'This will be a fresh factor to call all radical militants to join ISIS,' says the head of Indonesia’s National Counter-Terrorism Agency, known by its Indonesian acronym, BNPT
JAKARTA, Indonesia – One of the fiercest Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) cheerleaders and recruiter for jihad in Syria and Iraq, Musa Cerantonio, tweeted on July 1 that he would join the "Khilafah" or Caliphate and jihad in Ash-Sham, a historical name for Syria.
On July 3, he tweeted he had arrived:
Musa Cerantonio @MusaCerantonio
Al-Hamdulillah I have arrived in the land of Khilafah in Ash-Sham! May Allah honor all Muslims during this blessed time with His obedience
Australian born and an effective proselytizer online and on social media, 29-year-old Cerantonio is a Christian convert to Islam, an example of the complex challenges authorities face today.
Authorities from the Philippines and Australia told Rappler Cerantonio had been in the Philippines for nearly a year, sighted in Manila, Cebu and Zamboanga, pushing Muslims on social media to join the jihad.
A recent study said he was one of the two most influential voices providing “inspiration and guidance” to foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq. One in 4 foreign fighters followed Cerantonio’s Twitter account, the study added, and more than 92% of his tweets involved interaction.
Which was what happened when his account, dormant for nearly 3 weeks, tweeted praise and support for the Caliphate announced by ISIS and announced he would travel to join them.
Musa Cerantonio @MusaCerantonio
Al-Hamdulillah the establishment of the Khilafah in this blessed month is a glad tiding for all Muslims and brings great joy to us
Musa Cerantonio @MusaCerantonio
May Allah bless and protect our Imam, our Amir, our Khalifah, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
I will be away for a while but will keep this account open insha'Allah, so if you contact me don't expect a response
Musa Cerantonio @MusaCerantonio
Fresh factorInsha'Allah I will be arriving in Ash-Sham very shortly, keep us in your du'a, getting ready to travel
“This will be a fresh factor to call all radical militants to join ISIS,” said Ansyaad Mbai, the head of Indonesia’s National Counter-Terrorism Agency, known by its Indonesian acronym, BNPT.
More Muslim fighters have now travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight than Afghanistan in the late 80’s, and it’s worrying authorities around the world.
“ISIS will be more dangerous than Afghanistan,” Mbai told me. “We know the situation in Syria and Iraq is now very serious, and there are so many weapons. We know that ISIS had some military training for their fight to establish this Islamic Caliphate. They will be more skillfull.”
Indonesia, the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, has reason to worry. Afghan veterans returned home to Indonesia and established Jemaah Islamiyah or JI, once al-Qaeda’s arm in Southeast Asia.
The Bali bombings in 2002 killed more than 200 people and was followed by annual terrorist attacks until 2005.
Numerous plots and sporadic attacks continued through the years even as authorities dismantled the terror network. Mbai is emphatic when he lumps JI with JAT, Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid, which he calls its latest evolution. He links both groups to ISIS and al-Qaeda.
“The names don’t matter, and they can change,” he said. “When they say they want an Islamic Caliphate, they are part of the same group with the same ideology.”
That ideology is spreading fast on social media, which Mbai called “the new machine to recruit militants.”
For foreign fighters, Cerantonio is among the most effective. His Facebook page is the third “most liked” among fighters, according to the same study.
[Video: How I came to Islam by Musa Cerantonio
Authorities from the Philippines and Australia told Rappler Cerantonio had been in the Philippines for nearly a year, sighted in Manila, Cebu and Zamboanga, pushing Muslims on social media to join the jihad.
He was more effective and active on Facebook, where he taunted authorities on June 27.
“Apparently, the Australian Federal Police are looking for me,” he posted. “Let’s see how well they can hunt.”
“Have fun finding me,” he wrote in another post. “I’ll be waiting for you or whichever dogs you send.”
As late as July 1, sources told Rappler Cerantonio was in the Philippines.
There’s no independent verification of his tweets arriving in “As-Sham,” but his tweets and the reaction online continue to push Muslims to join the jihad.
http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/middle-east/62451-online-musa-cerantonio-isis
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