Originally published by al-Qaeda, Daesh has updated a guide for carrying out "lone wolf" attacks. Entitled "Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen and Small Cells," the 64-page English-language manual includes tips on how to avoid detection while operating in the West.
"No doubt that today, at the era of the lone wolves, brothers in the West need to know some important things about safety in order to ensure success in their operations," the guide reads. "We thought a lot of non-Arabic speaking brothers would find it interesting and may apply it in their blessed operations."
To avoid "looking like a Muslim," the book recommends that would-be terrorists shave off their beards, avoid prayer meetings and mosques, and even wear Christian crosses around their necks.
"If you can avoid having a beard, wearing qamis, using miswak and having a booklet of dhikr with you, it’s better," the manual reads, adding that "it is permissible to wear a necklace showing a Christian cross."
"As you know, Christians – or even atheist Westerners with Christian background – wear crosses on their necklaces. But don’t wear a cross necklace if you have a Muslim name on your passport, as that may look strange."
The manual also provides advice on which cologne to wear.
"If you want to use perfume, don’t use the oily, non-alcoholic perfume that Muslims use, instead use generic alcoholic perfume as everyone does, and if you are a man, use perfume for men."
Watches and jewelry could also give away a militant’s intentions.
"If you are wearing a watch, don’t wear it on your right hand, as this is a sign that you are religious," the guide reads. "If you have an engagement ring or something like that, it’s better to wear one in gold or better yet, don’t wear any ring at all.
"A silver ring could tell you are religious, as Islam forbids wearing gold rings for men."
The booklet also offers tips for executing an attack. When plotting, it recommends "a nightclub, because of the loud music, the drunk people and the crowd, could actually be a good location to secretly discuss the details of an operation."
One chapter explains which mobile apps are best to use to avoid being monitored and tells would-be jihadists to avoid phrases that could give them away.
"No need to be using too much of the usual sentences that religious brothers use, like 'salam alaykum,' 'barakallah feek' or 'jazakallah khayr' and so on," it reads.
While it remains unclear whether the Paris attackers had access to the booklet, reports suggest that Salah Abdeslam and the other gunmen had actively avoided mosques and were drinking alcohol to appear Western.
On November 13 attackers killed 130 people and injured over 360 in Paris, in a series of coordinated attacks at Stade de France, the Bataclan concert hall, and several restaurants.
