Terror attacks are increasing in number. In the past few weeks we have had bombings across Belgium, Iraq, Nigeria, Turkey and Pakistan, to name but a few.
One thing that is clear about the groups behind these attacks is that their recruiting strategies are alarmingly effective.
Militant groups are able to understand their target audience and their specific need and motive structure.
With this knowledge and the incorporation of both online and offline marketing tactics, militant groups have managed to recruit extensively in North Africa, Europe and Asia.
A study conducted in North Africa, based on a sample of 2,000 people, showed that 13.5 per cent of the sample – both women, and men – would consider armed resistance.
These are young people, generally around 20. These people are either unemployed or in temporary employment.
Most of them have lost faith in their government due to factors like corruption, and economic and political instability. They have little knowledge of Islam. They feel that they no longer belong to a country, but to a religion, and that this religion is under threat and needs to be defended. This, of course, is a completely false interpretation of what Islam is.
They have no hope and no trust in their government, which they perceive as corrupt.
They would go to whoever gives them a leeway or something to do. And in this case, the militant groups have been able to fill that void.
In North Africa, ISIL offers around $700 (Dh2,570) per person as an incentive. They also give them the chance to participate in creating an “uncorrupted Islamic state”.
What groups such as ISIL are doing through social media is a two-stage process where during the first stage they will convince their audience that a Muslim is above all a Muslim and does not belong to a specific nation such as Libya, Morocco or Algeria.
In the second stage – through showing unbearable images of cruelty taking place in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan – they seek to illustrate that Islam as a religion is under attack and needs to be defended. There is also a lot of propaganda about how great an experience it is to live under ISIL rule.
Very often women are the target of these campaigns, which show that women are allowed freedom. ISIL taps into their desire for adventure and some sort of freedom away from the restrictions of family.
What you see on television is short, crisp and clean and does not dwell on the details of what exactly is happening on the ground.
The role of self-censorship by some television networks has prevented people from seeing the truth. Hence credibility in broadcast media has slipped.
In contrast, social media has so far been completely uncensored. Videos from conflict zones are constantly being uploaded and shared.
These videos show the real nature of war and all its collaterals.
There is a recurrent plot: images of civilian casualties, often children falling under the fire of heavily armed western superpowers and their allies.
Sadly, these images are often an accurate representation of the live reality on the ground for most people living in these conflict zones.
I am not an advocate of censorship. How would you feel, for instance, if censorship prevented your child from telling you that they were being bullied?
There is a need to counter these images. This involves things such as NGOs on the ground helping out, schools being built and people being cured – showing that it is not all war and blood after all. Most importantly, religious authorities should embrace social media and make it their primary mission to convey the fundamentally peaceful message of Islam.
Dr Nicolas Hamelin is an associate professor of marketing at S P Jain School of Global Management
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
SPECS
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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