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A Dutch ISIS Fighter Is Taking Questions on Tumblr A Dutch ISIS Fighter Takes Questions on Tumblr
(about 17 hours later)
Usually, by the time the public learns the names and biographies of Islamic State militants, or radicals from other groups who attack civilians, they are already dead, and so unable to speak for themselves, except occasionally in the ritualized form of martyrdom videos or manifestoes posted online.Usually, by the time the public learns the names and biographies of Islamic State militants, or radicals from other groups who attack civilians, they are already dead, and so unable to speak for themselves, except occasionally in the ritualized form of martyrdom videos or manifestoes posted online.
This week, however, a Dutch citizen who says he is fighting on behalf of the Islamic State in Syria, and who documents his life in the self-proclaimed caliphate on Tumblr, has been taking questions from readers.This week, however, a Dutch citizen who says he is fighting on behalf of the Islamic State in Syria, and who documents his life in the self-proclaimed caliphate on Tumblr, has been taking questions from readers.
Israfil Yilmaz, who is of Turkish descent and who abandoned a career in the Royal Netherlands Army in 2013 to join Islamist rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, has turned to Tumblr since his accounts on Instagram, Ask.fm and Twitter were suspended.Israfil Yilmaz, who is of Turkish descent and who abandoned a career in the Royal Netherlands Army in 2013 to join Islamist rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, has turned to Tumblr since his accounts on Instagram, Ask.fm and Twitter were suspended.
The subjects range from personal — “Do you miss you mother?” “At times, yes.” — to technical — “I’ve heard that you’re not allowed to you Apple products, iPhones etc.” “This is true, I had to sell my wife’s iPhone.” — to theological — “Isn’t Tumblr haram by the way?” “If you’re on Tumblr (or any other social media outlet) for the wrong reasons and use it to please your desires and other unlawful things of course, but that goes for many other things.”The subjects range from personal — “Do you miss you mother?” “At times, yes.” — to technical — “I’ve heard that you’re not allowed to you Apple products, iPhones etc.” “This is true, I had to sell my wife’s iPhone.” — to theological — “Isn’t Tumblr haram by the way?” “If you’re on Tumblr (or any other social media outlet) for the wrong reasons and use it to please your desires and other unlawful things of course, but that goes for many other things.”
There are also far darker responses — like jokes about gay men deserving to be “thrown off a high building” a defense of Yazidi women and girls “taken as spoils of war,” and suggestions that a bombing in Turkey was a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the Islamic State.There are also far darker responses — like jokes about gay men deserving to be “thrown off a high building” a defense of Yazidi women and girls “taken as spoils of war,” and suggestions that a bombing in Turkey was a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the Islamic State.
The exchanges reveal that the former soldier is well aware of his notoriety back home in the Netherlands. Asked his age recently, he referred his questioner to the Dutch government’s list of banned terrorists, to which his full name and details of his birth — Salih Yahya Gazali Yilmaz, born on Sept. 29, 1987, in Brunei — had been added just the week before.The exchanges reveal that the former soldier is well aware of his notoriety back home in the Netherlands. Asked his age recently, he referred his questioner to the Dutch government’s list of banned terrorists, to which his full name and details of his birth — Salih Yahya Gazali Yilmaz, born on Sept. 29, 1987, in Brunei — had been added just the week before.
Interspersed with the questions and answers are snapshots from Mr. Yilmaz’s life, including photographs of a new son, and propaganda for the Internet age, like images of Islamist fighters cuddling cats.Interspersed with the questions and answers are snapshots from Mr. Yilmaz’s life, including photographs of a new son, and propaganda for the Internet age, like images of Islamist fighters cuddling cats.
In a television interview with the Dutch state broadcaster NOS early last year, he said he had no intention of ever returning home to carry out a terrorist attack. “I would just eat,” he said, “maybe some sushi, have some Dr Pepper and give my mother a big, warm hug.”In a television interview with the Dutch state broadcaster NOS early last year, he said he had no intention of ever returning home to carry out a terrorist attack. “I would just eat,” he said, “maybe some sushi, have some Dr Pepper and give my mother a big, warm hug.”
On Friday, however, in response to a question from The New York Times he defended the attacks in Paris by calling them a fair response to the bombardment of Islamic State positions by the French Air Force.On Friday, however, in response to a question from The New York Times he defended the attacks in Paris by calling them a fair response to the bombardment of Islamic State positions by the French Air Force.
“Would I make a big deal out of it if the Islamic State declared war on Iceland and Iceland started attacking us?” he asked rhetorically. “Of course not,” he replied. “That’s life in the big city, you can’t just declare war on the Muslims (kill their women and children) and expect to be left alone even though you might reside somewhere far away. That’s something everybody understands right?”“Would I make a big deal out of it if the Islamic State declared war on Iceland and Iceland started attacking us?” he asked rhetorically. “Of course not,” he replied. “That’s life in the big city, you can’t just declare war on the Muslims (kill their women and children) and expect to be left alone even though you might reside somewhere far away. That’s something everybody understands right?”
Earlier in the week, he offered a similar defense to other Tumblr users, calling assaults on civilian targets in France by the Islamists “fair game,” as, he said, he had “lost count of the hospitals, markets and mosques bombed by the enemies of Islam.”Earlier in the week, he offered a similar defense to other Tumblr users, calling assaults on civilian targets in France by the Islamists “fair game,” as, he said, he had “lost count of the hospitals, markets and mosques bombed by the enemies of Islam.”
Last month, in response to a question from The Times about why he joined the Islamic State after previously keeping his distance, Mr. Yilmaz replied:Last month, in response to a question from The Times about why he joined the Islamic State after previously keeping his distance, Mr. Yilmaz replied:
While other social networks and messaging services have responded to complaints about Islamic State militants using their platforms by blocking accounts, the jihadists and their sympathizers often seek to evade the barriers by simply setting up new accounts under slightly different names. Mr. Yilmaz set up four accounts on Twitter, using the platform to denounce Western bombing of Islamic State militants, before giving up on that service.While other social networks and messaging services have responded to complaints about Islamic State militants using their platforms by blocking accounts, the jihadists and their sympathizers often seek to evade the barriers by simply setting up new accounts under slightly different names. Mr. Yilmaz set up four accounts on Twitter, using the platform to denounce Western bombing of Islamic State militants, before giving up on that service.
While the fact that his Tumblr account has not been blocked could be an oversight by the company that will soon be corrected, the archive of questions and answers offers a fascinating glimpse into the thinking of a Western-educated jihadist who has been transformed in the past two years from a skeptic of the Islamic State to an active member.While the fact that his Tumblr account has not been blocked could be an oversight by the company that will soon be corrected, the archive of questions and answers offers a fascinating glimpse into the thinking of a Western-educated jihadist who has been transformed in the past two years from a skeptic of the Islamic State to an active member.
UPDATE: Late Friday, after this column was originally published, Tumblr disabled the jihadist’s account.