Yesterday AQIM released a new video
titled “The Blessed Incursion”, which offers a good example of how jihadi
culture and aesthetics can shed light on ideological orientations and
allegiances. Basically the film incorporates several aesthetic elements that
are more closely associated with the Islamic State than with al-Qaida, thus
suggesting that AQIM may be drifting into the IS fold. Several jihadism
observers pointed this out on Twitter last night:
Une nouvelle vidéo d’#AQMI au Nord du #Mali reprend les chants et tous les codes de communication de l’#EI. pic.twitter.com/eNkg45dorz
— Romain Caillet (@RomainCaillet) September 3, 2015
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Détail significatif : les combats se déroulent avec en fond sonore “Qariban qariban”, un chant de référence de l’#EI pic.twitter.com/GZ9PK2npZq
— Romain Caillet (@RomainCaillet) September 3, 2015
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Après les combats, un audio de Zarqawi est diffusé renforçant l’idée d’un positionnement pro-#EI de cette unité AQMI pic.twitter.com/xXYpn6a9vo
— Romain Caillet (@RomainCaillet) September 3, 2015
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1. Based solely on its aesthetic, new Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb video is clearly signaling an alliance with ISIS pic.twitter.com/ND9Bzj8PpM
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) September 3, 2015
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2. Chant heard includes lyrics Qariban Qariba (Soon! Soon!) which has become ISIS’ theme song. (Texas shooters tweeted phrase pre-attack)
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) September 3, 2015
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3. The desert fatigues and black masks is also aping the look of ISIS videos from Syria and Iraq
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) September 3, 2015
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6. In many ways this looks like the evolution we saw with Boko Haram propaganda, just before their announced merger with ISIS
— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) September 3, 2015
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The Youtube link to the AQIM video is currently broken, but you can hear the nashid “Qariban Qariba” here and read Aymenn al-Tamimi’s translation here.
