Islamist attack in Germany: How the 'Islamic State' manages to radicalize people online | DW News

a deadly knife attack in the German city of zingan last week has reignited discussions on migration policy and fighting terrorism the so-called Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in which three people were killed it has also prompted questions about how this group which was defeated on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq a decade ago still recruits members a city still in shock after the latest attack on European soil by a man associated with the so-called Islamic State one of many attacks over the last year while many more have been foiled by authorities so how does is keep recruiting people and who are they the answer lies in its history the so-called Islamic State was a splinter group from Al-Qaeda that a decade ago quickly took over vast stretches of Iraq and Syria it declared an Islamic caliphate and was known for its brutality sending out videos of its members beheading so-called infidels who had been captured from its Beginnings it recruited young people from across the Middle East and Europe using propaganda videos that appealed to people who felt marginalized and in search of a purpose It Was Defeated and driven out of its strongholds by an International Coalition but that was just the first chapter while it was running into defeat on the battlefield the group started a series of spectacular deadly attacks in Europe in Paris nce Berlin London in many cases the alleged perpetrators many of whom died in shootouts with police were radicalized online those carrying out the attacks were mainly young men in recent years many of them teenagers some had grown up in marginalized communities in France and Belgium more recently many have immigrated from Muslim majority countries to Europe and then been denied Asylum is propaganda spread online via its own so-called news agency encouraged their grievances the group seeks to give troubled young people a sense of identity and a means to act on a sense of unfairness by giving them a chance to avenge the killings of Muslims by Western countries or a way to kill those accused of disrespecting Islam is also provides instructions on how to carry out massacres the war in Gaza has provided fresh material with images of suffering Palestinians feeding The Narrative of an unfair world for Muslims is also feeds on the divisions stoked by its own attacks which Fuel anti-immigrant and anti-muslim sentiment which can add to the sense of victimization and isolation in Muslim communities the authorities and social media companies have taken note accounts linked to or supportive of is have been removed from major platforms but the group still recruits using the telegram encrypted data app and on the dark web where it has its own websites that's created a game of cat and mouse with authorities whose best chance to stop further attacks is to stop further radicalization now for a closer look let's bring in Miriam Karina Hess from the National Committee on religiously motivated extremism here in Berlin now Terror has come back to Germany do we have to fear even more attacks um I mean it is always difficult to predict with certainty um whether more attacks will occur because ultimately we cannot look into people's minds and anticipate their actions right um so therefore 100% security as sad at is is we can never achieve however the attention like you just said um that this recent attack created it is exactly what extremists aim for it's a key success factor for them as it Foods Society polarization now as we've heard Islamic state has been around for for quite a while now um and has there been any evolution in who joins is in Europe um so the recruitment strategies definitely have uh become much more sophisticated and tailored um so Isis and similar islamist groups they're leveraging social media which is a key space for youth interaction which at the same time is their key Target group so they don't use a one- siiz fits all approach instead they employ different strategies to appeal to different groups um so for example girls are often lured more in with promises for a new life or a sense of belonging by boys on the other hand might be targeted with narratives of Adventure or some things that relate to heroism so they additionally use both push and pull factors to exploit personal situations like a feeling for Injustice loneliness or search of identity now let's talk about the Gaza War for a moment do you think that has created a new recruiting opportunity or will there always be some kind of cause that is can use to recruit members I think it's a little bit of both um so conflicts like the one of Gaza they certainly act as catalysts however um it is important to note that islamist groups have varying stances on Gaza and Hamas for instance of course Isis and Hamas are obviously not aligned in fact their ideologies they defer significantly um but the broader impact of such conflicts is that they can inflame emotions and as a propaganda tool to which these groups then relate and use them to mobilize support by highlighting perceived injustices Miriam Karina H there from the National Committee on religiously motivated extremism thank you very much