- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Arabic Social Media In Europe More Supportive of IS Than in Syria, Iraq

© REUTERS / StringerThe Islamic State is a radical Sunni group, currently controlling large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria.
The Islamic State is a radical Sunni group, currently controlling large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Arabic-speaking social media in Europe is more positive about the Islamic State (IS) than social media in Syria and Iraq, and numbers of European pro-IS users increased significantly over the period from July to October 2014.

Some 2,000 Britons have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, the Telegraph reported Sunday, citing UK Member of Parliament Khalid Mahmood. - Sputnik International
UK Official Claims 2,000 Britons Fight for Islamic State: Reports
MOSCOW, November 28 (Sputnik) — Arabic-speaking social media in Europe is more positive about the Islamic State (IS) than social media in Syria and Iraq, a report that analyzed 2 million posts in Arabic-language social net-space, revealed Friday.

Although European pro-IS users of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, remain in a minority, their numbers increased significantly over the period from July to October 2014, according to the study as quoted by The Guardian.

Some 31 percent of Arab-speaking users in Belgium support IS activity. 24 percent of pro-IS posts have come from the United Kingdom, and around 21 percent — from the United States and France, according to the report.

At least 28 Danish people were receiving unemployment benefits from the Denmark’s government while fighting for Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. - Sputnik International
World
Danish IS Fighters in Syria Paid Unemployment Benefits From Home: Report
However, relatively few pro-IS online posts were made in Syria and Iraq. Only 7.6 percent of Syrian social media users backed IS, while Iraq IS supporters' number was greater at 19.7 percent.

The overall majority of IS supporters in Europe and the Middle East (37.5 percent), claim that the militants are defending Islam, while 26.2 percent approved of the IS" vow to convert people to Islam. Only 8.3 percent of posts backed IS activity due to its anti-West position.

Of those who are critical of IS in their posts, 32.8 percent say that the militants distort Islam and misinterpret the Quran, while 28.9 percent condemn their violence. Only 4.7 percent criticized the IS for their terrorist activities.

The IS, a Sunni extremist group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern and western Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала