IN a bid to sway more supporters to its cause in the Southeast Asian region, the Islamic State (IS) is now distributing its newsletter in the Malay language.
Called Al Fatihin (“The Conqueror”), the newsletter is meant for “Malay-speaking foreigners in the Islamic State” and appears to be a Malay translation of the militant group’s Arabic-language newsletter, Al Naba’.
#ISIS choice of #Malay for its propaganda has a strategic goal to appeal broader support base in #SoutheastAsia. https://t.co/vFrhrWpMaU
— Bam (@T_Klumklomchit) June 28, 2016
Published by IS media affiliate Furat Media, the first edition, which came out in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, carries news and propaganda involving the group’s activities all around the world.
The publication, which seems to only be available online, is peppered with misspellings and uses a mix of Malaysian and Indonesian terms.
There also appears to be an online website sharing the same name, though it states it is in Indonesian language.
SEE ALSO: Flyers threatening bomb attacks targeting Singaporeans and Malaysians surface in Indonesia
Of late, IS has ramped up its attempts to recruit militants in Southeast Asia and has claimed responsibility for a recent spate of violent incidents in several countries in the region, threatening further attacks.
Last week, flyers warning of bomb attacks surfaced in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia, claiming to target travelers from Malaysia and Singapore.
Prior to that, a hand grenade which blew up at a nightclub near the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur was confirmed to have links to the terrorist group, while a suicide bombing attack at a police headquarters in the Javanese city of Solo, Indonesia was said to have been carried out by an IS sympathizer.
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