Dutch Imams Fight IS Online Activism

Spreading the true teachings of Islam, a group of Dutch imams have taken to social media to fight extremist ideologies far from Islam, hindering efforts by the so-called Islamic State to lure Muslim youth in the European country.

“That is already happening, but I would like to see many more youths link up to let themselves be heard,” Yassin Elforkani of the Contact Institution Muslims and Government (CMO) told NL Times on Tuesday, August 26.

Elforkani was talking about the ongoing efforts made by Dutch mosques and Muslim organizations to condemn the acts of the self-claimed Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The new social media campaign will be joined by several imams from 380 mosques who will wage an anti-ISIS Twitter activism.

Counter-discussions and arguments by young Imams about the radical views of IS will be fostered by the online campaign that aims dissuade sympathizers from supporting IS.

The world focus was turned to the volatile area after Al-Qaeda splinter group, ISIS, seized control of Iraq’s second city of Mosul on June 9, storming government buildings, TV stations, banks and hoisting the blacks.

Last June 30, ISIS made a surprise announcement of the establishment of a new Islamic “caliphate” and changed its name into the Islamic State.

The declaration was made in an audio recording distributed online in which ISIS declared its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “the caliph” and “leader for Muslims everywhere”.

Parental Role

According to Elforkani of CMO, the “lack of understanding of the principles of Islam” is behind sympathizing with IS among some Muslims in the west.

Elforkani also pointed at the parental involvement in fighting IS extremist views that are against Islamic teaching.

“If they raise their children with the religion, the children will become resilient,” Elforkani said.

“Then they will know that it doesn’t work, if violence is glorified.”

IS militants have been widely condemned by Muslims worldwide who staged several protests to express anger against the terrorist group.

A few days ago, Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh condemned Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State jihadists as “enemy number one” of Islam.

Earlier this month, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam had condemned the militants for atrocities they have been perpetrating in the countries and their violation of principles and teachings preached by Islam.

India Sunni and Shiite Muslims have united against the rise of ISIL, asserting that the actions of destroying holy sites, supporting sectarianism and divisions between Muslim groups cannot be attributed to a true Islamic state.

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest Islamic group has condemned ISIL, urging the government to take firmer action against the possible spread of the movement in Indonesia.

The Islamic Student Union (HMI) has also condemned Indonesian Muslims condoning and adhering to ISIL’s ideology.