magazines. Of course, for implementation purposes, two distinct programs—one focused 

on the Inspire (al-Qaeda) and the other focused on the 

Dabiq (Islamic State) magazine clusters and the inherent differences in their strategic approaches—must 

be specifically developed in order to respond to their 

emergence effectively.
136

Table 14. “Blue Sky” Policy Responses to Radical 

Islamist English-Language Online Magazines.

MAGAZINE 

LIFE CYCLE

RESPONSE END 

STATE

RESPONSE MEASURES 

(EXAMPLES)

Environmental 

Motivators

Remove Conditions 

Promoting Perceived 

Need to Produce Magazines.

-Settle the Palestinian Issue;

-Promote Democratic Governance in 

States with Majority Islamic (Sunni) 

Populations;

-Create Strong Formal Economies 

and Employment (and Education) 

Opportunities for Youth;

-Enfranchisement of Women; and,

-Facilitate Separation of Mosque and 

State.

Production Disrupt and Destroy 

Capability to Produce 

Magazines.

-Target the Editor and Production 

Staff;

-Target the Contributors;

-Make Outside Communication Impossible; and,

-Deny the Group a Safe Haven for 

Magazine Production.

End Product Ensure Magazine is 

Viewed Negatively 

Once Produced.

-The Magazine is Viewed as Inaccurate or Un-Islamic;

-Polluted Clone Magazine Copies 

Exist;

-The Magazine File is Dangerous to 

Access; Trojan Horse, Governmental 

Tracking; and,

-Make Possession Illegal.

Distribution Ensure Downloading 

and Viewing Sites are 

Viewed Negatively.

-Make it Known that Downloading 

and Viewing Sites Have Key Loggers 

and Trojan Horses;

-Implement Governmental Monitoring of these Sites; and,

-“Honeypot” Sites Created by the 

Government.

Outcomes Effectively Respond to 

the Internal and External Reader Effects.

-Establish Counter Radicalization 

Programs;

-Mitigate Propaganda and Psychological Operations Directed at Western Audiences;

-Force Protection and Homeland Defense (Security) Adaptations; and,

-U.S. Army Leader Training and Educational Implications.
137

Environmental Motivators

This stage refers to the underlying conditions contributing to the emergence of the magazine. These 

are not the conditions that individually motivate 

English-language (e.g., Western) readers of these magazines but rather those environmental motivators found 

in the Islamic world that have given rise to groups 

such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the first place. 

The ultimate response strategy in this instance would 

be to remove such conditions as the Palestinian Statehood issue, lack of democratic governance in states 

with majority Islamic (Sunni) populations, weak economies and lack of job (and educational) opportunities 

for youths, barriers to the enfranchisement of women, 

and the synthesis of mosque and state (e.g., religion 

and politics).

Production

These are the steps, personnel, and materials 

needed to produce the magazine. A counter to the 

production of a magazine is the ability to disrupt or 

destroy the capacity to create it. Not all of these production components may be targetable. Still, a magazine is required to have an editor and possibly a staff, 

may have outside contributors, is required to have 

outside communication ability (even if only an internet link), and some sort of production location—which 

can be a simple room or office—in a safe haven that is 

not under immediate threat of being raided, bombed 

out, or overrun by liberating forces. All of these production steps can be mapped out to look for vulnerabilities that can be influenced.
138

End Product

This stage signifies the resulting magazine issue 

that has been produced. Once a magazine has been 

created, a response to its eventual distribution as a 

“jihadi informational product” is to make sure it is 

viewed negatively so that it becomes an unwanted 

commodity. One way to make a digital magazine 

like this “toxic” is to have the potential users cognizant that the information contained within it is inaccurate or un-Islamic. One method to do this would be 

to implement a new series of counter-jihadi magazines 

such as Haqiqah.

169 Another method would be to have 

respected Islamic jurists—not necessarily known moderates—write opinions on the components of the new 

magazines and post them online in order to counter 

the radical Islamist narratives contained within them. 

Another way to create magazine toxicity is to publish 

“polluted clone copies” of them which have passages 

within them rearranged and the narratives within them 

changed so that the reader is provided with less radical information and OSJ instructions that result in inert 

devices or ones that malfunction during their assembly. A third way to generate potential user negativity 

toward a magazine is to make it known that the magazine file itself is dangerous to access. This can be done 

by either suggesting that its producers have placed 

malicious software within it, or that U.S. governmental 

tracking software has been placed in altered magazine 

file copies—even if this has or has not been actually 

done. Finally, making it a criminal act to possess magazines such as Inspire and Dabiq (now Rumiyah) might be 

considered, as has been done in the United Kingdom, 

although this may conflict with current free speech 

tenets in the United States.
139

Distribution

The transmission of the magazine to the readers 

represents the next life-cycle stage. When these magazines initially come out, they are distributed by Twitter, 

group emails, web, and download sites. For pointto-point PDF distribution, the end product response 

strategies mentioned prior would suffice. In the case 

of download and online viewing distribution, the preferred strategy would be to make the act of actually 

going to the download or viewing the site considered 

dangerous in nature. At a basic deterrence level, this 

can be achieved by broadcasting the fact that such sites 

can indeed themselves be malicious. More advanced 

approaches would be the actual tracking of internet 

traffic to such jihadi downloading and viewing sites 

and even the placement of tracking software on such 

sites. Ultimately, the actual creation of governmental 

“honeypot” sites containing new copies of the various 

jihadist magazines can be undertaken for intelligence 

gathering and criminal case development.

Outcomes

This stage represents the internal and external 

effects that are presumed to result from the magazine 

being read by various audiences. A response to the 

propaganda content of the magazine, when rebroadcasted and reported by the news media for Western 

audiences, is to create effective narratives and counterarguments that will help to negate its disruptive 

and psychological operations effects. One current 

response to presumed internal (psychological) effects 

upon Western readers with radical Islamist leanings is to establish counter-radicalization programs 
140

specifically addressing them, assuming it can be determined what these effects actually are. Policy options 

related to one potential form of external effects—that 

is, any actual conduct of jihadi operations by magazine 

readers against Western targets—are to respond with 

force protection adaptations outside of the continental United States, and homeland defense and security 

adaptations in the continental United States. These 

examples would be meant to counter OSJ methods 

advocated in some of the magazine issues—specifically Inspire—that have been employed in the bombing, active shooter, and truck crowd overrun attacks in 

the United States, France, and in other locales. Additionally, the sizeable collections of radical Islamist 

English-language magazines and eBooks that exist—

as chronicled in this book—offer a wealth of primary 

sources that may help to open windows into the jihadist mindsets of al-Qaeda and Islamic State operatives. 

Such primary sources related to jihadist worldviews, 

narratives, and strategic perspectives—as well as those 

terrorist and insurgent tactics, techniques, and procedures which support the end states being strived for—

offer many training and educational potentials for U.S. 

Army leaders from the tactical through the operational 

and into the strategic levels of study.

In summation, drawing upon improvised explosive device “left of bang” response thinking, the U.S. 

Army and related governmental agencies, if they are 

to be truly proactive, will be required to get “left of 

magazine creation.” The earliest stage to attempt to 

do this is at the environmental motivators level, but 

this may prove to be an almost impossible task due 

to the intractability of the problems. For example, the 

U.S. Government had little past success in seeing the 

“Palestinian Issue” of statehood settled or its attempts 
141

at nation-building in Afghanistan or Iraq that would 

have resulted in true democratic governance taking 

hold or the creation of strong formal economies and 

youth employment (and education) opportunities. 

Similarly, any external promotion of a separation of 

the religious and secular realms in the Islamic world—

equivalent to what took place in Western Europe from 

the 16th through the 18th centuries—is unlikely to 

be well received. One current response to such presumed internal (psychological) effects upon Western 

readers with radical Islamist leanings is to establish 

counter-radicalization programs specifically addressing them. More studies need to be done in this area; 

however, to determine what the actual effects of these 

radical Islamist English-language online magazines—

alone and in combination with other factors—in provoking violence are before any effective program to 

counter them can be undertaken.

This only leaves us with focusing upon “magazine 

production” for interdiction purposes. Given how 

easy it is to produce these online magazines—ultimately a desktop publishing program, access to the 

internet, English-language skills, and radical Islamist 

intent with actual (or affinity) links to either al-Qaeda 

or the Islamic State—stopping magazine production 

is in itself not an easy task. While a radical Islamist 

English-language magazine editor may either be captured or killed from time-to-time, which disrupts the 

publication of a magazine or even shuts it down for 

good, new editors will always potentially exist to come 

in and fill the void. What this suggests is that getting 

“left of magazine creation” will only take place sporadically and that a blended mitigation strategy of targeting the production, end product, distribution, and 

outcomes phases should be utilized across the board. 
142

This may not represent an ideal strategy to combat the 

emergence of radical Islamist English-language magazines, but it represents a realistic one allowing for the 

development of a follow-on template that can be further optimized for the specific needs of the al-Qaeda or 

Islamic State cluster of magazines our policy response 

is focusing upon.

With this said, it is imperative that red teaming 

and wargaming take place prior to any form of policy 

response being implemented. Both unintentional and 

intentional (al-Qaeda and Islamic State countermoves) 

outcomes will take place that will result in second and 

third order effects to come about. It may be found in 

some cases that a magazine editor is incompetent and 

that, if eliminated, a new replacement editor coming in 

could be far more competent and cause more damage 

at the helm of that magazine than the previous editor 

who had just been eliminated. Further, the distribution 

and downloads of a specific magazine may actually be 

actively monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. intelligence community resources. 

A cost-benefit analysis of whether such download 

opportunities should be allowed to continue would 

then need to be determined. The tradeoff in such a 

scenario is one of active intelligence gathering and the 

establishment of new terrorist case files versus Western individuals becoming further radicalized and 

having access to OSJ material such as those providing 

instructions on how to create pressure-cooker bombs. 

Hence, no simple right or wrong answers exist in our 

policy response to the emergence of radical Islamist 

English-language online magazines. Before undertaking such policies, it is thus imperative that they should 

be well informed and part of a larger endeavor that 

goes beyond individual and joint-service perspectives 
143

or only intelligence community needs and instead 

embraces a whole-of-government programmatic 

response. This is an approach that ultimately should 

transcend radical Islamist English-language online 

magazines and eBooks and also include the plethora 

of other English-language online social media forms 

being utilized by both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

ENDNOTES

1. Such perceptions are not new. A number of counterterrorism professionals and military scholars have long been aware that 

proto-forms of hybrid warfare and various forms of nonstate actors with “war making capacity” have been emerging for decades 

now. See for instance Brian Michael Jenkins, New Modes of Conflict, 

R-3009-DNA, Santa Monica: RAND, June 1983, available from 

https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/reports/2006/R3009.pdf; 

Martin van Creveld, The Transformation of War, New York: The 

Free Press, 1991; and Robert J. Bunker, “Epochal Change: War 

Over Social and Political Organization,” Parameters, Summer 

1997, pp. 15-25, available from http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.

mil/pubs/parameters/articles/97summer/bunker.htm.

2. “Sawt al-Dschihad returned—Ausgabe No. 30 am 8.2.2007 

Online gestellt” (Sawt al-Jihad returned—Issue No. 30 on February 8, 2007 posted online), Online Jihad: Monitoring Jihadist 

Online Communities, February 13, 2007, available from https://

onlinejihad.wordpress.com/2007/02/13/sawt-al-dschihad-returnedausgabe-no30-am-822007-online-gestellt/.

3. Carsten Bockstette, Jihadist Terrorist Use of Strategic Communication Management Techniques, Occasional Paper No. 20, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany: George C. Marshall European 

Center for Security Studies, December 2008, p. 18. The reference 

is sourced to Yassin Musharbash, The New al-Qaida: Insights into 

a Learning Terror Network, Bonn, Germany: Spiegel Online, 2006 

(published in German).

4. Some examples include: “Inspire: Inside the al-Qaeda magazine,” Channel 4 News, April 24, 2013, available from https://www.

channel4.com/news/inside-the-al-qaeda-magazine; Liz Burke, “Islamic 
144

State magazine Dabiq’s disturbing apocalyptic message,” News.

Com.Au, September 17, 2014, available from http://www.news.

com.au/world/middle-east/islamic-state-magazine-dabiqs-disturbingapocalyptic-message/news-story/e80338764f4a07a93be446bfd

3b1371a; and David Denby, “The Perfect Children of ISIS: Lessons 

from Dabiq,” The New Yorker, November 24, 2015, available from 

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-perfectchildren-of-isis-lessons-from-dabiq.

5. See, for example, Anthony N. Celso, “Dabiq: IS’s Apocalyptic 21st Century Jihadist Manifesto,” Journal of Political Sciences 

and Public Affairs, Vol. 2, Iss. 4, 2014, pp. 1-4, available from http://

www.esciencecentral.org/journals/dabiq-iss-apocalyptic-21st-centuryjihadist-manifesto-2332-0761.1000e111.php?aid=36093; and “Terrorist Propaganda Encourages Attacks With Common Items,” 

Anti-Defamation League, ADL Blog: Extremism, Terrorism & 

Bigotry, July 15, 2016, available from http://blog.adl.org/extremism/

terrorist-propaganda-encourages-attacks-with-common-items.

6. See, for instance, David B. Skillicorn and Edna F. Reid, 

“Language use in the Jihadist magazines inspire and Azan,” Security Informatics, Vol. 3, Iss. 9, 2014, pp. 1-16; available from https://

security-informatics.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13388-014-

0009-1; and the more inclusive magazine dataset found in Stuart Macdonald, Nuria Lorenzo-Dus, Matteo di Cristofaro, David 

Mair, Anina Kinzel, Saffron Lee, Nyasha Maravanyika, David 

Nezri, Jodie Parker, Elliot Parry, Kate Thomas, and Luke Walker, 

Online Terrorist Magazines, Cyberterrorism Project Research Report No. 5, 2015, United Kingdom: Swansea University, available 

from www.cyberterrorism-project.org.

7. For example, Richard Spencer, “Boston Marathon bombs: 

al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine taught pressure cooker bomb-making techniques,” The Telegraph, April 16, 2013, available from 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/9998886/

Boston-Marathon-bombs-al-Qaedas-Inspire-magazine-taught-pressurecooker-bomb-making-techniques.html; and Marc A. Thiessen, 

“Opinions: The attack in Nice shouldn’t have been a surprise,” 

The Washington Post, July 15, 2016, available from https://www.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-attack-in-nice-shouldnt-have-been-asurprise/2016/07/15/1c599b14-4a94-11e6-acbc-4d4870a079da_story.

html?utm_term=.cef22d997d55.
145

8. “Henceforth, we have decided to take it upon ourselves to 

produce the first Jihadi Magazine in English,” quoted from Jihad 

Recollections, Issue 1, April 2009, p. 2 (Interior p. 1). This work is 

widely regarded as the first online radical Islamist English-language magazine though it is not. Background English-language 

mujahideen print newsletters were said to have existed as early 

as the 1980s and an English language version of a Taliban print 

newsletter Dharb-e-Momin (Shield of the Believer) was said to be 

available in some British mosques prior to 9/11. Madison Pauly, 

“Inside the jihadi lifestyle magazine wars,” Hopes&Fears, November 10, 2015, available from http://www.hopesandfears.com/

hopes/now/media/216747-jihadi-lifestyle-magazine-wars-inspire-dabiq; 

and Innes Bowen, Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Brent: Inside 

British Islam, London, UK: C. Hurst & Company, Limited, p. 31. 

One source claims Jihad Recollections was “the second English-language Jihadi magazine” to appear, which is correct. The predecessor was said to have “little more than recycled translations of 

existing Jihadi material.” The name of this earlier magazine was 

not stated. See “Transnational Threats Update,” Transnational 

Threats Project, Vol. 7, No. 4, April 2009, Washington, DC: Center 

for Strategic & International Studies, p. 1, available from https://

csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/

ttu_0704.pdf. Additional research suggests that the original English online magazine produced was called Benefit of the Day. It is 

discussed later in this book.

9. “Samir Khan: American Blogger and Al Qaeda Propagandist,” New York: Anti-Defamation League, October 3, 2011, available from http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/combating-hate/samir-khan2013-6-5-v1.pdf.

10. “Samir Khan,” Counter Extremism Project, n.d., available 

from http://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/samir-khan.

11. John M. Berger, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in 

the Name of Islam, Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2011, p. 

191. For additional critiques of this magazine, see Rusty Shackleford, “American Based Jihad Magazine Analyzed,” The Jawa 

Report, April 8, 2009, available from http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/

archives/197166.php; and Eric Shawn, “Glossy Internet Magazine 

Targets Americans for Jihad Training,” Fox News, May 1, 2009, 
146

available from http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/05/01/glossyinternet-magazine-targets-americans-for-jihad-training.html.

12. “English Jihad Magazine Targets Western Audience,” 

Anti-Defamation League, July 17, 2009, updated April 23, 2010, 

available from https://web.archive.org/web/20140426082556/http://

archive.adl.org/main_terrorism/english_jihad_magazine.html#.

WwLCU8kUk-4.

13. English version of the Al Mosul affiliated website, moderated by Ansarsunnah01, was previously available from http://

almosul01.blogspot.com/.

14. Al Mosul Media’s primary website was available from 

http://www.alm0sul.co.cc/, with contact emails (for forum joining and other purposes) of almosulmedia@aol.com and servent1@

inmail24.com. A secondary site was also once available from 

http:www.al-mosul.tk/.

15. For examples of armed mujahid, see Defenders of the Truth, 

Iss. 3, Shawwaal/Dhul Qa’dah 1430 (October 2009), pp. 47-49. 

For examples of martyrs, see Defenders of the Truth, Iss. 4, Dhul 

Qa’dah/ Dhul Hijjah 1430 (November/December 2009), pp. 12-

13.

16. The earliest of these analyses even doubted that Inspire was 

authentic. See Max Fisher, “5 Reasons to Doubt Al-Qaeda Magazine’s Authenticity,” The Atlantic, July 1, 2010, available from 

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/07/5-reasonsto-doubt-al-qaeda-magazines-authenticity/59035/. Examples of later 

analyses include Susan Currie Sivek, “Packing Inspiration: Al 

Qaeda’s Digital Magazine Inspire in the Self-Radicalization Process,” Faculty Publications, January 1, 2013, available from http://

digitalcommons.linfield.edu/mscmfac_pubs/12/; Meagan Schreiner, 

Mark A. E. Williams, and S. David Zuckerman, “Inspirations and 

Limitations: Reason, the Universal Audience, and Inspire Magazine,” Journal of Communication & Religion, Vol. 36, Iss. 1, April 

2013, pp. 196-210; and Anthony F. Lemieux, Jarret M. Brachman, 

Jason Levitt, and Jay Wood, “Inspire Magazine: A Critical Analysis of its Significance and Potential Impact Through the Lens of 

the Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills Model,” Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 26, Iss. 2, 2014, pp. 354-371.
147

17. For the magazines’ instructions on how to use encrypted 

messages, see Inspire, Iss. 1, Summer 1431 (June 2010), pp. 41-44.

18. Ibid., p. 65, the email addresses provided for contact 

were inspire1magazine@hotmail.com, inspire11malahem@gmail.com, 

inspire22malahem@fastmail.net, and inspire2magazine@yahoo.com.

19. Inspire, Iss. 3, 1431 (November 2010), p. 22.

20. Inspire, Iss. 12, 1435 (March 2014, Spring) p. 1.

21. Issue 1 of Inspire has an alternative publication month listed in some reports as July; June is accurate. Issues 8 and 9 were 

released at the same time. See “AQAP Releases Very Different Issues of Inspire,” Anti-Defamation League, May 11, 2012, available 

from http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/international-extremismterrorism/c/aqap-releases-inspire-8-and-9.html#.WDZfwlc79FI.

22. Quite a few translations of the term exist. These two translations are from David M. Anderson and Jacob McKnight, “Understanding al-Shabaab: clan, Islam and insurgency in Kenya,” 

Journal of East African Affairs, Vol. 9, Iss. 3, 2015, available from 

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17531055.2015.1082254; 

and note 34 that is referenced back to “Shabaab Supporters Focus 

on Westgate in 4th Issue of Gaidi Mtaani,” SITE Institute, January 

15, 2014, in Ken Menkhaus, “Al-Shabab’s Capabilities Post-Westgate,” CTC Sentinel, Africa Special Issue, Vol. 7, No. 2, February 

2014, p. 6, available from https://ctc.usma.edu/app/uploads/2014/02/

CTCSentinel-Vol7Iss2.pdf. 

23. See the blog “Gaidi Mtaani-Issues 1 & 2,” Billao Journal 

of Somali Security Studies, July 11, 2012, available from http://

somalisecuritystudies.blogspot.com/2012/07/gaidi-mtaani-issues-1-2.

html.

24. Anderson and McKnight.

25. Gaidi Mtaani, Iss. 6, Dhul Qaada 1435 (December 2014), 

pp. 16-19.

26. See, for instance, Cleophus Tres Thomas III, “Somalia: AlShabaab Attempts to Justify Violent Jihad,” all Africa, December 

19, 2014, available from http://allafrica.com/stories/201412220159.
148

html; and “Al-Shabaab Supporters Release Sixth Edition of Jihadist Magazine ‘Gaidi Mtaani’,” Somalia Newsroom, December 

15, 2014, available from https://somalianewsroom.com/2014/12/15/

al-shabaab-supporters-release-sixth-edition-of-jihadist-magazine-gaidimtaani/.

27. Gaidi Mtaani, Iss. 3, Rabi al-Thani 1434 (March 2013), pp. 

30-34.

28. Ibid., p. 38; and Gaidi Mtaani, Iss. 4, Dhul Hijja 1434 (November 2013), p. 29.

29. The contact email provided by Gaidi Mtaani was 

gaidimtaani@yahoo.com and the Twitter account was @gaidimtaani.

30. “AZAN Magazine—Profile Analysis,” Herzliya, Israel: 

Jihadi Monitoring Group, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, September 23, 2014, p. 2, available from https://www.ict.

org.il/Article/1218/AZAN-Magazine-Profile-Analysis.

31. Azan, Iss. 1, Jamadi-ul Awwal 1434H (March 2013), p. 2.

32. “AZAN Magazine—Profile Analysis”; see also Haroro J. 

Ingram, “An Analysis of the Taliban in Khurasan’s Azan (Issues 

1-5),” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Vol. 38, Iss. 7, 2015, pp. 560-

579.

33. “Afghani Azan Magazine Picks Up Where Inspire Left 

Off,” Anti-Defamation League, ADL Blog: Extremism, Terrorism 

& Bigotry, December 3, 2013, available from http://blog.adl.org/

extremism/afghani-azan-magazine-picks-up-where-inspire-left-off.

34. Ibid.

35. The quotes are taken from the covers of Azan, Iss. 2, Jamadi II/Rajab 1434H (April/May 2013); Azan, Iss. 3, Sha’ban/

Ramadan 1434H (June/July 2013); and Azan, Iss. 4, Autumn 1434 

(December 2013), respectively. See also table 5 of this book.

36. Azan, Iss. 1, provided a contact email of azan23452@yahoo.

com; Azan, Iss. 2, provided a contact email of azan_2013@mail.ru.

37. A little more than a year and a half after the final publication of this defunct magazine, an individual claiming to be its 
149

editor—Muhammad Qasim (which may be a pseudonym)—released a communiqué, which said that difficult local conditions 

had forced the termination of the magazine. In addition, he stated 

that a debate was then taking place within the magazine production team concerning the legitimacy of the Islamic State vis-à-vis 

the older al-Qaeda group, and that he now has pledged his allegiance to Al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State. See “Editor of ‘Azan’ 

Magazine Joins Islamic State, Says: ‘ISIS Does Not Declare The 

Takfir Of The General Masses Of The Muslims’; Promises New 

Publications To Support The Caliphate,” MEMRI Cyber & Jihad 

Lab, April 7, 2016, available from http://cjlab.memri.org/lab-projects/

tracking-jihadi-terrorist-use-of-social-media/editor-of-azan-magazinejoins-islamic-state-says-isis-does-not-declare-the-takfir-of-the-generalmasses-of-the-muslims-promises-new-publications-to-support-thecaliphate/.

38. Harleen K. Gambhir, “Dabiq: The Strategic Messaging of 

the Islamic State,” Backgrounder, Washington, DC: Institute for 

the Study of War, August 15, 2014, available from http://www.

understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Dabiq%20Backgrounder_

Harleen%20Final.pdf.

39. These include “Islamic State’s (ISIS, ISIL) Horrific Magazine,” The Clarion Project, September 10, 2014, available from 

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/islamic-state-isis-isil-propagandamagazine-dabiq; Jean E. Rosenfeld, “Notes on Dabiq, The Online 

Journal of the IS,” World Religions & Spirituality Project (WRSP), 

Virginia Commonwealth University, September 15, 2014, available from https://wrldrels.org/2016/02/25/jihadism/; Matteo Vergani and Ana-Maria Bliuc, “The Evolution of the ISIS’ language: 

a quantitative analysis of the language of the first year of Dabiq 

magazine,” Sicurezza, Terrorismo e Società, Vol. 2, 2015, pp. 7-20, 

available from http://www.sicurezzaterrorismosocieta.it/?p=301; and 

Haroro J. Ingram, “An analysis of Islamic State’s Dabiq magazine,” Australian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 51, Iss. 3, 2016, pp. 

458-477.

40. Dabiq, Iss. 1, Ramadan 1435 (July 2014), p. 3.

41. Some of these insights and others—based on an interview 

with Dr. Haroro Ingram, a research fellow at Australian National 

University—can be found in Nick Robins-Early, “4 Things To Know 

About Dabiq, ISIS’ Slick Propaganda Magazine,” The Huffington 
150

Post, February 10, 2016, available from http://www.huffingtonpost.

com/entry/isis-dabiq-magazine_us_56a7e6cfe4b04936c0e8938a.

42. For examples including the destruction of cultural sites 

and artifacts, see Dabiq, Iss. 2, Ramadan 1435 (July 2014), pp. 14-

17; Dabiq, Iss. 8, Jumada al-Akhirah 1436 (March 2015), pp. 22-24. 

For examples of slaves for sale, see Dabiq, Iss. 11, Dhul-Qa’dah 

1436 (September 2015), pp. 64-65. For examples of graphic executions, see Dabiq, Iss. 3, Shawwal 1435 (September 2014), pp. 4, 21; 

Dabiq, Iss. 7, Rabi’ al-Akhir 1436 (February 2015), p. 5; Dabiq, Iss. 

15, Shawwal 1437 (July 2016), p. 80.

43. Dabiq, Iss. 3, p. 41, gave the following contact email addresses: dabiq-is@yandex.com, dabiq-is@india.com, and dabiqis@0x300.com.

44. Scott Stewart, “The Jihadist Blowback Against the Islamic 

State,” STRATFOR, July 9, 2015, pp. 1-5, available from https://

www.stratfor.com/weekly/jihadist-blowback-against-islamic-state.

45. “al-Qaeda Teases New English-Language Magazine Entitled ‘Resurgence’ in New Video,” IntelCenter, March 9, 2014, 

available from http://intelcenter.com/reports/resurgence/#gs.XtNrf58; 

and Thomas Joscelyn, “The Limitations of al Qaeda’s New English Webzine,” Policy Brief, Washington, DC: Foundation for the 

Defense of Democracies, March 10, 2014, available from http://

www.defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/the-limitations-of-al-qaedas-newenglish-webzine/.

46. “An Exclusive Interview with Adam Yahiye Gadahn,” Resurgence, Special Iss. 2, Summer 2015 (June), p. 84.

47. “al-Qaeda Teases New English-Language Magazine Entitled ‘Resurgence’ in New Video.”

48. Analyses of the two Resurgence issues include Thomas Joscelyn, “Analysis: Al Qaeda’s ‘Resurgence’ focuses on Indian Subcontinent,” FDD’s Long War Journal, October 23, 2014, available 

from http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/10/al_qaedas_

resurgence-2.php; and “Al-Qaeda’s ‘Resurgence’ Magazine Features Posthumously Released In-Depth Interview with Al-Qaeda 

Media Operative Adam Gadahn,” MEMRI’s Jihad and Terrorism 

Threat Monitor (JTTM), Special Dispatch Series No. 6083, June 25, 
151

2015, available from http://www.memrijttm.org/al-qaedas-resurgencemagazine-features-posthumously-released-in-depth-interview-with-alqaeda-media-operative-adam-gadhan.html.

49. The email account provided in the magazine was 

resurgencemag@yahoo.com. For directions on using the Asrarul 

Mujahideen program, see the first issue of Inspire magazine. Inspire, Iss. 1, p. 116.

50. Strategic Intelligence Files, “Al-Muhajiroun: Emigrants 

of East Africa,” Strategic Files, May 25, 2015, available from 

http://strategicintelligencefiles.blogspot.com/2015/05/al-muhajirounemigrants-of-east-africa.html.

51. It is likely that “editor” in this sense does not mean the 

managing or actual editor because Ahmed Iman Ali, as the leader of al-Muhajiroun, is not going to be able to spend his time on 

day-to-day magazine production. For background information 

on this individual, see Nyambega Gisesa, “A Portrait of a Jihadist 

Born and Bred in Nairobi,” Africa News Online, January 30, 2012, 

available from http://africanewsonline.blogspot.com/2012/01/portraitof-jihadist-born-and-bred-in.html.

52. Avraham Ben Adam, “Al Muhajiroun—Al Qaeda’s New 

Branch In Kenya,” Intelligence Brief, Strategic Intelligence News, 

March 17, 2015, pp. 2-4, available from http://intelligencebriefs.com/

al-muhajiroun-al-qaedas-new-branch-in-kenya/.

53. Abu Salim Al-Kenyi, “From the Editor,” Amka, Toleo No. 

1, Rabi-ul Thani-Jamadil Awal 1436 (February 2015), p. 3. 

54. Amka provided an information contact email address of 

info.almuhajiroun@gmail.com, and an editor contact address of 

editoramka@gmail.com.

55. Ben Adam, p. 4.

56. Abu Salim Al-Kenyi, “From the Editor,” Amka, Toleo No. 

2, Shawaal 1436 (July 2015), p. 3.

57. Stewart, pp. 1-5.

58. “Exclusive In Our Next Issue—Jihad: A Life Time,” AlRisalah, Iss. 2, Muharram 1437 (October 2015), p. 19.
152

59. Adam Hoffman and Yoram Schweitzer, “Opinion: Al-Qaida fights Islamic State in the media front,” The Jerusalem Post, July 

9, 2015, available from http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Al-Qaidafights-Islamic-State-in-the-media-front-408474.

60. David Blair, “Abu Qatada condemns ‘filthy’ Shias in 

new al-Qaeda magazine,” The Telegraph, October 26, 2015, available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/

syria/11955496/Abu-Qatada-condemns-filthy-Shias-in-new-al-Qaedamagazine.html; and Ali Younes, “Abu Qatada denies writing 

article for al-Qaeda magazine,” Al Jazeera, October 28, 2015, 

available from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/abu-qatadadenies-writing-article-al-qaeda-magazine-151028110112102.html.

61. “GIMF Releases Trailer for Second Issue of Al Risalah 

Magazine,” SITE Intelligence Group, October 21, 2015, available 

from https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/gimf-releasestrailer-for-second-issue-of-al-risalah-magazine.html.

62. “GIMF Defends al-Risalah Magazine against Media Scrutiny,” SITE Intelligence Group, November 11, 2015, available 

from https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/gimf-defends-alrisalah-magazine-against-media-scrutiny.html.

63. “British ‘cyber groomer’ jailed for recruiting UK’s youngest terrorist,” The Evening Standard, August 19, 2008, available 

from https://www.standard.co.uk/news/british-cyber-groomer-jailedfor-recruiting-uks-youngest-terrorist-6882440.html.

64. Shackleford.

65. For examples promoting martyrdom, see Benefit of the Day, 

Iss. 1, Rabee’ al-Awwal 1428 (April-May 2007), p. 17. For examples supporting the mujahideen, see Benefit of the Day, Iss. 3, Jummad ath-Thanni 1428 (June-July 2007), p. 19.

66. See the covers of Benefit of the Day, Iss. 2, No. 1, Muharram 

1429 (January-February 2008); and Benefit of the Day, Iss. 2, No. 2, 

Safar 1429 (February-March 2008).

67. The magazine was initially available from http://benefit-ofthe-day.blogspot.com.
153

68. Ansar-Al Mujahideen English Forum (AMEF) was originally available from http://ansar1.info.

69. Steven Stalinsky, “Now Tweeting: Ansar-Al Mujahideen 

English Forum (AMEF)—The Main Al-Qaeda English-Language 

Forum—Spreading Online Jihad, Inciting and Instructing Activists To Carry Out Terrorist Acts, Obstructing Counter-Terrorism Measures in the West,” MEMRI Cyber & Jihad Lab, January 20, 2012, available from http://cjlab.memri.org/uncategorized/

now-tweeting-ansar-al-mujahideen-english-forum-amef-the-main-alqaeda-english-language-forum-spreading-online-jihad-inciting-andinstructing-activists-to-carry-out-terrorist-ac/.

70. For In Fight issues No. 20 to No. 60, see “In Fight Magazine: 

New issue of In Fight Magazine #60,” Jihadology, January 3, 2014, 

available from http://jihadology.net/category/in-fight-magazine/.

71. “Taliban Distributes English-Language Magazine, ‘In 

Fight’,” Jihadist News, SITE Intelligence Group, June 11, 2009, 

available from https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/siteintel-group-6-12-09-english-language-mag-in-fight-1-5.html; and “‘In 

Fight’ Magazine Documenting Afghan Taliban Activity, Issues 

6-13,” Periodicals, SITE Intelligence Group, February 26, 2010, 

available from https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Periodicals/site-intelgroup-2-26-10-in-fight-magazine-issues-6-13.html.

72. See Bimonthly Report: Summary of Information on Jihadist 

Websites The First Half of September 2014, Periodic Review, Herzliya, Israel: Jihadi Monitoring Group, International Institute for 

Counter-Terrorism, September 2014, p. 13, available from https://

www.ict.org.il/UserFiles/JWMG192014.pdf; and Bimonthly Report 

Summary of Information on Jihadist Websites The First Half of November 2014, Periodic Review, Herzliya, Israel: Jihadi Monitoring 

Group, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, November 

2014, p. 15, available from https://www.ict.org.il/UserFiles/JWMG1-11-2014.pdf.

73. Periodical Review: Summary of Information from Jihadi Forums 

- The Second Half of February 2013, Herzliya, Israel: Jihadi Monitoring Group, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, February 2013, p. 15, available from https://www.ict.org.il/Article/547/

Periodical%20Review%20Summary%20from%20the%20Jihadi%20
154

Forums%20-%20The%20Second%20Half%20of%20February%20

2013#gsc.tab=0.

74. “SSP Releases First Issue of English Magazine ‘Al-Rashideen,’” Jihadist News, SITE Intelligence Group, March 4, 2013, 

available from https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/sspreleases-first-issue-of-english-magazine-qal-rashideenq.html.

75. The magazine’s news Twitter account was @AlRashideen, 

their website was formerly available from alrashideen.weebly.com, 

and contact email was alrashideen.feedback@gmail.com.

76. Omar R. Quraishi, “Saad Aziz’s Road to Radicalization,” 

ARY News, June 10, 2015, available from http://arynews.tv/en/saadazizs-road-to-radicalization/.

77. Hussain Nadim, “Pakistan’s New Breed of Militants,” 

Foreign Policy, June 9, 2015, available from http://foreignpolicy.

com/2015/06/09/pakistans-new-breed-of-militants/.

78. See, “SSP Releases First Issue of English Magazine 

‘Al-Rashideen’,” Jihadist News, SITE Intelligence Group, March 

4, 2013, available from https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/

ssp-releases-first-issue-of-english-magazine-qal-rashideenq.html; “SSP 

Releases Special Issue of English Magazine, Focuses on Iran,” 

Periodicals, SITE Intelligence Group, March 19, 2013, available 

from https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Periodicals/ssp-releases-specialissue-of-english-magazine-focuses-on-iran.html; and “SSP Releases 

Third Issue of English Magazine ‘Al-Rashideen’,” Jihadist News, 

SITE Intelligence Group, April 4, 2013, available from https://news.

siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/ssp-releases-third-issue-of-englishmagazine-qal-rashideenq.html.

79. “AQAP Compiles ‘Inspire’ Manuals into ‘Lone Mujahid 

Pocketbook’,” Jihadist News, SITE Intelligence Group, March 1, 

2013, available from https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/

aqap-compiles-inspire-manuals-into-lone-mujahid-pocketbook.html. 

For a copy of this publication, go to “al-Malāhim Media presents a 

new booklet from al-Qā’idah in the Arabian Peninsula: ‘The Lone 

Mujāhid Pocketbook’,” Jihadology, March 2, 2013, available from 

https://jihadology.net/2013/03/02/al-mala%E1%B8%A5im-mediapresents-a-new-booklet-from-al-qaidah-in-the-arabian-peninsula-thelone-mujahid-pocketbook/.
155

80. “Bi-monthly Report: Summary of Information on Jihadist 

Web Sites The First Half of March 2013,” Periodical Review, Herzliya, Israel: ICT’s Jihadi Website Monitoring Group, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, March 2013, p. 14, available 

from https://www.ict.org.il/Article/548/Periodical%20Review%20

Summary%20from%20the%20Jihadi%20Forums%20-%20The%20

First%20Half%20of%20March%202013.

81. The contact email addresses provided in the periodical 

were inscont@yahoo.com, and pirezine@yahoo.com. See Lone Mujahid 

Pocketbook, March 2013, p. 62.

82.“AQAP Exploits Gaza Conflict to Call for Lone-Wolf Attacks Against U.S.,” Anti-Defamation League, August 19, 2014, 

available from http://www.adl.org/combating-hate/internationalextremism-terrorism/c/aqap-lone-wolf-terror-attacks-englishpropaganda.html; and “New AQAP Magazine Calls For Lone-Wolf 

Attacks Against U.S. And U.K.,” Anti-Defamation League, ADL 

Blog: Extremism, Terrorism & Bigotry, August 19, 2014, available 

from http://blog.adl.org/international/new-aqap-magazine-calls-forlone-wolf-attacks-against-u-s-and-u-k?_ga=1.264095500.1288846456.

1467561144.

83.Thomas Joscelyn, “AQAP seeks to capitalize on anti-Israeli 

sentiment in new English-language magazine,” FDD’s Long War 

Journal, August 17, 2014, available from http://www.longwarjournal.

org/archives/2014/08/aqap_seeks_to_capita.php.

84. Bimonthly Report: Summary of Information on Jihadist Websites 

The First Half of September 2014, pp. 13-14. The ICT report references this Twitter source for its information on this magazine, available from https://twitter.com/abuzuba1r/status/509673292165566465. 

Mention of this magazine also exists at “Pro-IS Jihadist Distributes Alleged English Magazine of al-Nusra Front,” Jihadist 

News, SITE Intelligence Group, September 10, 2014, available 

from https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/pro-is-jihadistdistributes-alleged-english-magazine-of-al-nusra-front.html.

85. “JTTM Reports About Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) 

English-Language ‘Ihya-e-Khilafat’ Magazine,” Special Announcements No. 338, The Middle East Media Research Institute 

(MEMRI), October 30, 2014, available from http://www.memri.org/

report/en/print8199.htm.
156

86. “In Issue II Of Ihya-e-Khilafat, Pakistani Taliban Commander Justifies ISIS Savagery & Beheadings: ‘One Of The Titles 

Of The Prophet Was Nabi Al-Malahim, Which Means Prophet Of 

Fierce Battles Or Bloodshed’,” Jihad & Terrorism Threat Monitor, The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), March 

1, 2015, available from http://www.memrijttm.org/in-issue-ii-of-ihyae-khilafat-pakistani-taliban-commander-justifies-isis-savagery-andbeheadings-in-article-titled-our-right-to-spread-terror-one-of-the-titlesof-the-prophet-was-nabi-al-malahim-which-means-prophet-of-fierce-ba.

html; and “SITE Intelligence Group: The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) offshoot Jamat-ul-Ahrar released the second issue of 

its English magazine, ‘Ihya-e-Khilafat,’ featuring the second installment of an interview with an official, and new article from a 

British fighter, ‘Abu Okasha al-Britani,’ about preparing to immigrate and his experiences,” Gossip Shack, January 14, 2015, available from https://willaiyi.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/site-intelligencegroup/. 

87. Conceptually, these guides appear to be predated by the 

essay “Charlie Hebdo: Military Analysis,” Inspire, No. 14, September 2015, pp. 38-42.

88. A third guide—called “Comment on arresting our Muslim 

sisters in France”—was published in September 2016. The guide 

pertains to three Muslim women arrested before they could engage in a jihad operation. The “Mujahedeen brothers” are scolded in the guide for allowing their “virtuous Muslim sisters” in 

attempting to engage in such an operation by themselves. For 

the interior image of the one-page guide, see TRACterrorism.org

(‏@TRACterrorism), “Malahim Media Issues Inspire Guide n°3: 

Comment on arresting our Muslim sisters in #France,” Twitter, 

September 15, 2016, available from https://twitter.com/tracterrorism/

status/776377596351250432.

89. “Inspire Guide 4,” Inspire, Iss. 16, 1438 (November 2016, 

Autumn), pp. 4-9; for the standalone publication, see Inspire Guide 

4, 1437/12/18 (September 20, 2016).

90. Thomas Joscelyn, “Town of Dabiq falls to Turkish-backed 

forces,” Threat Matrix, blog of FDD’s Long War Journal, October 17, 2016, available from http://www.longwarjournal.org/

archives/2016/10/town-of-dabiq-falls-to-turkish-backed-forces.php.
157

91. Bethan McKernan, “Isis’ new magazine Rumiyah shows 

the terror group is ‘struggling to adjust to losses’,” The Independent, September 6, 2016, available from http://www.independent.

co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-propaganda-terror-group-lossessyria-iraq-a7228286.html; and Meira Svirsky, “Latest Issue of ISIS 

Rumiyah Magazine Released,” The Clarion Project, October 11, 

2016, available from http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/latestissue-isis-rumiyah-magazine-released.

92. This listing does not include the 68 issues of the In Fight

magazine series, and The Benefit of the Day dataset is incomplete. 

Issues were obtained via radical Islamist and sympathizer file 

sharing sites.

93. While a short overview of this specialized magazine is 

provided in this book, the inclusion of this dataset would overwhelm the online magazine chronology.

94. Gambhir, p. 2.

95. For the Islamic State News (ISN) and Islamic State Reports

(ISR) and eBooks, see Jihadology, available from http://jihadology.

net.

96. Ibid.

97. Though some blurring of these themes take place in the 

second issue of ISN with its focus on fresh fruit in the Halab Market and restriction (Hudud) on alcohol drinking in Aleppo province (Wilayat Halab), see Islamic State News, No. 2, Shaban 1435 

(June 5, 2014), pp. 2-3.

98. ISN issue 1 has a publication date of June 1, 2014, but was 

posted online May 31, 2014, see “al-Hayāt Media Center presents 

a new issue of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām’s newsletter: ‘Islamic State News #1’,” Jihadology, May 31, 2014, available 

from https://jihadology.net/2014/05/31/al-%E1%B8%A5ayat-mediacenter-presents-a-new-issue-of-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-shamsnewsletter-islamic-state-news-1/. All other dates in this table are also 

referenced to the Jihadology site.

99. Some analysis of individual eBooks has taken place. See, 

for instance, John Rossomando, “Islamic State Manifesto: Sleeper 
158

Cells Sent To Europe Posing As Refugees,” IPT News, December 1, 2015, available from http://www.investigativeproject.org/5052/

islamic-state-manifesto-sleeper-cells-sent-to; and Edward Peter Delmonico, “Hijrah to the Islamic State: A Preliminary Analysis, Thesis Paper,” Tempe: Barrett, The Honors College, Arizona State 

University, May 2016.

100. For the Black Flags from Rome release dating, see Rossomando, “Islamic State Manifesto.”

101. Black Flags from Arabia, Book 3, n.p., September 2013, p. 7.

102. For more analysis of this Islamic State eBook, see John 

Rossomando, “Islamic State Manifesto Details Paris Attacks, Describes Expansion Plans,” IPT News, December 11, 2015, available from http://www.investigativeproject.org/5093/islamic-statemanifesto-details-paris-attacks.

103. Quran, “Surat al-Imran” (“The Family Of Imran”), verse 

169 (Surah 3:169) as quoted in The Undead Warriors, n.p., Dar Al 

Murabiteen Publications, January 2013, pp. 85, 88, 111.

104. The section “Dawlat al-Islam” is related to the Islamic State song “Dawlat al-Islam Qamat,” see Simon R. Gardner, 

“The Islamic State Produced the Most Influential Song of the 

Year,” New Republic, December 30, 2014, available from https://

newrepublic.com/article/120665/islamic-states-dawlat-al-islam-qamatmost-influential-song-2014.

105. Constanze Letsch, Carmen Fishwick, and Vikram Dodd, 

“UK police move to take down Islamic State how-to guide from 

internet,” The Guardian, February 25, 2015, available from https://

www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/25/uk-police-islamic-statetravel-guide-hijrah-turkey-syria-ctiru.

106. For a detailed analysis of this work, see “E-Book Distributed Via Twitter: ‘How To Survive In The West—A Mujahid 

Guide’,” MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM), 

May 3, 2015, available from http://www.memrijttm.org/e-bookdistributed-via-twitter-how-to-survive-in-the-west-a-mujahid-guide.

html.
159

107. An initial mention of this eBook is found in this article: 

Tom Wyke, “ISIS supporter releases guide on establishing ‘Muslim gangs’, how to spread hate among Islamic communities, stop 

them integrating with non-Muslims, and using charities as fronts 

to raise cash,” Daily Mail, July 8, 2015, available from http://www.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3153237/ISIS-supporter-release-guideestablishing-Muslim-gangs-spread-hate-Islamic-communities-stopintegrating-non-Muslims-using-charities-fronts-raise-cash.html.

108. For Black Flags from the East: The Movements Past, Present, 

and Future 1979-2012, the November 2012 publication date corresponds to an Islamic State eBook advertisement with a link to 

the document; researchers have listed a generic 2013 date, which 

may be tied to the Khurasan cover variant. The Black Flags series 

are also described as the Conquest works confirmed by prophecy. See Paul Kamolnick, “On Self-Declared Caliph Ibrahim’s 

May 2015 Message to Muslims,” Small Wars Journal, June 4, 2015, 

en. 20, available from http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/on-selfdeclared-caliph-ibrahim’s-may-2015-message-to-muslims. The Undead 

Warriors has an alternate version titled Ushaq al Hoor and The 

Undead Warriors that is available from https://archive.org/stream/

UshaqAlHoorAndTheUndeadWarriors/UshaqAlHoor_djvu.txt. The 

Miracles in Syria November publication date was confirmed via 

online document posting—it possibly could have been published 

earlier.

109. Inspire, Iss. 1, pp. 33-40.

110. Ibid., pp. 2, 17, 28, 33, 57-58.

111. Inspire, Iss. 2, Fall 1431 (October 2010), pp. 4, 18, 23-24, 

36-37, 43-44, 65.

112. Inspire, Iss. 3, pp. 3, 7, 10-11, 15.

113. Inspire, Iss. 4, Winter 1431 (January 2011), pp. 5-6, 13, 16-

17, 21, 23, 32, 60.

114. Inspire, Iss. 5, Spring 1431 (March 2011), pp. 4-5, 10-11, 

35, 44, 63.

115. Inspire, Iss. 6, Summer 1432 (August 2011), pp. 3, 8, 15, 

24, 33, 50, 55.
160

116. Inspire, Iss. 7, Fall 1432 (September 2011), p. 4.

117. Ibid., pp. 3-4, 9-10, 13.

118. Inspire, Iss. 8, Fall 1432 (May 2012), p. 45.

119. Ibid., pp. 3, 9, 18-19, 47, 59.

120. Inspire, Iss. 9, Winter 1433 (May 2012), pp. 19, 23-24, 53, 

57-58.

121. Inspire, Iss. 10, Spring 1434 (March 2013), p. 44.

122. Ibid., pp. 22, 32, 35, 38, 40, 45, 57-58.

123. Inspire, Iss. 11, Spring 1434 (May 2013), pp. 3, 14-15, 17, 

21, 31, 34.

124. Inspire, Iss. 12, 1435 (March 2014, Spring), pp. 26-27.

125. Ibid., pp. 11-12, 15, 17, 25, 32, 40, 50, 56.

126. Inspire, Iss. 13, 1436 (December 2014, Winter), p. 63.

127. Ibid., p. 64.

128. Ibid., pp. 4, 12, 21, 33, 35.

129. Inspire, Iss. 14, 1436 (September 2015, Summer), pp. 47, 

55.

130. Ibid., p. 43.

131. Ibid., pp. 4, 6, 14, 30, 36-37, 41, 55.

132. “O Knife Revolution, Head Towards America,” Inspire, 

Iss. 15, 1437 (May 2016, Spring), pp. 36-39.

133. Inspire, Iss. 15, pp. 4, 14, 17, 19, 34, 37, 48, 55.

134. Dabiq, Iss. 1, Ramadan 1435 (July 2014), pp. 7, 10-11, 13, 

27, 29, 38, 40.

135. Referring to the “liberation of Makkah, Madinah, and alQuds.” See “Foreword,” Dabiq, Iss. 2, p. 3.
161

136. Ibid., pp. 3-4, 9, 11-12, 23, 25, 42.

137. Dabiq, Iss. 3, pp. 3, 5-6, 8, 12, 17, 26, 29, 31.

138. Given the circumstances, John Cantlie’s writings are being taken as Islamic State propaganda and not the independent 

writings of this British hostage.

139. Dabiq, Iss. 4, Dhul-Hijjah 1435 (October 2014), pp. 3-5, 9, 

12, 15, 21, 32, 44.

140. Dabiq, Iss. 5, Muharram 1436 (November 2014), pp. 3, 12, 

18, 23-24, 26, 32, 36-38.

141. Dabiq, Iss. 6, Rabi’ al-Awwal 1436 (December 2014), pp. 

7, 9.

142. Ibid., pp. 4, 9, 11, 23, 26, 31, 53, 55.

143. Dabiq, Iss. 7, pp. 3-4, 6, 20-21, 32-33, 35-39, 43, 55.

144. Dabiq, Iss. 8, pp. 3, 5-6, 11, 15, 20, 22, 26, 33.

145. Dabiq, Iss. 9, Sha’ban 1436 (May 2015), pp. 4, 17-18, 20, 23, 

26, 29, 51-52, 54.

146. See Dabiq, Iss. 10, Ramadan 1436 (July 2015), p. 64.

147. Ibid., pp. 3, 21, 23, 36-37, 47, 50, 69.

148. Dabiq, Iss. 11, pp. 7, 19-20, 22, 35, 43-52, 54, 62-63.

149. See, for example, Dabiq, Iss. 12, Safar 1437 (November 

2015), p. 34.

150. Ibid., pp. 2-3, 35, 39, 43, 46, 48, 50.

151. See Dabiq, Iss. 13, Rabi’ al-Akhir 1437 (January 2016), 

p. 37.

152. See Ibid., p. 53.

153. See Ibid., pp. 14-19.

154. See Ibid., p. 24.
162

155. Ibid., pp. 4, 8, 14, 29, 33, 43, 49-50, 52, 54.

156. Hasan al-Banna as quoted in Dabiq, Iss. 14, Rajab 1437 

(April 2016), p. 32.

157. See, for example, Ibid., p. 42.

158. Ibid., p. 52.

159. Ibid., pp. 4-5, 8, 17, 28, 39, 43, 52, 64.

160. Dabiq, Iss. 15, p. 49.

161. Ibid., pp. 6-7, 28-29, 32-33, 39, 80.

162. Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Bridget Moreng, “Foreword: The Islamic State’s Growth and Misrule, and the Future of 

Violent Non-State Actors,” in Dave Dilegge and Robert J. Bunker, 

eds., Global Radical Islamist Insurgency: Al Qaeda and Islamic State 

Networks Focus: A Small Wars Journal Anthology, Vol. II: 2012-2014, 

Bloomington: IN: iUniverse, 2016, pp. xxvii-xli.

163. “Syria war: Turkish-backed rebels seize Dabiq from 

ISIL,” Al Jazeera, October 16, 2016, available from http://www.

aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/syria-war-turkish-backed-rebels-seizedabiq-isil-161016093547972.html.

164. Hakim Hazim and Robert J. Bunker, “Perpetual Jihad: 

Striving for a Caliphate,” in Robert J. Bunker, ed., Criminal-States 

and Criminal-Soldiers, London, UK: Routledge, 2008, p. 117. This 

essay was written in mid-to-late 2006 for a special double-issue of 

Global Crime that was then republished as this work.

165. Ibid., p. 101.

166. These are the dominant approaches during the publication time frame of Inspire (al-Qaeda) and Dabiq (Islamic State) online magazines.

167. Of note is the fact that both have major U.S. bounties for 

information leading to their being brought to justice. For Ayman 

al-Zawahiri the bounty is $25 million, see “FBI—Most Wanted 

Terrorist: Ayman Al-Zawahiri,” FBI.gov official site of the U.S. 

Government, U.S. Department of Justice, n.d., available from 
163

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/wanted_terrorists/ayman-al-zawahiri; and 

for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the bounty is $25 million, see “Wanted 

Information that brings to justice . . . Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Up to 

$25 Million Reward,” Washington, DC: Rewards For Justice, n.d., 

available from https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abu_dua.

html.

168. Thomas Joscelyn, “Ayman al-Zawahiri swears allegiance 

to the Taliban’s new leader,” FDD’s Long War Journal, June 11, 2016, 

available from http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/06/

ayman-al-zawahiri-swears-allegiance-to-the-talibans-new-leader.php.

169. This magazine, which means “Reality,” is specifically meant to counter Daesh (e.g., Islamic State) narratives. See 

Haqiqah, Iss. 001, April 2015, and Haqiqah, Iss. 002, October 2015, 

available from http://haqiqah.org/haqiqah-magazines/. It is produced by Imams Online, available from http://imamsonline.com/. 

Unfortunately, only two issues of about 20 to 34 pages respectively have been produced—Issue 1, “What is the Truth Behind 

ISIS?” in April 2015, and Issue 2, “Escape From Hell” in October 

2015—with the publishing effort now apparently abandoned. For 

a video that discusses the launching of this magazine, see Imams 

Online, “‘Haqiqah’—What is the truth behind ISIS? Digital Magazine Launch,” YouTube, April 1, 2015, available from https://www.

youtube.com/watch?v=F6iCHqm5Xm4.

165

GLOSSARY OF ARABIC TERMS

These Arabic terms were utilized in Inspire

(al-Qaeda) magazine issues 1 to 15 (June 2010-May 

2016) and in Dabiq (Islamic State) magazine issues 1 

to 15 (July 2014-July 2016). Some of these words and 

phrases are nonstandard in their spelling and/or 

usage and can be considered jihadist slang—that is to 

say deviations and corruptions of traditional Arabic 

terms. The meanings of the terms were determined by 

checking them against a number of online resources—

including radical Islamist ones—and Islamic dictionaries and then analyzing them within the context of their 

usage. Term capitalization, or lack thereof, is derived 

from their original usage in the magazines.

Ad-Dawlah al-Islamiya: the original name of 

the group known as the Islamic State from which is 

derived the acronym DAESH (by which it is sometimes derogatorily referred).

adhan: Islamic call to prayer.

adl: justice.

ahl al-dhimma: protected non-Muslims who pay 

jizya (tax).

ahl as-Sunnah/ahlus-Sunnah: the “saved” sect of 

Islam who follow the true creed; the largest/majority 

branch of Islam adhered to by Sunni Muslims.

Ahlul-Kitub/ahl al-kitab: people of the Book; that 

is, monotheistic followers of the previous scriptures—

the Bible and the Torah.
166

ajr: reward, recompense.

akhira: the hereafter, the afterlife.

akhlaq: virtue, morality, ethics, and manners.

al-fadihah: scandal.

al-Firdaws al-A’la: the highest part of Paradise.

al-ghuraba: strangers; as in “Islam came as a 

strange religion.”

al-haramain/al haramayn: referring to the two holy 

cities of Mecca and Medina.

al-wala wal bara: loyalty to Islam and disavowal of 

the opposite; love and hate for Allah’s sake.

al-watan al-Islami: the larger Islamic homeland.

Alawite: sect of Shi’a Muslims who also hold beliefs 

that predate Islam; founder was Ibn Nusayri.

Alayhis Salam: “peace be upon him”; said after reference to archangels and prophets before Muhammad.

Allaahu Musta’aan/Allah Musta’an: the one whose 

help is sought and in whom refuge is taken (e.g., blessings, provisions, cure of diseases, or security); also 

phrased as “to Allah alone is the complaint.”

Allahu akbar: means “God is greater.”
167

amanah: fulfilling or holding trusts; alternately 

“free will.”

amka: to wake.

Ansar/Ansari: those who helped Muhammad on 

arrival in Yathrib/Medina and fought for Islam; generically, those who help immigrants settle; alternately 

used as a word for local mujahideen as opposed to foreign fighters who have emigrated.

aqeedah/aqidah: beliefs, affirmations in Islam; 

namely the six articles of faith.

ar-rahab: excessive fear.

arhaba: to terrify; vs. hiraba (terrorism).

As-Salamu’alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa 

Barakatuh: formal greeting to a Muslim meaning 

“Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and his 

blessing”; the shortened version is “Assalamu alaykum” meaning “Peace be with you.” The proper 

response would be “Wa alaykum assalaam” meaning 

“and upon you.”

asbal: lion cub.

Asha’ira/Ash’ari: early school of Sunni Islam that 

bases its creed on logical thought; not considered part 

of ahl as-Sunnah.

awliya/wali: ally or close friend, supporter.

ayah: a verse of the Quran.
168

‘aynah: transactions including riba (interest).

Azza wa Jal: often follows a reference to Allah, 

means “perfect praise be to him” or alternately “mighty 

and majestic is He.”

baghy: aggression; insurrection, insurgency.

bai’yah/bay’at: approval of (having given) an oath 

of allegiance to.

baqi/baqiyah: remaining, surviving.

bara: disavowal of the unbelievers.

batil: falsehood; void.

Bayt al-Mal: Treasury; literally, house of money.

Baytul-Maqdis: the al-Aqsa Mosque.

bi idhnillah: by Allah’s will; literally, with permission (Egyptian term used in the same way as 

Insha’allah).

bid’ah: innovation in religious matters without 

precedent; considered heretical.

bismillah: the first word in the Quran. It is the 

shortened form of the Quran’s opening phrase in 

Arabic (“In the name of God, the most gracious, the 

most merciful” or alternately “In the name of God, the 

merciful, the compassionate”).

bughat: aggression, rebellion.
169

cihad/cihat: jihad (Turkish form).

dar al-harb/darul-harb: land of war or chaos (where 

divine will is not observed and authorities presumed 

hostile to Muslims).

dar al-Islam/darul-Islam: house or land of Islam; 

Muslim ruled region.

dar al-kufr: land of disbelievers.

da’wah/daawah: the preaching of Islam.

dhikr: devotional acts.

dhimmah: tolerated non-Muslim citizens of a 

Muslim state protected by the payment of jizya (tax).

 

dhirk: the remembrance of God.

din/deen: religion—right living under Islam, religious devotion/conviction.

du’a/du’aa: ritual of Muslim prayer or act of 

supplication.

du’at: callers to Allah, missionaries; literally, one 

who invites people to the da’wa or preaching of Islam.

dunya: the temporal world, the test leading to 

Paradise.

fa sabilillah/fe sabeelillah: in the cause of Allah; 

for the sake of Allah; also “sincerely.”
170

fahishah: obscenity.

fai, fay: wealth taken from disbelievers without 

resistance; root means to restore or return.

fajir: an evil-doer who openly disobeys God.

fard: religious duty; literally, “compulsory.”

fard ayn: obligatory act or individual religious 

duty.

fasad: spreading disorder in a Muslim land; mischief and moral corruption.

fatwa: an Islamic legal ruling issued by a religious 

authority/scholar in sharia.

faqih (pl. fuqaha): Islamic jurist, expert in Islamic 

law.

fiqh: Islamic jurisprudence.

firasah: insight, intuition; seeing with the light of 

God.

Fir’awn: Pharoah, King of the Copts.

fisq: first stage of error—disobeying God.

fitan: trials and tribulations.

fitnah: trial, affliction, distress—especially that 

faced internally by Muslims.
171

fitrah: instinctive, inborn predisposition to include 

a natural belief in God and a distinction between good 

and evil.

fujur: immorality, depravation; alternately, lying 

to the extreme.

ghanimah: the spoils of battle; wealth taken by 

force.

ghareeb/ghareebah: strange, stranger.

hadd (pl. hadud): Quran mandated punishment 

for crimes considered against the rights of God (e.g., 

robbery, apostasy, infidelity).

hadith: a saying or account from the life of 

the prophet Muhammad; Al Hadith means “The 

Tradition.”

hafidhahullah: means “may Allah protect him.”

hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca.

hajr: abandonment, avoidance.

haqq: truth.

harid: to incite or inspire a person that is perishing 

to do otherwise.

hashashin: 11th century Nizari Ismaili sect of Shi’a 

Islam who assassinated their enemies; considered 

heretical by Sunnis.
172

hijamah: treatment or prevention of disease by 

cupping.

Hijaz: highly populated region in Saudi Arabia 

containing the cities of Mecca and Madinah.

hijrah: Refers to Muhammad’s journey from 

Makkah (Mecca) to Yathrib, later renamed Al-Madinah (Medina). Generically, this refers to any migration 

done for Allah.

hijri: year or era in the Islamic lunar calendar, 

beginning in 622 AD.

hikmah: wisdom; highest level of understanding 

attainable by a Muslim (equivalent to faith in God who 

is wisdom).

hisbah: accountability to Sharia; the right of a ruler 

to intercede on its behalf; Al Hisbah are the Islamic 

States’ (IS) religious police.

hizbiyyah/hizbiyyin: from the groups or parties of 

“misguidance and bigotry”; partisanship.

hoor: the “fair females” of Paradise.

Hud: Islamic prophet mentioned in pre-Quranic 

texts but not in the Bible.

hudud: fixed punishments under Islamic law for 

crimes against God.

hukm: law or ruling in the Quran or Sunnah.
173

ibadah: obedience to Allah with submission and 

humility from the heart.

Iblis: Satan/the devil; an evil jinn.

Ibrahim: Islamic prophet known as Abraham in 

the Hebrew bible.

i’dad: preparation and training for jihad.

iddah: a woman’s 4 month and 10 day period of 

waiting after widowhood or divorce before remarrying.

ihdad/hidad: period of 4 months and 10 days 

during which women must abstain from adornment or 

beautification after the death of a husband; it is 3 days 

for the death of other close family members.

ijazah: grant of authority or certification used by 

Sunnis regarding a person’s ability to transmit a certain proficiency in the Quran or other text.

ijma: consensus of the community.

ijtihad: juristic reasoning; personal reflection 

allowing individual interpretation in juristic matters.

Ikhlas: sincerity or purity of belief.

Ikhwan: literally, brotherhood; presently often 

synonymous with the Muslim Brotherhood which 

modeled itself on an early 20th century Wahhabi religious and military brotherhood that helped unite the 

Arabian Peninsula under Ibn Saud.
174

‘ilm: knowledge, especially knowledge of God.

imamah: doctrine of the succession of religious, 

spiritual, and political leadership.

iman: absolute faith (with reason, not blind faith).

imarah: leadership of a political territory.

inah: sale of a commodity on credit; bai’ al-inah 

is that sale with an immediate repurchase at a higher 

price.

inghimasi: suicide fighter who infiltrates the enemy’s line with no intention of coming back; often fires 

a weapon before detonating a bomb, thus the tactic of 

“infiltrate then detonate.”

Inna Allaha Ma’a As-Sabireen: “Allah is with the 

patient.”

Insha’Allah: “if Allah wills it.”

irhab al-batil: terrorism of falsehood; used by 

thieves and oppressors.

irhab madhmum: “blameworthy” terrorism harming the innocent.

irhab Mahmud: “praiseworthy” terrorism.

irja: literally, postponing; i.e., only God can decide 

who is a true Muslim so men cannot deem someone an 

apostate; this stance is most often seen by Muslims as 

heresy.
175

Isa Ibn Maryam: Jesus, son of Mary; believed in 

Islam to be a Prophet and Messenger.

Ismaili/Isma’iliyyah: branch of Shi’a Islam that 

recognizes 7 rather than 12 imams; followers of Imam 

Isma’il ibn Jafar; believe in the metaphorical and mystical nature of God.

istihlal: to erroneously refer to an action as permissible or halaal (literally means “untie”).

istikhara: prayer for guidance.

istishhadi, ishtishhadiyyin: one who is martyred; 

from term “istishhad” meaning martyrdom.

istislam: submission.

izzah: might, power; may also mean inviolable 

“honor.”

jahannam: also known as al-Nar (fire); similar to 

the concept of hell; a place of torment in hellfire in the 

hereafter; there are various levels (e.g., nutama is the 

lowest of the low).

jahil: ignorant, foolish (Arabic Urdu term).

jahiliyyah: generically, ignorance of divine guidance; specifically, the superstitious time before the 

coming of the Prophet Muhammad.

Jama’ah: the consolidated majority or group.
176

jannah: Muslim paradise/garden—similar to concept of heaven. There are various levels (e.g., Firdaws—

highest level of the prophet, martyrs, and the truly 

pious).

Jibril: Arabic variant of the name of the archangel 

Gabriel of the Old Testament who God had reveal the 

Quran to Muhammad.

jihad: struggle, battle.

jihad fard ‘ayn: defensive jihad; compulsory for 

each individual in the event that the land of Islam is 

attacked.

jihad fard kifaya: communal obligation; not compulsory on each individual as long as their goal is 

maintained (e.g., military service, feeding the hungry).

jihad fi sabilillah: just war or war in the cause of 

God; fighting for the purposes of Allah.

jizya: per capita yearly tax leveled on dhimmis 

(non-Muslims).

Kaaba, Ka’abah: name for the black cube-shaped 

structure at the center of the sacred Al-Masjid mosque 

in Mecca; where Muslims face for prayer.

kafir: disbeliever.

kalima/kalimah: affirmation of faith; literally 

means “word”; the six Kalimas are the texts to memorize to learn the fundamentals of Islam.
177

kalimat: statement.

karamatul-awliya: the “wonders” that appear at 

the hands of those persons close to Allah; miracles.

khalifa (pl. khulafa): successor, inheritor, caretaker of the Caliphate.

khalil: a close friend.

khalwah: allowed level of seclusion, that is, being 

alone without being visible to a third party; prohibited 

with the opposite gender unless they are one’s spouse 

or closely related, unmarriageable kin.

Khawarij (followers called Khariji): a third branch 

to Sunnis and Shi’as who broke off during the first century Islam after the death of Muhammad; they were 

considered extremely devout but also extremist in 

their embrace of violence.

khilaf/khilaaf: conflict, differing.

Khilafa: Caliphate; the political embodiment of 

Islamic Rule.

khums: the tithe or tax of one-fifth of the spoils of 

war payable to the State of Islam through its Caliph.

khuruj: rebellion.

khushu: humility.

khutbas: formal occasion for sermons or public 

preaching.
178

kibr: pride.

kidmah: service to others.

Kitab: book in general; refers to the complete book 

of divine revelation (along with the Bible and the 

Torah) of which the Quran is the final part or al-Kitab 

(the Book).

kuffar: community of unbelievers.

kufr: second stage of error (rejecting the idea of 

obeying God).

kufr bawah: open unbelief.

la ilaha illa allah(u): there is no God but Allah—

this is the basic pillar of the Muslim faith. It is in the 

Quran twice and is a part of the call to prayer.

lutiyyah: sodomites.

madhhab: school of thought within Islamic jurisprudence; in Sunni Islam there are four main schools.

Madkhalis, Madkhalism: Salafi movement based 

on the works of Rabee Al-Madkhali. It supports secular government in Arab states like Saudi Arabia and 

was a reaction to the Muslim Brotherhood and Qutbis. 

It currently exists primarily in Europe.

Mahdi: the prophesied redeemer of Islam; the 

guided one.
179

mahram: male (non-marriageable) or female relative that can chaperone a woman when in the company of the opposite sex.

Malahim, Malahim al-Kubra: Armageddon.

Malhama/al-Malhama: the Great War or End 

Battle; Armageddon; World War III.

maluh: deserving of worship.

manhaj: the method by which truth is reached; way 

of worship of the Salaf through receiving, analyzing, 

and applying knowledge.

manhaj as Salikeen: the Code of the Righteous.

mantiqat al-amaliyyat al-wusta: the middle area of 

operations; the Greater Middle East.

maqdur ‘alayhim: something within the power of 

Muslims to do.

marfu hadith: where words are conveyed as the 

Prophet’s.

Masha’Allah: means “whatever Allah wills”; used 

when admiring or glorifying something (rather than 

when hoping something happens).

Masih: “anointed”; refers to the Messiah Isa (Jesus).

masjid, masajid: a place of worship, alternate term 

for a mosque (which some jihadis consider an insulting term having its basis in the word “mosquitos” or 
180

literally something to be swatted—most scholars deny 

this and say it is only a dialectic translation of “masjid” 

over time).

maslahah: ruling under traditional law not shari’a; 

something that is in the public interest.

millah: religion—that the community of believers 

shares; more generally, religious traditions other than 

Islam which uses the term “deen.” 

mosque: Islamic place of public worship; see also 

“masjid.”

mubahalah: challenge invoking “curse prayers” by 

each of the opposing parties in order to determine who 

is right in the eyes of God.

mudhaharah: public demonstrations.

muhajir/muhajirin(m)/muhajirit(f): Muslim immigrants from India to Pakistan; can mean generically 

“immigrant” or more specifically “immigrant for the 

sake of Allah.”

muklis: sincere one.

mumtani’in: abstainers, refusers.

munafiqeen/munifiqun: outward Muslims who 

are really religious hypocrites.

murabit: one who performs ribat; also may refer to 

a hermit or ascetic.
181

Murji’ah or Murjia: upholders of irja; postponers; 

no current adherents but held akin to more pragmatic 

Muslims.

murtad/murtadd: an apostate, one who has abandoned Islam.

Musa: Islamic prophet known in the Old Testament as Moses.

mushrikin: polytheist.

muslimah: Muslim woman, niqqabi.

mustaslim: submitting, inwardly surrendered.

mutakallimin: scholastic theologians, philosophers.

mutawatir: hadith conveyed by so many narrators 

it is inconceivable that it is not true.

mu’tazilah: “those who stand apart”; political or 

religious neutralists.

muwahhid: unitarian Muslim, monotheist; used by 

Salafis, the Druze, and Alawis to describe themselves.

na’am: yes (in agreement or as response when your 

name is called).

Nasaara: Christian sect but also may refer at times 

to Christians in general.
182

Nasheed/nashid: vocal music sung a cappella or 

with percussion instruments only on subjects regarding Islamic beliefs or events; plural is “anasheed.”

nasihah: seeking to find the best outcome in a situation; alternately, to offer good, sincere advice.

nazi’ (pl. nuzza): stranger(s) who break off from 

their family and tribe; for example, those who perform 

hijra.

nifaq: hypocrisy, dishonesty.

nikaya, nkejja: operations of vexation or annoyance.

Nuh: Islamic prophet known as Noah in the Old 

Testament.

Nusayri/Nusairi: see Alawites; a branch of Shi’a 

Islam mixing Islamic, Gnostic, and Christian beliefs; 

found primarily in Syria and Turkey.

qada: determination for carrying out or fulfilling.

qadar/qadr: divine predestination; Allah has the 

power to change what he wills.

Qareen: a companion in this world from among the 

evil jinn whom Allah has sent to accompany men and 

may push them to disobey Him.

Qiblah: the direction of the Ka’aba in Mecca.
183

Qisas/quisas: the concept in Islam of equal retribution for harm; e.g., the right of a murder victim’s next 

of kin to take the life of their killer if they so desire.

qital: literally, fighting or killing (in the way of 

Allah).

qiyam: standing prayer.

qiyas: reasoning through deductive analogy 

between the Quran and Hadith to apply a known rule 

to new circumstances.

qudsi/kudsi hadith: God’s words as related by the 

Prophet Muhammad.

Quran/Koran: the holy book of Islam, revealed by 

Allah in Arabic.

Quraysh: tribe controlling Mecca into which 

Muhammad was born and later clashed with over his 

claim of being a prophet; it is claimed the imam of the 

Islamic Caliphate must be Qurayshi.

qurra: quranic reciters; here used as those who 

would “recite” the Quran from the throat not the heart, 

referring to hypocrite imams.

qu’ud: “holding back,” the abandonment of jihad 

(action), refers to the word for “sitting down in prayer.”

raddah: fleeing; renouncing; as in apostasy.
184

radiyallahu ‘ahnu(m) or ‘anna(f): means “Allah is 

pleased with him”; honorific said after the name of the 

Prophet’s Companions.

Rafida/Rafidha: rejectionists/rejecters of legitimate 

Islamic authority; may be a veiled reference to Shi’as.

raghba: desire.

Rahimullah: phrase used after mentioning righteous Islamic personalities coming after the companions of Muhammad.

Rahmah/rahman: God’s benevolence and mercy.

RAND Muslim: derogatory term for a moderate 

Muslim.

Rasoolullah /Rasulullah: the messenger of Allah 

(i.e., Mohammed or Muhammad).

riba: usury, unjust exploitive gains on money.

ribat/ribaat: voluntary defense of Islam (technically, a ribat was a house for those who fought to 

defend Islam); also, to stand guard.

riddah: apostasy.

riya/riyaa: to falsely make oneself appear virtuous; 

to show off.

ruwaybidah: ignorant people who speak out about 

public affairs; worthless people who lack integrity.
185

Safawi/Safavid: Sufi dynasty ruling Iran/Persia in 

16th-18th century which converted Iran to Shi’a Islam; 

now used as a derogatory term for Iranian Shi’as.

Sahaba: the companions, disciples, scribes, and 

family of Muhammad (singular reference is sahabi for 

males and sahabia for females).

sahwah: literally, awakening; refers to tribal “awakening” of 2007-08 against Salafism and the mujahideen; 

Sahwah are the “awakened.”

Sahwat: collaborators, esp. Sunni; “the worst of the 

worst.”

Salaf as-Saalih: people of the past.

Salafiyyah: member of the Salafi ultra-conservative reform movement in Sunni Islam; also known as 

“the Saved Sect.”

salah: daily prayer including ablution with prescribed words and actions.

salamah: sincerity; integrity.

salim: safe; secure.

sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: means “peace be 

upon him,” said after the Prophet’s name.

sam’: hearing, listening.

samma’in: avid listeners to the kuffar.
186

Seerah: the life of the prophet.

Shahada: personal commitment to Islam; invoking 

the statement of faith consists of two phrases, “There 

is no God but Allah” and “Muhammad is his Messenger” (or slight variations thereof); also may be used as 

a variant term for “martyr.”

Shahadatayn: the twin testimonies of Islam, see 

above.

shahid/shaheed: Muslim martyr.

Shubuhat: specious arguments regarding Islam 

where falsehood is apparent and needs no rebuttal.

Shuhada: martyrs.

Shaytan: equivalent to Christian “Satan” or the 

devil.

shirk: worship of anyone/anything other than 

Allah. Unforgivable if unpardoned before death.

siyam: fasting.

Subhanallah: Glory to God.

sujud: prostration to God in prayer.

Sunnah: literally “path” or “way”; generally refers 

to the record of the deeds and teachings of Muhammad and his Companions; may also apply to a religious ruling.
187

Sururi: Syrian Sunni faction dating to the time of 

the tribal awakening; beliefs involve a blend—but not 

totally embracing—of Salafism alongside the ideology 

of the Muslim Brotherhood.

ta’ah: obedience.

ta ‘ala: exalted.

Tableeghi/Tablighi: refers to the Tablighi Jamaat, 

orthodox Sunni proselytizers.

tabligh: to convey, communicate.

taghut/tawagheet/tawaghit: the third stage of 

error—worshiping anyone or anything other than 

Allah; exceeding the limits of Islam; also can mean 

rebelling against God and imposing this on others.

Takbir/takbeer: term for the phrase Allahu Akbar 

(God is Greater); used in the call to prayer but not 

found in the Quran.

takfir: the labeling of fellow Muslims as unbelievers; excommunication from Islam.

takfiri: one who labels fellow Muslims as 

unbelievers.

takhmis: the state’s taking of one-fifth of the spoils 

of battle.

tamkin: operations of consolidation; literally, control over an asset.
188

tandhim: organization.

taqlid: to follow one of the four Islamic scholars or 

imams in interpreting the shari’a.

taqwa: piety.

tarah: pity, compassion, mercy.

tarahhum: asking “May Allah have mercy” on 

someone/something.

tarbiyah: education and upbringing.

tashri: legislation.

tawahhush: mayhem, chaos, savagery, brutality, 

barbarism, and anarchy.

tawa’if mumtani’ah: forcibly resisting (the implementation of sharia); a refusing faction.

tawakkul: trust in God’s plan.

tawfeeq: the ability and opportunity to achieve 

success.

tawheed: belief in the oneness of God.

taz-kiyat an-nafs: self-purification; purification of 

the soul (Sufi term).

thiqat: reliable, trustworthy sources.

turhibuna: to strike fear, terrify.
189

ukhty: sister; also generic Muslim “sister.”

ulema/ulama: leaders of Muslim society.

umami: universal.

umma: the community of all Muslim believers.

ummi: one who is unschooled.

usul: Islamic principle tenets or foundations.

Wa Alhamdullilahi Rabbil Alamin: prayer stating 

“special praise be to Allah, the sustainer of creation.”

wala: loyalty toward believers.

Walahi/Wallahi: “I swear to God,” or “I promise 

by God.”

wali: protector, guardian, or friend.

wa illahil-hamd: version of Allahu akbar; hamd 

means sincere praise and gratitude.

waqf/wakf: charitable donation or endowment.

waqiah: inevitable.

wasiya: Islamic will or bequest.

wilayah: province.

wulatu umurina: governors of our issues, guardians of our matters.
190

Yahood: Jews.

Yusuf: refers to the Surah Yusuf (Joseph), the 12th 

surah of the Quran; Yusuf has a dream that he will be 

a Prophet, thus when Yusuf is given a choice between 

prison and immoral behavior, he chooses prison.

zahid: ascetic, devout.

zanadiqa: heretic; alternately, atheist.

Zani(m)/zaniya(f): adulterers, fornicators.

Zaydi/Zaidi: Shi’a sect located in Yemen closer to 

Sunni Islam in their theology.

Zaydism/Zaidism: Eighth century sect of Shi’a 

Islam in reverence of Zayd ibn Ali’s failed uprising 

against the Caliph.

zeket, zakat: alms giving, a religious tax.

zina: prohibition on or sin of unlawful sexual relations between Muslims who are not married to each 

other.

zindiq: heretic; originally medieval term for those 

holding views contrary to Islam.

zunah: adulterers.
191

APPENDIX I

RADICAL ISLAMIST ONLINE MAGAZINE 

CHRONOLOGY

Online Magazine* Terrorist Group Date

Benefit of the Day 

(1: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity April-May 2007

Benefit of the Day 

(2: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity May-June 2007

Benefit of the Day 

(3: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity June-July 2007

Benefit of the Day 

(4: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity July-August 2007

Benefit of the Day 

(5: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity August-September 

2007

Benefit of the Day 

(6: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity September-October 

2007

Benefit of the Day 

(7: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity October-November 

2007

Benefit of the Day 

(2/1: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity January-February 

2008

Benefit of the Day 

(2/2: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity February-March 

2008

Benefit of the Day 

(2/3: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity March-April 2008

Benefit of the Day 

(Unknown: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity ~SeptemberOctober 2008

Benefit of the Day 

(Unknown: No Title)

Al-Qaeda Affinity ~OctoberNovember 2008

Jihad Recollections

(1: The Predications of the 

Conquering of Rome)

Al-Qaeda Affinity April 2009

Jihad Recollections

(2: Obamaturk: The Secular 

Phenomenon)

Al-Qaeda Affinity May 2009

Defenders of the Truth

(1: No Title) 

Al Mosul Islamic 

Network (Al-Qaeda)

July 2009
192

Online Magazine* Terrorist Group Date

Jihad Recollections

(3: From Uncle Sam to Allahu

Akbar)

Al-Qaeda Affinity August 2009

Defenders of the Truth

(2: No Title)

Al Mosul Islamic 

Network (Al-Qaeda)

August 2009

Jihad Recollections

(4: The Men Behind 9/11 and The 

Motives That Bound Them)

Al-Qaeda Affinity September 2009

Defenders of the Truth

(3: Death of Nationalism)

Al Mosul Islamic 

Network (Al-Qaeda)

October 2009

Defenders of the Truth

(4: The place for Shariah: Amongst 

the causes of Islam)

Al Mosul Islamic 

Network (Al-Qaeda)

November/

December 2009

Defenders of the Truth

(5: Battle Ground Iraq, The Post 

Graduate University of Muslim 

Mujhahid)

Al Mosul Islamic 

Network (Al-Qaeda)

January/February 

2010

Inspire

(1: May Our Souls Be Sacrificed 

For You!)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP) 

June 2010

Inspire

(2: Photos from the Operations of 

Abyan)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

October 2010

Inspire

(Special Issue 3: $4,200)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

November 2010

Inspire

(4: The Ruling on Dispossessing 

the Disbelievers’ Wealth in Dar 

al-Harb)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

January 2011

Inspire

(5: The Tsunami of Change)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

March 2011

Inspire

(6: Sadness, Contentment & 

Aspiration)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

August 2011

Inspire

(Special Issue 7: The Greatest 

Special Operation of all time)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

September 2011

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo 1: Operation Linda 

Uislamu)

Al Shabaab April 2012
193

Online Magazine* Terrorist Group Date

Inspire

(8: Targeting Dar al-Harb 

Populations)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

May 2012

Inspire

(9: Win[n]ing on the Ground)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

May 2012

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo 2: The Long Road to 

Kismayu)

Al Shabaab June 2012

Al Rashideen

(1: Iran Must Fall Before Palestine 

Can Be Liberated)

Sipah-e-Sahaba 

Pakistan (SSP)

February 2013

Inspire

(10: We Are All Usama)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

March 2013

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo 3: Sheikh Aboud Rogo)

Al Shabaab March 2013

Azan

(1: A Call to Jihad)

Taliban March 2013

Lone Mujahid Pocketbook

(from Inspire articles)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

March 2013

Al Rashideen

(Special/2: The Iranian 

Revolution)

Sipah-e-Sahaba 

Pakistan (SSP)

March 2013

Al Rashideen

(3: No Title)

Sipah-e-Sahaba 

Pakistan (SSP)

March 2013

Azan

(2: You’ll Never Be Safe)

Taliban April-May 2013

Inspire

(Special Issue 11: Who & Why)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

May 2013

Azan

(3: An Awakened Ummah)

Taliban June/July 2013

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo Special Edition 4: 

#Westgate) 

Al Shabaab November 2013

Azan

(4: To the Jihadis in the West)

Taliban December 2013

Inspire

(12: Shattered: A Story About 

Change)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

March 2014
194

Online Magazine* Terrorist Group Date

Azan

(5: Those Who Bow Down To 

Allah Do Not Bow Down to 

Anyone Else!)

Taliban March 2014

Azan

(Special Issue: Blackwater & ISI) 

Taliban June 2014

Dabiq

(1: The Return of the Khilafah)

Islamic State July 2014

Dabiq

(2: The Flood)

Islamic State July 2014

Azan

(6: The Scales Have Turned!)

Taliban August 2014

Palestine: Betrayal of the Guilty 

Conscience (from Inspire articles)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

August 2014

Dabiq

(3: A Call to Hijrah)

Islamic State September 2014

Azbiru

(1: No Title—Jihad Theme)

Al-Nusrah Front September 2014

Dabiq

(4: The Failed Crusade)

Islamic State October 2014

Resurgence

(1: Besiege Them!)

Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent 

(AQIS)

October 2014

Ihya-e-Khilafat 

(1: Re-structuring of 

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) 

Tehreek-e-Taliban 

Pakistan Jamaatul 

Ahrar (TTPJA) 

October 2014

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo Special Edition 5: Muslims 

of Bangui & Mombasa: A Tale of 

Tragedy)

Al Shabaab November 2014

Dabiq

(5: Remaining and Expanding)

Islamic State November 2014

Inspire

(Special Issue 13: Neurotmesis)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

December 2014

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo 6: My Journey of Hijra & 

Jihad)

Al Shabaab December 2014

Dabiq

(6: Al-Qaidah of Waziristan: A 

Testimony from Within)

Islamic State December 2014
195

Online Magazine* Terrorist Group Date

Ihya-e-Khilafat 

(2: Who kills innocent people)

Tehreek-e-Taliban 

Pakistan Jamaatul 

Ahrar (TTPJA)

December 2014

Gaidi Mtaani

(Toleo 7: May Our Mothers Be 

Bereaved Of Us Should We Fail to 

Avenge Our Prophet)

Al Shabaab February 2015

Dabiq

(7: From Hypocrisy to Apostasy: 

The Extinction of the Grayzone)

Islamic State February 2015

Amka

(1: East Africa’s Baya’ah)

Al Shabaab—

Al-Muhajiroun 

component

February 2015

Dabiq

(8: Shari’ah Alone Will Rule 

Africa)

Islamic State March 2015

Dabiq

(9: They Plot and Allah Plots)

Islamic State May 2015

Resurgence

(2: An Exclusive Interview with 

Adam Yahiye Gadahn)

Al-Qaeda Indian in 

the Subcontinent 

(AQIS)

June 2015

Dabiq

(10: The Law of Allah or the Laws 

of Men)

Islamic State July 2015

Amka

(2: East Africa: Jihad’s 

Homecoming)

Al Shabaab—

Al-Muhajiroun 

component

July 2015

Al-Risalah

 (1: Al-Risalah)

Al Nusrah Front July 2015

Inspire

(14: Assassination Operations)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

September 2015

Dabiq

(11: From the Battle of Al-Ahzab 

to the War of Coalitions)

Islamic State September 2015

Al-Risalah 

(2: Victory Loves Preparation)

Al Nusrah Front October 2015

Dabiq

(12: Just Terror)

Islamic State November 2015

Dabiq

(13: The Rafidah: From Iban Saba’ 

to the Dajjal)

Islamic State January 2016
196

Online Magazine* Terrorist Group Date

Dabiq

(14: The Murtadd Brotherhood)

Islamic State April 2016

Inspire

(15: Professional Assassinations)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

May 2016

Inspire Guide

(1: Orlando Operation)

Al-Qaeda Arabian 

Peninsula (AQAP)

June 2016

Dabiq

(15: Break the Cross)

Islamic State July 2016

Al-Risalah 

(3: Has The Time Not Come)

Al Nusrah Front July 2016

Inspire Guide

(2: Nice Operation, France)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

July 2016

Rumiyah

(1: No Title)

Islamic State September 2016

Inspire Guide

(3: Comment on arresting our 

Muslim sisters in France)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

September 2016

Inspire Guide

(4: New Jersey, Minnesota, and 

Chelsea Operations)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

September 2016

Rumiyah

(2: No Title)

Islamic State October 2016

Inspire

(16: the 9/17 Operations)

Al-Qaeda in the 

Arabian Peninsula 

(AQAP)

November 2016

Rumiyah

(3: No Title)

Islamic State November 2016

Note:

*This chronology does not include the 68 issues of the In Fight magazine 

series.
197

APPENDIX II

RADICAL ISLAMIST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE 

ONLINE MAGAZINE’S ALLEGIANCE AND 

FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (FTO) 

AFFILIATION

Online Magazine

Terrorist Group

Foreign Terrorist 

Organization (FTO) Date1

Allegiance

Benefit of the Day; 12 Issues; 

Partial Data Set 

(April 2007-October 2008)

Al-Qaeda Affinity

No Designation

Al-Qaeda

Jihad Recollections; 4 Issues 

(April 2009-September 2009) 

Al-Qaeda Affinity

No Designation

Al-Qaeda

In Fight; 68 Issues 

(June 2009-November 2014)

Taliban (Islami Emirate 

Afghanistan)

(No SDN Designation) July 

20022

Al-Qaeda

Defenders of the Truth; 5 Issues 

(July 2009-January/February 

2010)

Al Mosul Islamic Network

December 17, 2004 (As 

al-Qa’ida in Iraq)

Al-Qaeda

Inspire; 16 Issues (June 2010-

November 2016); Also Lone 

Mujahid Pocketbook (March 2013) 

and Palestine (August 2014) 

Magazines and 4 Inspire Guides

(June-September 2016)

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian 

Peninsula (AQAP)

January 19, 2010

Al-Qaeda

Gaidi Mtaani; 7 Issues (April 

2012-February 2015)

Al Shabaab

March 18, 2008

Al-Qaeda

Al Rashideen; 3 Issues 

(February-March 2013)

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan 

(SSP)

No Designation

U n k n o w n 

(Anti-Shi’a 

Magazine)

Azan; 7 Issues 

(March 2013-August 2014)

Taliban

(No SDN Designation) July 

20023

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan 

(TTP)

September 1, 2010

Al-Qaeda

Dabiq; 15 Issues 

(July 2014-July 2016)

Islamic State (as Islamic State 

in Iraq and the Levant; ISIL)

December 17, 2004

Islamic State
198

1. Bureau of Counterterrorism, “Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Department of State, n.d., available from http://www.

state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm.

2. Office of Foreign Assets Control, “Alphabetical Listing of 

Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (‘SDN List’),” 

U.S. Department of the Treasury, n.d., available from https://www.

treasury.gov/ofac/downloads/sdnlist.txt. See also, John Parkinson 

and Lee Ferran, “White House: Yes, The Taliban Is a Terrorist 

Organization,” ABC News, June 4, 2014, available from http://

abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-taliban-terrorist-organization/

story?id=23981888.

3. Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Treasury Department; Parkinson and Ferran.

4. Office of the Spokesperson, “State Department Terrorist Designations,” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, 

June 30, 2016, available from https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/

ps/2016/06/259219.htm.

Online Magazine

Terrorist Group

Foreign Terrorist 

Organization (FTO) Date

Allegiance

Azbiru; 1 Issue 

(September 2014)

Al Nusrah Front

May 15, 2014

Al-Qaeda

Resurgence; 2 Issues 

(October 2014-June 2015)

Al-Qaeda in the Indian 

Subcontinent (AQIS)

June 30, 20164

Al-Qaeda

Ihya-e-Khilafat; 2 Issues 

(October 2014-December 2014)

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan 

Jamaatul Ahrar (TTPJA)

September 1, 2010

Islamic State 

(Affinity)

Amka; 2 Issues 

(February 2015-July 2015)

Al Shabaab—Al-Muhajiroun 

component

March 18, 2008

Al-Qaeda

Al-Risalah; 3 Issues 

(July 2015-July 2016) 

Al Nusrah Front

May 15, 2014

Al-Qaeda

Rumiyah; 3 Issues 

(September-November 2016); 

Successor magazine to Dabiq

Islamic State (as Islamic State 

in Iraq and the Levant; ISIL)

December 17, 2004

Islamic State

ENDNOTES – APPENDIX II
U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE

Major General John S. Kem

Commandant

∗∗∗∗∗

STRATEGIC STUDIES INSTITUTE

AND

U.S. ARMY WAR COLLEGE PRESS

Director

Professor Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr.

Director of Research

Dr. Steven K. Metz

Authors

Dr. Robert J. Bunker

Pamela Ligouri Bunker

Editor for Production

Dr. James G. Pierce

Publications Assistant

Ms. Denise J. Kersting

∗∗∗∗∗

Composition

Mrs. Jennifer E. Nevil

FOR THIS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS, VISIT US AT

https://www.armywarcollege.edu/

This Publication SSI Website USAWC Website