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"Shami Witness" Arrested in India

"Shami Witness", the prolific tweeter about ISIS who was outed Friday by a British news channel, has been arrested in India. He's being investigated for a violation of the Information Technology Act.

Mehdi Masroor Biswas, the person behind Twitter handle "@shamiwitness", is a 24-year-old engineer who worked for a multinational in Bengaluru, police said. He moved to the city in 2011 and stays in Bengaluru's upscale southeast suburb. Police said he is an alumnus of West Bengal Institute of Technology.

Sources say Mehdi did not have any direct link with Al Qaida or Islamic State group and nothing as yet suggests he was in direct touch with any jihadi element....So far, no anti-India activity or tweets posted by Mehdi have been found. Nothing has been found to infer Mehdi suggested any attacks in India, say sources.

[More...]

Who is the old man in the photo depicted on Shami Witness' twitter page? He is Omar al- Mukhtar, a leader of the Muslim resistance in North Africa in the 1920's and 30's, against Mussolini and the Italian army. He was the subject of a Hollywood movie, The Desert Lion, starring Anthony Quinn and Oliver Reed. Here's an interesting description of his life, capture and execution.

One famous quote from al-Mukhtar:

I shall not cease to fight against you and your people until either you leave my country or I leave my life...

Here's a photo of his execution by hanging in 1931.

Many prominent researchers and analysts followed and quoted Shami Witness. When he first started writing, he wrote mostly about Libya. Then he expanded to Egypt, Syria and ISIS. It may be that their endorsement of Shami propelled his popularity on Twitter. Aymenn Jawad al-Tamini wrote yesterday:

Those who say that Shami’s rise was partly facilitated by analysts giving him space to express his views are right: regardless of agreeing with his views or not, his prominence was increased.

al-Tamini also says:

Prior to January 2014, I had given Shami two opportunities for guest posts, one on the emergence of 'Jaysh al-Islam' ... and the other for his more general view of where jihadis fitted into the Syrian civil war dynamics.

In an article about ISIS and Jabhat al Nusrah at Jihadology (cached version here), al-Tamini wrote:

However, it must be recognized that the boundaries between these groups is not at all clear-cut, rather analogous to the fact that Iranian proxy groups in Iraq can serve as mere fronts for one another. In this context, my friend Shami Witness rightly points out that Baghdadi had appointed Shishani as emir of Aleppo, Idlib and Lattakia.(my emphasis.)

In hosting this article by Shami Witness which I've quoted on Talkleft several times, Pieter Van Ostaeyen, an expert on Arabic and jihadi affairs in Belgium, who has had at least one op-ed published in the New York Times, introduced Shami as "a rising star as it concerns Syrian Jihadism."

More praise:

Shami has also been quoted in The Telegraph and the Daily Mail, which describe him as an activist.

I've followed Shami Witness on Twitter since June or July. But for Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, van Ostaeyen and other reputable writers quoting him, hosting his articles and representing he was knowledgeable (even while stating they didn't agree with him) I probably wouldn't have followed him. But I'm interested in learning what ISIS believes and what it wants. I don't think the U.S. government is a reliable source for that, nor do I think the U.S. media, which gets most of its information second hand since it doesn't fraternize with ISIS, really knows. ISIS leaders don't speak to the media and ISIS fighters and fanboys don't speak for ISIS.

While ISIS official media releases and videos are in my view the best source for understanding ISIS and its beliefs and goals, I think a writer like Shami, who is reported by reputable experts to be knowledgeable about ISIS, Syria and Iraq, and who is respected by journalists, analysts and ISIS fighters, is a good secondary source.

Shami Witness did not recruit for ISIS. He was not a member of ISIS. There's no indication he got his information from any official ISIS source. He was followed by so many Western militants, researchers, analysts, journalists and bloggers because of his reputation as being knowledgeable and because (1) his English was very good and (2) he knew who to follow on Twitter to get and tweet out the news faster than most. There's no indication he was paid or compensated by ISIS. Yes, he took ISIS' side in his tweets. But he also disagreed with them at times. Yes, he communicated with some British ISIS fighters and retweeted the accounts of ISIS fighters. Yes he is a propagandist of ISIS views. But as al-Timini says, his role on Twitter was really just one of a disseminator and aggregator of ISIS news.

Can Shami's mere inclusion of his opinion in his reporting of events be against the law? India has not even declared ISIS a terrorist group. I don't recall Shami ever telling readers to go to Sham and sign up to fight with ISIS. Hundreds of tweeters besides Shami posted the beheading videos minutes after they were reported. What's his crime?

Indian authorities held a press conference on Shami's arrest and confirmed that the person who tweets as Shami Witness was arrested at his home. They did not use his name. [Added: In a written press statement, the police did use his name.]

I find ISIS' actions as abhorrent as everyone else does. I think ISIS' views are a twisted interpretation of Islam and that Sharia law is barbaric. But I still say Free Shami Witness. Expressing one's support for an unpopular group one isn't a member of and hasn't provided tangible assistance to should not be a crime.

< Saturday Open Thread | Indian Police Reactivate Shami Witness' Twitter Account >
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  • Display: Sort:
    I am pleased that India (2.00 / 1) (#7)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 09:51:42 AM EST
    took my suggestion.

    For years, a Twitter account bearing the name @ShamiWitness had been one of the most vocal online voices on the war in Syria. The person behind the account -- which had 20,000 followers, including analysts in the Middle East and farther afield -- appeared to have a vast knowledge of the conflict and had a surprisingly polite tone.

    At some point, however, it became clear that Shami Witness wasn't just an observer of the war. By the start of 2014, he had become a big supporter of the Islamic State: On Twitter, he would defend the Sunni militant group from detractors and offer support to people thinking of traveling to join its fight. As the Islamic State beheaded journalists and wrought terror on Iraq and Syria, many people who interacted with him online grew increasingly uncomfortable.

    Link

    Shami Witness, one of ISIS most ardent supporters on Twitter. He was followed by 17,000 people (including 2/3 of foreign fighters) with 2 million views of his tweets each month.

    That goes far beyond commenting.

    He is much a part of ISIS's propaganda machine as Lord Haw Haw was of Germany's.

    Link


    Yes, Jim, they did it just for you (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by Yman on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 11:27:01 AM EST
    Not to mention you "suggested" far more than that.  Not sure what the laws are in India, but what you were "suggesting" was a clear violation of American and international law.  But your newfound respect for the laws of other nations is duly noted.

    Parent
    yes he did suggest more (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:41:37 PM EST
    which is why those comments were deleted.

    Parent
    Jeralyn seemed to understand (none / 0) (#14)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:39:07 PM EST
    What Jim meant.

    As for Shami Witness, I happen to support his right to tweet what he wants. He is not a militant, or a member of ISIS. Suggesting he be "taken out" violates our comment policy.



    Parent
    Jeralyn can delete anything she wants (2.00 / 2) (#23)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 02:58:18 PM EST
    and I never argue any point with her.

    She owns the blog and I am a guest.

    But you ignore my point.

    Shami Witness is acting as a promoter and enabler of ISIS.

    At some point, however, it became clear that Shami Witness wasn't just an observer of the war. By the start of 2014, he had become a big supporter of the Islamic State: On Twitter, he would defend the Sunni militant group from detractors and offer support to people thinking of traveling to join its fight. As the Islamic State beheaded journalists and wrought terror on Iraq and Syria, many people who interacted with him online grew increasingly uncomfortable.

    snip

    Shami Witness cheered when people were beheaded - but when outed by the news, he begged for privacy claiming his life would be endangered.

    -- Shiraz Maher (@ShirazMaher) December 11, 201 4

    Perhaps this says it best:

    In a conflict where much of the battle for hearts and minds has been fought online, perhaps that is appropriate. And it is worth noting that after Channel 4's story went live, a number of other extremist Twitter accounts deleted themselves.

    WaPost

    So it boils down to this. When engaged in war, at what point should government act to shut down supporters of the enemy? And make no mistake. We are engaged in an asymmetrical war with radical islamists of which ISIS is one of several.

    In WWII a popular saying was "Loose lips sink ships."

    That may be a poor analogy but its basic point remains as true now as then.

    Parent

    No, you are ignoring the point (5.00 / 3) (#24)
    by Reconstructionist on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 03:12:26 PM EST
     that every single person who read your original  comment interpreted it to mean you would like to see him killed and therefore thought the media was wrong to protect his identity.

      You seem to have a command of the English language and American idiom, consistently  demonstrating the ability to convey the idea you intend.

       It seems more than disingenuous to claim you have been misinterpreted, but even if so, you should reflect on what mistake you made that would cause EVERYONE to view words as meaning the same thing.

    Parent

    Recon - I am ignoring nothing (2.00 / 1) (#26)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 04:42:39 PM EST
    just saying that I cannot help what others may think.

    And, as I pointed out, I never argue with the owner. It is her blog to do with as she wants.

    But what I do find of interest is that no one wants to debate whether or not a government has the right to shut down a website that it considers to be in violation of the law.

    Parent

    The loose-lips slogan (5.00 / 2) (#25)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 03:46:52 PM EST
    Was for people not to talk about troop movements, where their relatives are fighting, in what theater, etc.

    It wasn't suppose to stifle speech, as you attempt to use it here.

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Parent

    I have many powers (2.00 / 1) (#27)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 05:01:23 PM EST
    but I do not have the power to stifle speech, free or otherwise.

    However, based on what I read, I agree that India should have acted as they did.

    Hat tip to Politalkix

    Now, if you wish to debate instead of just snarking, please tell me why the Indian government acted to shut down what, in mine and many other's opinion, was a propaganda website for the current world's worst killers.

    If you don't, let's just drop it right here because we have nothing to say further.

    Parent

    last i checked, your opinion and $..05, will (5.00 / 2) (#33)
    by cpinva on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 02:56:53 AM EST
    get you a small coffee at McD's.

    "Now, if you wish to debate instead of just snarking, please tell me why the Indian government acted to shut down what, in mine and many other's opinion, was a propaganda website for the current world's worst killers."

    as far as I know, India hasn't declared war against ISIS/IFIL. per ms. merritt above, nor have they (at least publicly) declared those groups to be terrorists. so that's strike one & two. they've also not specified under what section of the Indian Criminal Code justified his arrest. something tells me they are in the process of making one up as we speak.

    yeah, he's obnoxious, and could be accused of producing and delivering for public consumption, propaganda on ISIS/ISIL's behalf, and that appears to be the extent of his involvement with them. again, I await the prosecutor's announcement as the Indian Criminal Statute he allegedly violated.

    so far, it seems he was arrested mostly because he's obnoxious. prove me wrong jim.

    Parent

    Ask and you have received (2.00 / 1) (#35)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 08:33:46 AM EST
    The police have now booked cases against Mehdi under Section 125 of Indian Penal Code for waging war against an Asian power that is in alliance with India (in this case Syria), Sections 18 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 2012, and Section 66-F of the Information Technology Act for cyber terrorism. At a press conference on Saturday, Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi said: "Through his social media propaganda, he abetted IS in its agenda to wage war against Asian powers."

    Link

    Since the above link was posted in my comment #27 I assume you didn't read it.

    And he is beyond being obnoxious. He us an enabler of ISIS. By spouting support for their actions he encourages the young and uninformed to leave their homes and join ISIS. Haven't you been following the news?

    BTW - Where's that nickel coffee? That's a heckuva deal.


    Parent

    How many innocenrts (none / 0) (#36)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 08:36:07 AM EST
    Were saved by this arrest?

    Parent
    Indian law, probably doesn't (none / 0) (#30)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 12:39:13 AM EST
    recognize freedom of speech, and where have I said that the Indian government didn't act under the appropriate laws and statues in arresting him.

    I don't think it's very productive, and probably nothing horrible will happen to him, but please, tell,us all about how this is the right thing to do, and that arresting him will save innocent lives.

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Parent

    actually (none / 0) (#37)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 12:17:03 PM EST
    India does recognize freedom of speech. It's in their constitution. It just has limits.

    Parent
    The limits placed by law on freedom of expression (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Peter G on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 05:50:18 PM EST
    in India appear to be far more stringent than are allowed (on paper at least) in the U.S.

    Parent
    Thanks for the info. (none / 0) (#38)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 01:17:05 PM EST
    I did not take (none / 0) (#10)
    by Reconstructionist on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 10:09:19 AM EST
     your support for "taking him out" to mean that he be charged with an offense by  the government and afforded due process etc.

     That colloquialism is generally used to connote killing.

    Parent

    Perhaps you should have read more (none / 0) (#11)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 10:53:48 AM EST
    But to be nice, maybe we can get the Indian government to just slap him in prison.


    Parent
    If "taking out" internet loudmouths were (none / 0) (#12)
    by Mr Natural on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 10:58:38 AM EST
    legal, the blogosphere would become a virtual ghost town, a few pockets of sanity and little more.

    Parent
    An interesting post. But, (none / 0) (#1)
    by oculus on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 05:26:49 AM EST
    to me, the content is diminished by the photo.  

    A little queasy at the sight (none / 0) (#3)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 06:44:28 AM EST
    Of British justice?

    Parent
    I meant (none / 0) (#4)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 06:46:25 AM EST
    Italian justice.

    Parent
    Fanboy might be a fair characterization (none / 0) (#2)
    by Reconstructionist on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 06:37:52 AM EST
    He may arguably have performed a public service by proving the 39 millionth example of why things on the internet and social media should be received skeptically.  

    CSM

    Channel 4

      Believed to be his own words:

      "I haven't waged war against any allies of India. They might try to bring that charge. I haven't waged war against anybody. I just said stuff, people followed me, then I followed them back and then we talked. I only knew what the IS fighters or sympathisers said in public tweets."

      Playing people for suckers isn't a crime here unless you do it with the intent to make them part with something of value. I don't know Indian law.


    "Words matter" (none / 0) (#5)
    by Mr Natural on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 09:22:02 AM EST
    After Mumbai, that guy's not going to get a lot of sympathy in India.

    Parent
    Sources (none / 0) (#8)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 09:59:01 AM EST
    Sources say Mehdi did not have any direct link with Al Qaida or Islamic State group...

    One wonders how these "sources" could possibly know that.  This sounds more like a supposition than a fact.

    they seized two of his mobile phones (none / 0) (#16)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:42:03 PM EST
    and his laptop.

    Parent
    That pretty much closes the issue (none / 0) (#29)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 11:28:36 PM EST
    Assuming those two phones are the only form of communication available.

    Parent
    his employer says he had no access (none / 0) (#31)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 02:18:37 AM EST
    to Twitter at work and he worked full time. He tweeted from his one room apartment at night. Police say his "terrorism" was more virtual than real. They still haven't found any links between him and ISIS or terror groups in India.

    The agencies say that they have not found any direct link between him and the ISIS. He was well versed with the issues in both Syria and Iraq and moreover this account has been in the open since almost two years. We do not find that he was involved in any sort of recruitment process. He was an avid tweeter and like several others posted material about the ISIS.

    His employer released a statement that said:

    He did not have access to external social media platforms from the office network.

     

    Parent
    I disagree... (none / 0) (#9)
    by unitron on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 09:59:56 AM EST
    ISIS fighters speak for ISIS every time they pull the trigger.

    Without them, there is no ISIS.

    As for this Shami guy, I'm not a big fan of criminalizing speech and thought.

    That particular slope is heavily self-lubricating.

    by "speaking for ISIS" (none / 0) (#17)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:43:53 PM EST
    it is meant that the opinions they express are their own, and their opinions may or may not be the same as official ISIS positions.

    Parent
    Agreed, but even our 5Th. Amendment (none / 0) (#19)
    by NYShooter on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:48:37 PM EST
    has a "shout 'FIRE' in a crowded theatre" exception.

    Does Shami guy's rhetoric fit under that kind of qualifier?

    I dunno.

    Parent

    no it doesn't (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 09:36:12 PM EST
    He wasn't a "rabelrouser." He retweeted the news and occasionally gave his opinion and called out those he disagreed with.

    The ICSR (International Centre for the Study of Radicalization at the Department of War Studies,
    King's College London) did a study of ISIS and JaN foreifn fighters and news disseminators. The published report is called Greenbirds: Measuring Importance and Influence in Syrian Foreign Fighter Networks. The full report is here and a summary is here. From the full report:

    [Twitter] has given rise to so-called disseminator accounts which spread information from the battlefield in real-time, publishing links to new videos and official statements, spreading photographs of battles, equipment,
    meetings, and `martyrs.'

    These disseminators are not foreign fighters nor do they have any official links to jihadist organisations. Instead, they broadly support the Islamist project in Syria and, in that respect, provide both moral and political support to the cause by establishing themselves as reliable sources of information.

    The most important disseminator, who is followed by nearly two thirds of the Twitter accounts in our dataset, is Shami Witness. (my emphasis)

    The report says the effect of disseminators is to lessen control of ISIS and other groups over their message.

    The prominence of Shami Witness highlights the inability of jihadist groups to exert direct influence and control over their message. When jihadist conversations were previously restricted to internet forums, discussions could be policed and regulated. Dissent was monitored and, where necessary, curtailed by suspending troublesome forum members. This is no longer possible on Twitter where both fighters and their supporters are able to engage in wholly unregulated conversations about whatever they please.

    Put another way:

    Based on our database, the report finds that a large number of foreign fighters receive their information about the conflict not from the official channels provided by their fighting groups, but through so-called disseminators - unaffiliated but broadly sympathetic individuals who sometimes appear to offer moral and intellectual support to jihadist opposition groups. The ability of jihadist groups to exert control over information has been significantly eroded, while private individuals, who are (mostly) based in the West and who may have never set foot inside Syria, possess significant influence over how the conflict is perceived by those who are actively involved in it.


    Parent
    Not based on what WE know (none / 0) (#20)
    by Reconstructionist on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:58:02 PM EST
     What's set out in the links (and a couple of other things I perused) would not be sufficient to be a false statement calculated to cause a panic which could foreseeably result in harm. That's (off the top of my head) the  standard for removing "speech" from 1st Amendment protection here which we shorthand "yelling fire."

      I also don't see it as advocating the violent overthrow of the Indian government which would make it akin to our version of "treason."

      Again, I don't know Indian law-- or, of course, all the information India might have about all of his conduct , verbal or otherwise.

    Parent

    Upon further relection... (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Reconstructionist on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 01:16:52 PM EST
      I should have ponted out that the the Brandenberg decision really gutted the Holme's opinion with yelling fire (and some others).

      Today, our  standard is that speech as to be intended to incite imminent lawlessness to lose !st amendment protection.

    Parent

    Yeah, I'm somewhat aware of Brandenberg, (none / 0) (#22)
    by NYShooter on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 02:09:04 PM EST
    I guess I'm just a little fuzzy about how much flexibility Indian Triers of Fact have in interpreting those laws?

    I'm not, at all, educated enough about these laws to hold any positions, one way, or the other. I'm simply aware that when legislators act to "plug up loopholes in laws," they often just "plug up" one loophole, making room for a much bigger one.

    Not looking for a response, simply illustrating I have a lot more study to perform before feeling comfortable enough to continue.

    Parent

    Britain's MI6 helps India home in on Mehdi (none / 0) (#18)
    by Politalkix on Sat Dec 13, 2014 at 12:48:22 PM EST
    link

    "Police have now booked cases against Mehdi under Section 125 of Indian Penal Code for Waging war against any Asiatic Power in alliance with the Government of India (in this case Syria), Sections 18 and 39 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 2012 and Section 66-F of Information Technology Act, for cyber terrorism. At a press conference on Saturday, Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi said: "Through his social media propaganda he abetted ISIS in its agenda to wage war against the Asiatic powers."

    the statutes on (none / 0) (#32)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Dec 14, 2014 at 02:37:22 AM EST
    abetting begin here Section 108 defines "abettor."

    Section 125, the "waging war against an Asiatic power" (or abetting another's war) is here.

    Whoever wages war against the Government of any Asiatic Power in alliance or at peace with the [Government of India] or attempts to wage such war, or abets the waging of such war, shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.

    It seems to me the penalty in his case would be 7 years not life since ISIS never committed a crime based on his abetment. The language is very stilted but see Section 115:

    Whoever abets the commission of an offence punishable with death or *[imprisonment for life], shall, if that offence be not committed in consequence of the abetment, and no express provision is made by this Code for the punishment of such abetment, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine;

    There's also sections 116 and 109.)

    Explanation:  An act or offence is said to be committed in consequence of abetment, when it is committed in consequence of the instigation or in pursuance of the conspiracy, or with the aid, which constitutes the abetment.


    Parent