I saw City of Ghosts a few months ago. You guys are hella brave, and you deserve support in challenging the ISIS media campaign. I don't have a lot of faith in Silicon Valley, though. They seem to be mostly a collection of women-hating nihilists and libertarians, people who are unlikely to get behind a campaign unless they can see what's in it for them. I hope to be proven wrong.
12
ISIS remains popular because we don't call it what it is, a group of sad-ists in masquerade. Very few people would be willing to tell their families that they are going to join the sad-ists. Many people can and do say that they are leaving to spread the word of god.
3
The genesis of ISIS and ISIL is the intervention mindset of the world powers including but not limited to the United States, Russia, NATO, now Saudi Arabia &tc. Foreign Intervention breeds reaction whether domestic [Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan] or foreign [New York, Paris and London terrorist attacks]. See my comment “I ain’t got no quarrel with ISIS” at
http://deyanbrashich.com/home/2017/7/5/i-aint-got-no-quarrel-with-isis.html
http://deyanbrashich.com/home/2017/7/5/i-aint-got-no-quarrel-with-isis.html
I am amazed by the quiet dignity of Abdalaziz Alhamza in this video, and of other Syrians I read on this paper. He is soft-spoken and slim-looking, yet so brave. With everything they have to go through, and the horrors of ISIS, I am not sure I will be able to carry on like they do under those circumstances. That speak volumes for the Syrian people.
I do think U.S. should be responsible because I too see the U.S. invasion of Iraq leads to the rise of ISIS. The rhetoric of the Trump Administration on Syrian refugees is just so heartbreaking because they would be in their homes without the Iraq invasion.
I do think U.S. should be responsible because I too see the U.S. invasion of Iraq leads to the rise of ISIS. The rhetoric of the Trump Administration on Syrian refugees is just so heartbreaking because they would be in their homes without the Iraq invasion.
7
Incredible piece. Thank you to the NYT for publishing it. And thank you to Abdalaziz Alhamza for his courage in producing it. If he and we do not have hope then we are all finished.
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Adiyaman, Turkey (a small province in the east the southern border of which is the Euphrates River). That was 1964-66. The local population was mostly Kurds. So I have some experience and a great deal of affinity to and affection for the peoples of the region. What has been happening in recent years is absolutely heartbreaking. Our government bears no small responsibility for the disaster that has befallen the region after our naive and wrong-headed invasion of Iraq. Thousands and thousands of us protested before the invasion. Sadly, the American media chose not to report accurately the size and intensity of the opposition. We have a lot of blood on our collective hands. I hope Alhambra's bravery is not in vain. May Allah protect him.
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Adiyaman, Turkey (a small province in the east the southern border of which is the Euphrates River). That was 1964-66. The local population was mostly Kurds. So I have some experience and a great deal of affinity to and affection for the peoples of the region. What has been happening in recent years is absolutely heartbreaking. Our government bears no small responsibility for the disaster that has befallen the region after our naive and wrong-headed invasion of Iraq. Thousands and thousands of us protested before the invasion. Sadly, the American media chose not to report accurately the size and intensity of the opposition. We have a lot of blood on our collective hands. I hope Alhambra's bravery is not in vain. May Allah protect him.
14
I interviewed Alhamza earlier today. https://youtu.be/cA_YDxpOXcg People in his city are worried what will replace ISIS. The ground forces that are attacking are the SDF, mostly Kurds. They are admired by many in the West for their women fighters and interest in Marxism, but in the areas they run orders come down from the top and other parties have no say. They are also mostly Syrian Kurds while Raqqa is mostly Arab. Liberation from ISIS is fine, but it should not be replaced with an occupation. Raqqa was actually the first city that liberated itself from the Assad regime and ran itself nicely for a couple of years. That self-rule should be restored and imitated.
3
Bombs will never defeat centuries old very general craving for an Islamist state, with Shariaa et all, that ISIS now stands for now!
Should ever bombs defeat a general public yearning it would not have defeated the USA in Viet Nam
Public will ,perseverance, fortitude, beliefs are never defeated by bombs
It is high time for the USA to understand that .
America does not have to sacrifice more blood and treasure indefinetly ...it can understand,the Establishment allowing, what the general American public did!
Waging war on ideas, beliefs, doctrines and public will invariably result in a short term temporary defeat of beliefs and a long term defeat of the American general public .
Once the war arrives at the doors of the establishment, Bush Jr had three deferments to avoid conscription, the Establshment will find recourse in mercenaries UNTILL they bank rupt America and face an unprecedented public uprising of those paying, in blood and treasure, fot its imperialist wars.
Should ever bombs defeat a general public yearning it would not have defeated the USA in Viet Nam
Public will ,perseverance, fortitude, beliefs are never defeated by bombs
It is high time for the USA to understand that .
America does not have to sacrifice more blood and treasure indefinetly ...it can understand,the Establishment allowing, what the general American public did!
Waging war on ideas, beliefs, doctrines and public will invariably result in a short term temporary defeat of beliefs and a long term defeat of the American general public .
Once the war arrives at the doors of the establishment, Bush Jr had three deferments to avoid conscription, the Establshment will find recourse in mercenaries UNTILL they bank rupt America and face an unprecedented public uprising of those paying, in blood and treasure, fot its imperialist wars.
ISIS’ strong suit, from an ideological view, is that it claims that even if it fails to achieve the caliphate of its design, it is still worth fighting for, dying for, AND killing for—the intersection of temporal and spiritual ends.
Clearly it's beneficial that a group like RBSS work to counter ISIS' horrendous approach to life. To defeat ISIS, a better idea is needed, as is always the case with one idea that needs to be changed or undermined.
It's so distressing that little along the lines of RBSS apparently exists. After untold sums spent on military "solutions" which should be secondary to undermining the idea of ISIS, Al Qaeda or any of the so-called "terrorist" organizations, taking on these groups with a better idea is the solution. What our government is doing along these lines is hardly enough, it seems to me.
It's so distressing that little along the lines of RBSS apparently exists. After untold sums spent on military "solutions" which should be secondary to undermining the idea of ISIS, Al Qaeda or any of the so-called "terrorist" organizations, taking on these groups with a better idea is the solution. What our government is doing along these lines is hardly enough, it seems to me.
1
Bombs and the Kurdish/Arab fighters trained by the YPG/YPJ/SDF seem to be doing a pretty good job at the moment: Kurds doing the heavy lifting and dying, USMC and SOF pounding the ground, and USAF punching holes in walls.
6
The Kurds' expertise has always been exploited, ill -used.
They consistently do ' the heavy lifting' .
But when all is calm?
Sidelined and Forgotten.
They consistently do ' the heavy lifting' .
But when all is calm?
Sidelined and Forgotten.
7
Social Media sites should have an oversight board regarding materials not to be published. We already do that with pedophilia and other unacceptable ideas.
However, we must be very careful as to what is unacceptable. The board should consist of a wide array of beliefs on and need a super majority to ban the site.
We must guard against the norms that banned "Catcher in the Rye." We need to be very specific as to what few areas are reprehensible and make it difficult to add new areas.
This should be somewhat easy using the UN and having consequences for countries not following through.
However, we must be very careful as to what is unacceptable. The board should consist of a wide array of beliefs on and need a super majority to ban the site.
We must guard against the norms that banned "Catcher in the Rye." We need to be very specific as to what few areas are reprehensible and make it difficult to add new areas.
This should be somewhat easy using the UN and having consequences for countries not following through.
2
My sentiments exactly. The same with North Korea. We should be bombing these outlaw states not with explosives but with information. Never was it so true that the pen is mightier than the sword. Get the troops out. Build one less aircraft carrier. Dump most of our nuclear arms and most of our military budget and drop leaflets and the internet on them along with millions of smartphones. Guess that wouldn't make Lockheed rich but sacrifices must be made.
9
You are an inspiration to everyone. I wish the rest of the Islamic world shared your activism against ISIS.
15
Don't under estimate the effectiveness of a gun to defeat ISIS. They are a very small group of determined people. They terrorize cities where the population could easily overwhelm them. They control the larger group thru brutality and propaganda. No population can be controlled by a small group of people, physically. So pick up a gun, cast your life to the wind and defend your home. That's really how you defeat ISIS.
4
I do not quite understand what this journalist is doing. Doesn't ISIS gleefully and eagerly expose their own atrocities for all the world to see online - without help? Didn't Silicon Valley inadvertently empower ISIS by providing them with endless social media platforms to proselytize and recruit, and now the valley is going to fight this menace? I'm confused. In the meantime, I implore this brave journalist to grab a gun and fight for his country - even as he's tweeting - and the US, allies and opposition forces will continue bombing.
3
Read the article. The point he makes is that ISIS is portraying his city as the paradise jihadis can look forward to if they join ISIS. His group's work contradicts that view through media. And his call from help is appropriate: Silicon Valley, where I live, didn't start the fire but they can play a large role in stopping it.
Re: your gun comment. Spoken like someone who has never been in a war. How much effect is one or a few untrained civilians (or even well trained SEAL, Green Beret, etc.) going to have against a well-funded large military movement? Wars are won by more complicated strategies than merely fighting -- also via diplomacy, economic measures, media, etc.
Re: your gun comment. Spoken like someone who has never been in a war. How much effect is one or a few untrained civilians (or even well trained SEAL, Green Beret, etc.) going to have against a well-funded large military movement? Wars are won by more complicated strategies than merely fighting -- also via diplomacy, economic measures, media, etc.
19
Intelligence and courage stand up to chaotic fantasy. This is a remarkable group.
35
The courage and bravery of you and your colleagues are beyond any words which can fully express the weight and gravity of the risks you are taking to expose the truth.
42
These are the people our government and citizens should be supporting. Their faces should be in every newspaper and on every cable talk-show. An ideology such as radical Islam cannot be killed but it can crumble when exposed to the light of day. Liberals should be speaking out loud and clear against the horrors of Islamism and in support of freethinkers, dissidents, secular Muslims and religious reformers everywhere. But unfortunately America is sunk in a stupid debate between racists who think that Islam is a skin color and useful idiots who argue it is "the religion of peace". And meanwhile people are dying...
23
Thank you, Abdalaziz!
26
You are extremely courageous to dissent isis. I would have fled.
Would isis ever have emerged if the usa had never invaded Iraq?
Would the repressive regime in Iran ever have emerged had the usa not deposed Mossadegh?
Would the Saudis be so brazen in their repressive laws & propagation of violence had not the usa enshrined them as the benevolent kingdom of petroleum & supplied their weapons?
Would the world, & the Middle East not have been a more peaceful, safe place had the usa & Europe left Islam alone?
To what extent did western invasions of Islam cause the very problems those same powers seek to fix with further military action?
Is any of Trumps rhetoric & posturing going to remotely preserve anyone from ongoing blowback.
What an unbelievable horror on all sides there, & it seems as if it's destined to go on for another thousand years.
Would isis ever have emerged if the usa had never invaded Iraq?
Would the repressive regime in Iran ever have emerged had the usa not deposed Mossadegh?
Would the Saudis be so brazen in their repressive laws & propagation of violence had not the usa enshrined them as the benevolent kingdom of petroleum & supplied their weapons?
Would the world, & the Middle East not have been a more peaceful, safe place had the usa & Europe left Islam alone?
To what extent did western invasions of Islam cause the very problems those same powers seek to fix with further military action?
Is any of Trumps rhetoric & posturing going to remotely preserve anyone from ongoing blowback.
What an unbelievable horror on all sides there, & it seems as if it's destined to go on for another thousand years.
18
"Would isis ever have emerged if the usa had never invaded Iraq?”
While the U.S. should not have invaded Iraq or pushed Baathists out of the Iraqi army and civilian professional positions, Americans did try to get all Iraqis to work together to rebuild their country. Iranians are Shia, as are most Iraqis. Saddam Hussein and most of the Baathists were Sunni. Iran did not want Iraqi Shia to work with Iraqi Sunni.
Iran and its proxies in Iraq were able to marginalize and murder a great many Iraqi Sunni. As a result of Iranian meddling in Iraqi affairs, some Sunni (particularly former Baathist army brass) helped form ISIS.
Iran’s interference in Iraqi reconstruction led to the formation of ISIS.
While the U.S. should not have invaded Iraq or pushed Baathists out of the Iraqi army and civilian professional positions, Americans did try to get all Iraqis to work together to rebuild their country. Iranians are Shia, as are most Iraqis. Saddam Hussein and most of the Baathists were Sunni. Iran did not want Iraqi Shia to work with Iraqi Sunni.
Iran and its proxies in Iraq were able to marginalize and murder a great many Iraqi Sunni. As a result of Iranian meddling in Iraqi affairs, some Sunni (particularly former Baathist army brass) helped form ISIS.
Iran’s interference in Iraqi reconstruction led to the formation of ISIS.
6
Ann, THANK YOU for your informed response. There is no doubt that the US led invasion of Iraq caused disruption, however, accusations that place blame on the US for the current state of affairs are naive. US soldiers risked their lives to bring water, electricity, medical care, education and a government structure to the people. They stood side by side with Iraqis in order to train them to defend themselves. We poured billions of dollars into a foreign land while our own people were loosing jobs and our infrastructure declined. Was our foreign strategy always effective? Absolutely not, but the locals and neighboring countries are responsible for their failure to thrive, not the US. Has it occurred to anyone that it is in the best economic interest of the stable countries to perpetuate the status quo? Who wants to compete with Iraq as a healthy oil producing nation?????
1
...or pushed Baathists out of the Iraqi army and civilian professional positions... You admit that the debaathification program was a disaster which funneled a trained cadre of professionals into ISIS. Without those professionals ISIS would never have succeeded. To then blame it all on Iran is a gross simplification which lets the US off of the hook.
4
Thank you so much for speaking out - and Thank you, New York Times for this article that is SO right on. Here in Europe, it seems that nearly all the terrorist attacks have been from radicalization on the internet. Not for the most part from religious extremists - but from radicalized, angry misfits. Bombing and violence only encourages more hatred and breeds more violence in response. Stop the information and radicalization these angry young men are getting on-line as they isolate themselves from normal society and that will be the most important and significant step to help end this cycle.
29
You are very brave all of you! It is heartbreaking to see what you've risked and sacrificed. Thank you for all you've done. I hope Silicon Valley, and the world, take notice of your message and act. We are all human brothers and sisters and cannot forsake those in dire need.
26
I am in awe of your bravery. You deserve any help anyone can give. Thank you sounds so pathetic, but what else can I do?
19
I'm sorry sir, but there's something profoundly wrong when you have to 'persuade' or 'convince' people that violence and murder is wrong. You shouldn't have to 'persuade' someone against the 'hypocrisy and lies' of some 'media campaign,' that's all beside the point. Normal people don't have to be persuaded that violence is wrong, not to mention horrific murder. There's something wrong with people who have to be 'persuaded' and your whole essay rings extremely hollow.
1
Agreed. Normal people should not have to be convinced to oppose violence. Unfortunately, young men have grown up on a region marked with chaos and horrendous violence. They have not had access to uncensored information. The trauma that is their life has convinced them that survival depends on joining the 'in' group-isis. They don't have the same thought processes we do and need reminders that follow a familiar format to counteract their impulses. Bravo to the young men risking their lives to help in any way possible. It is more than I can do.
2
What better idea could there be.
Countering fantasy with facts, that are available through the same channels used by the propagators of completely misleading fantasy, is the best way to fight ISIS and to fight Republicans right here in the US (one doesn't have to equate one with the other to recognize how two entities use fantasy to co-opt the ill-informed to cause self-inflicted damage as well as using them to damage others).
Internet for ISIS. Fox for the Republican Party. Doing it is harder than saying it. But the bravery and foresight of heroes like Mr. Abdalaziz Alhamaza, provides guidance.
Countering fantasy with facts, that are available through the same channels used by the propagators of completely misleading fantasy, is the best way to fight ISIS and to fight Republicans right here in the US (one doesn't have to equate one with the other to recognize how two entities use fantasy to co-opt the ill-informed to cause self-inflicted damage as well as using them to damage others).
Internet for ISIS. Fox for the Republican Party. Doing it is harder than saying it. But the bravery and foresight of heroes like Mr. Abdalaziz Alhamaza, provides guidance.
6
The use of nonviolent measures to promote social change, or to respond to international conflict, to say nothing of international terrorism, is in its infancy. Abdalaziz Alhamza & RBSS lead the way!
20
Mr. Alhamza and his colleagues have demonstrated courage in the face of unspeakable horror. I wish we had a president who could acknowledge this courage and give them real support. That would defend the West and its values far more than bombs and bombast.
33
America has totally failed in the propaganda war. The food and leaflets dropped in Ww2 and the red Cross packages brought hope and courage to Europe, China and Japanese occupied territories.
10
You ARE the hope. Well done.
21
The author of this piece seems a bit confused. He says:
"We continue our mission in the hope that one day our words and images will defeat their weapons."
The words and images will not defeat ISIS' weapons. Such exposure will allow countries and governments with guns and bombs to justify taking lethal action in the name of humanity, morality, and justice. Therefore, by definition, it will be bombs that will, in fact, defeat ISIS.
"We continue our mission in the hope that one day our words and images will defeat their weapons."
The words and images will not defeat ISIS' weapons. Such exposure will allow countries and governments with guns and bombs to justify taking lethal action in the name of humanity, morality, and justice. Therefore, by definition, it will be bombs that will, in fact, defeat ISIS.
2
Since the residents must be more than ISIS, if they don't like what had befell them. Then they must organize their resistance to the not-welcomed new comers. The Raggan resistance fighters should ask and must be assisted by the rest of the world. But you if love your city, then, don't let outsiders, whether the Asssad regime or the coalition forces,destroy it, as they did to Mosul! Be careful from falling victim to the practice: to liberate a city you've to destroy it! Good luck
Amazing, incredible, heroic. I would not have known about your efforts had this article not been published. God bless.
14
Yes , the work you and your fellow citizen journalists are doing is brave, commendable, and extraordinary.
I wish many world leaders would learn from this. The fight against Isis is an ideological one, a propaganda war. It cannot be won with bullets and bombs, but with minds.
I wish many world leaders would learn from this. The fight against Isis is an ideological one, a propaganda war. It cannot be won with bullets and bombs, but with minds.
16
Thank you all for your bravery and diligence. I hope my/the US government does all that it can to assist you. You are our hope.
52
Brave citizen! I salute you and your friends who are risking so much to expose these dangerous and seductive lies. I urge support for your efforts from our government. (though i don't have much faith in the US govt right now.) Be strong and safe.
73
Fantastic, the world is alive, thanks!!!
28
Your courage is effective, necessary, and inspiring. Thank you.
65
Right on the mark. Our federal government should support this approach, just like the old Voice of America.
42