ONLINE VOICE OF REASON TAKES THE FIGHT TO ISIL
Sawab Centre marks two years of countering the lies of extremists
The Sawab Centre has found a clear voice amid the clutter of social media two years after it opened to counter extremist propaganda and hate speech by terrorist groups.
With more than 1.1 million followers on Facebook and 356,000 on Twitter, the joint UAE-US initiative has generated a series of campaigns, while monitoring messages from ISIL and countering them through social media platforms in English and Arabic.
Today it will spread messages on social media under the slogan #DaeshFraud, which highlight the reality of life under the extremists.
It is one of many campaigns aimed at working against proISIL messages and online publications such as Dabiq and Rumiyah, which seek to tap into anger among young people to recruit them.
“The centre doesn’t focus on blocking and deleting content produced by terrorists, but rather battles extremism by providing counter-narratives to the same audience,” said Farangiz Atamuradova, an analyst at Abu Dhabi think tank the Delma Institute.
“Basing the centre in Abu Dhabi rather than in a western country is vital for providing a counter-terrorism narrative.
“Arabic-speaking individuals who are often targeted by organisations such as Daesh are more likely to accept a narrative coming from a source that not only speaks their language, but also understands their culture and traditions.”
Ms Atamuradova said the centre used powerful messages, such as the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, to oppose violence.
“It provides examples of how terrorist groups such as Daesh are manipulating people’s beliefs, and tells the stories of individuals who were able to escape from Daesh and the hardships they faced under their rule,” she said.
The centre targets people aged 15 to 35.
“The core objective is to provide a counter-narrative on social media where ISIL, like other terrorist groups, have developed fairly sophisticated strategies for transmitting ideology and recruitment,” said Sabahat Khan, senior analyst at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
“ISIL’s online operations have especially targeted vulnerable audience segments such as youth and, as we have observed recently, women.
“As such, it forms part of a mosaic of efforts to make sure ISIL does not go unanswered on various social media platforms in relation to specific demographic audiences.”
One of the centre’s early campaigns focused on National Pride, highlighting the uniqueness and variety of Middle East countries to spur unity and help to counteract radical thinking that obstructs the progress and prosperity of nations.
Other online content by the centre that was named after the Arabic word for “the right and spiritual path”, includes news, analysis and religious content.
“It is an important building block of the counter-Daesh strategy,” said Aaron Reese, senior analyst at the Delma Institute.
“A centre dedicated to countering Daesh’s narratives that operates within the region and can draw on the authority of religious leaders is crucial.
“The United States, for example, can’t speak on these issues with the same level of authority that a UAE-based institution can.”
In the coming months, Sawab plans to broadcast campaigns filled with hope.
“The brainwashing by ISIL and its online propaganda allows us to gain more followers,” the centre said.
“All those who share a rejection of this ideology must join hands to come up with positive content to allow for a better countering of this propaganda.”
The US can’t speak on these issues with the same level of authority that a UAE-based institution can