'IS flag' picture that claims to show refugees attacking police goes viral

[lego 44,165]

'Isis flag' picture that claims to show refugees attacking police goes viral — and is a lie

The image has been picked up by a range of right-wing outlets, including the Conservative Post, and has been shared tens of thousands of times since. That site said that it was a "new leaked picture" that "confirmed" its claims about Isis smuggling in agents among refugees.

The images confirm a theory that has taken hold among many right-wing sites — that Isis is using the Syrian refugee crisis to bring thousands of terrorists into Europe, among people who are fleeing the group.

 

The picture appears to have come from protests in Bonn in May 2012. The protest began as one by a then ascendant far-right political party in the country, and the Muslims in the picture were part of a counter-protest.

Other uploads were around at the same time, confirming that the picture is just over three years old.

Video of what appears to be the same protest — at an anti-Islam rally in Bonn — can be seen on YouTube. The footage was uploaded on 2012, and appear to come from the same year — long before the flag took off as a widely-understood symbol of Isis.

 

Those people aren’t necessarily waving the flag in any way connected with Isis. As many ****ysts have pointed out, the organisation took on the symbol partly because it was already a well-established icon, and had been used by other groups.

“They want to align themselves with other movements and place themselves in a jihadist context,” Charlie Winter, a researcher at the Quilliam Foundation, told The Independent earlier this summer. “The shahada and the Prophet’s seal are important symbols that all Muslims share.

"So, by co-opting words which have nothing to do with jihadism, they [Isis] broaden themselves and try to claim ideological territory that they wouldn’t be able to if they had something specific.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/isis-flag-picture-that-claims-to-show-refugees-attacking-police-goes-viral--and-is-a-lie-10501290.html

 

 

[SlaeUrAnus 16,111]

I knew it was fake anyway. However, I am still certain there are hundreds of ISIS jihadists invading Europe disguised as poor refugees. 

[Didymus 34,380]

If ISIS is smuggling members they won't have any materials with them that will identify them as such (I mean, they're not stupid no matter what people like to believe about them). The danger begins when they're settled within the country and get in touch with local members or find a way to dangerous materials.

So in the end, it's gonna be the same exact problem as always that will require the same solutions (that, in all seriousness, have worked in more than one country for years now to identify terrorists and prevent their plans) and the refugee crisis is not a special threat in any possible way.

It's funny how right wing groups and ISIS basically have the same goal: scare people. And when people try to scare you, you should always ask yourself: "why?". Scared people are easy to manipulate.

[lego 44,165]

It's funny how right wing groups and ISIS basically have the same goal: scare people. And when people try to scare you, you should always ask yourself: "why?". Scared people are easy to manipulate.

 

It's like a collaboration. Everything IS says or does gives right wing groups more fuel and material and when they don't have any, they'll fake it. 

 

[SychosSoChic 9,995]

On the one hand, yeah I get the fear of terrorists getting into your country, and know there is a great risk.

But being paranoid and scared and attacking people who literally have nothing, especially when you're not 100% certain that the people are part of ISIS, is only giving ISIS what they want. 

Europe and all its people are being watched by the world right now, how they handle this could end up being talked about in history books. The Western world can't let fear and paranoia get to them like this. There needs to be a show of unity, or a show of being against taking in the the refugees, or there should just plain and simple, not be a show at all. There can be no middle ground. Like I said before: Help them, or send them back. Apathy is death, don't claim to help the refugees if you're not going to protect them from right wing BS like this.

Europe needs to be strong and united in this. Germany's efforts mean nothing if the UK intends to just send them all back, just an example.

Empathy, Charity and all those lovely things will lose all meaning if the people you're supposed to be helping feel like they were better off in their war torn homeland. 

[craig 680]

Live by the emotive pic, die by the emotive pic. That's the problem of making decisions by emotions. One day it's a dying refugee child, the next month it could be some terrorist atrocity.

[Didymus 34,380]

It's like a collaboration. Everything IS says or does gives right wing groups more fuel and material and when they don't have any, they'll fake it. 

Which leads people to come up with conspiracy theories such as: the U.S. and Europe actually want this to happen because there's no real imminent danger but we can use the public anxiety to have an excuse to bomb Syria and take over the Middle East, basically. All the resources in the hand of the West? Sounds plausible enough to me.

But in any case, that theory aside, you're completely right. Have you ever heard of "The Khorasan Group"? It was a fake Muslim terrorist group made up by the Obama administration to justify the bombing of Syria against ISIS in 2014 (which would otherwise be impossible to legitimize without a real threat to the U.S. and without U.N. support). It was all over the news, backed by administration officials just to create a public fear that would lead to support for unnecessary warfare.

They even faked military victories against these groups (just using written reports without evidence) to convince the people that the attacks were necessary and successful and should continue. Eventually, when ISIS disappeared into the background, newspaper journalists started to question even the existence of the group and news channels, within a few days, changed their whole narrative of the group from "they're in the last stages of planning an attack" to "there is no concrete evidence for an attack". Eventually former terrorism federal prosecutor proclaimed the whole thing to be a scam.

And this ladies and gentlemen, is why we need to fear our own governments as much as ISIS. It seems to me that the events are actually in governments' favor rather than not.

[lego 44,165]

Live by the emotive pic, die by the emotive pic. That's the problem of making decisions by emotions. One day it's a dying refugee child, the next month it could be some terrorist atrocity.

Isn't that what you right wingers are trying to do tho?

Mess up with people's emotions,bring more fear of foreigners, scare them with fake pics, make them more xenophobic so they fear every non-white non-Christian person next door? So when they attack or kill them, they can claim paranoia and mental illness? 

 

 

Which leads people to come up with conspiracy theories such as: the U.S. and Europe actually want this to happen because there's no real imminent danger but we can use the public anxiety to have an excuse to bomb Syria and take over the Middle East, basically. All the resources in the hand of the West? Sounds plausible enough to me.

But in any case, that theory aside, you're completely right. Have you ever heard of "The Khorasan Group"? It was a fake Muslim terrorist group made up by the Obama administration to justify the bombing of Syria against ISIS in 2014 (which would otherwise be impossible to legitimize without a real threat to the U.S. and without U.N. support). It was all over the news, backed by administration officials just to create a public fear that would lead to support for unnecessary warfare.

They even faked military victories against these groups (just using written reports without evidence) to convince the people that the attacks were necessary and successful and should continue. Eventually, when ISIS disappeared into the background, newspaper journalists started to question even the existence of the group and news channels, within a few days, changed their whole narrative of the group from "they're in the last stages of planning an attack" to "there is no concrete evidence for an attack". Eventually former terrorism federal prosecutor proclaimed the whole thing to be a scam.

And this ladies and gentlemen, is why we need to fear our own governments as much as ISIS. It seems to me that the events are actually in governments' favor rather than not.

I'm just reading about it here

https://theintercept.com/2015/05/28/called-khorasan-group-doesnt-exist/

I don't know how I missed it.  

Thanks for telling me!

I don't know what or who to believe any more. 

 

[craig 680]

Isn't that what you right wingers are trying to do tho?

Mess up with people's emotions,bring more fear of foreigners, scare them with fake pics, make them more xenophobic so they fear every non-white non-Christian person next door? So when they attack or kill them, they can claim paranoia and mental illness? 

 

Yes, but I'd argue the left appeals to emotions like pity and trying to guilt Westerners for past racism (which works especially well in Germany). Lots of emotive rhetoric suggesting people opposed are Bad People. Not much balanced discussion of likely long-term consequences of a massive Islamic migrant influx.

 Speaking of manipulative images, I saw an article yesterday, arguing that most media pics of refugees are women and children even though the vast majority are young men.

[lego 44,165]

Yes, but I'd argue the left appeals to emotions like pity and trying to guilt Westerners for past racism (which works especially well in Germany). Lots of emotive rhetoric suggesting people opposed are Bad People. Not much balanced discussion of likely long-term consequences of a massive Islamic migrant influx.

 Speaking of manipulative images, I saw an article yesterday, arguing that most media pics of refugees are women and children even though the vast majority are young men.

So do people need to have "the right religion" before you can offer to them help?

And the article is from right wing media?

I've seen pictures from different countries, there is huge number of women, children and old men without limbs on cruches or in wheelchair. And there are young men too, they are someone's sons, brothers and fathers. Vast majority? 

"According to the U.N., more than half of all Syrian refugees are under the age of 18. Most have been out of school for months, if not years.

The youngest are confused and scared by their experiences, lacking the sense of safety and home they need. The older children are forced to grow up too fast, finding work and taking care of their family in desperate circumstances."

http://www.mercycorps.org/articles/turkey-iraq-jordan-lebanon-syria/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-syria-crisis

and those young men, if they come to Europe they're cowards for not fighting ISIS and if they stay there, all Arabs with guns are terrorists and legitimate target, right?

It's funny how right wing media was spreading all IS propaganda, videos and photos of burning people alive, beheading and crucifying civilians, Western world was horrified "oh if we could somehow help those civiliand out of the conflict!"

And now that they come to West, "oh sorry we have no money or space, we spent the last billions on bombing you guys". 

 

[Luc 4,776]

So do people need to have "the right religion" before you can offer to them help?

And the article is from right wing media?

I've seen pictures from different countries, there is huge number of women, children and old men without limbs on cruches or in wheelchair. And there are young men too, they are someone's sons, brothers and fathers. Vast majority? 

"According to the U.N., more than half of all Syrian refugees are under the age of 18. Most have been out of school for months, if not years.

The youngest are confused and scared by their experiences, lacking the sense of safety and home they need. The older children are forced to grow up too fast, finding work and taking care of their family in desperate circumstances."

http://www.mercycorps.org/articles/turkey-iraq-jordan-lebanon-syria/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-syria-crisis

and those young men, if they come to Europe they're cowards for not fighting ISIS and if they stay there, all Arabs with guns are terrorists and legitimate target, right?

It's funny how right wing media was spreading all IS propaganda, videos and photos of burning people alive, beheading and crucifying civilians, Western world was horrified "oh if we could somehow help those civiliand out of the conflict!"

And now that they come to West, "oh sorry we have no money or space, we spent the last billions on bombing you guys". 

 

It is true though that media in general uses pics of women and kids mostly eventhough the majority of the refugees coming to Europe are adult men. This is to make people feel more emotions. Not necessarily propaganda or done with a left-wing agenda, but to make their newspaper frontpage more emotional to sell more.

[Melech 9,900]

I live in Bonn. Oh Bonn. :Flop:

[Melech 9,900]

Anyway i live in Bonn and we have the biggest Islamist scene in Germany. Wouldn't be surprised if those people are in fact Isis supporters 

[Qualle1 1,385]

These scumbags are Salafis - and most of them are "ready to use violence" Islamists.