Refugees Embarrass the Islamic State . . .

Deborah Amos
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Deborah Amos, writing for NPR, says, "The Flood Of Syrian Refugees Puts ISIS On The Defensive" (September 22, 2015):

[T]he Islamic State is cranking up its propaganda campaign . . . . [because the] refugee crisis is also becoming a crisis for ISIS, as Syrians reject the group's claim that the so-called caliphate offers a safe haven, and the refugees instead opt for the dangerous journey to Europe . . . . [Recently,] ISIS has put out almost a dozen videos with messages that denounce the refugees, threaten them with the horrors of living among "unbelievers" and plead with them to join the caliphate . . . . The media coverage of the refugee exodus is impossible to ignore even in areas under ISIS control . . . . [Here are the] titles of [five] . . . recent videos:

— [1] Dear Refugees, Hear It From Us

— [2] And He Will Replace You With Other People

— [3] Advice To The Refugees Going To The Countries Of Disbelief

— [4] Would You Exchange What Is Better For What Is Less

— [5] Warning To The Refugees Of The Deceptions Of The Crusaders

[But no] . . . . amount of propaganda videos can counter the image of desperate Syrian families on the move with their children, willing to sacrifice everything on the gamble for a better future in Europe . . . . More than 4 million Syrians have fled the country since the war began in 2011 and nearly 8 million are displaced inside the country. Together, these 12 million Syrians account for more than half of the country's prewar population of about 23 million.

The five titles do reflect confusion on the part of the Islamic State. The second title clearly threatens the refugees with Allah's wrath, telling the Muslims among the refugees that Allah will discard them in favor of others, the others being converts to Islam, presumably. Other titles plead with the refugees - number one pretty clearly, for instance, and perhaps number four. There are also advice (number three) and warning (number five).

I'm glad ISIS doesn't know what to do with their embarrassment. Let the Islamic State keep stumbling over such things . . .