JihadUnspun.com was a Canadian news
website
A website (also written as a web site) is a collection of web pages and related content that is identified by a common domain name and published on at least one web server. Examples of notable websites are Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Wi ...
. It was launched on April 21, 2002, and had a stated aim to present uncensored reporting of the United States' "war on terrorism" on a global scale and reporting also news from several
jihad groups. Its articles were often highly critical of
American foreign policy
The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the ''Foreign Policy Agenda'' of the Department of State, are ...
and military interventions in especially Muslim countries. It was claimed by its critics to be a hate-ridden supremacist website.
[
]
Website ownership and content
The owner and publisher of Jihad Unspun was Beverly Anne Giesbrecht (born August 26, 1953 - 2010), a semi-retired Canadian publishing entrepreneur and convert to Islam, who called herself ''Khadija Abdul Qahaar'' (she was also known by the pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
s Beverly Kennedy and Paul Morris-Read). A former Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, she began a period of intensive research on the history of the American relationship with the Middle East after 9/11, converting to Islam as well. The news portal was named after ''Jihad vs. McWorld
''Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism Are Reshaping the World'' is a 1995 book by American political scientist Benjamin Barber, in which he puts forth a theory that describes the struggle between "McWorld" (globalization and the corpor ...
'', political scientist Benjamin Barber
Benjamin R. Barber (August 2, 1939 – April 24, 2017) was an American political theorist and author, perhaps best known for his 1995 bestseller, '' Jihad vs. McWorld'', and for 2013's ''If Mayors Ruled the World''. His 1984 book of political ...
's bestselling book on capitalism, factionalism, and world civilization.
Webmaster kidnapped by Taliban
Giesbrecht was kidnapped on November 11, 2008, along with her translator, Salman Khan, and her driver, Zar Muhammad, near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In late February 2009, a video surfaced of her, in between two men with rifles, in which she states: "I have been in captivity for almost three months. I wake up in the dark, and I go to sleep in the dark."[
]
U.S. government view
The United States Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
accused Jihad Unspun of spreading "disinformation
Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. It is sometimes confused with misinformation, which is false information but is not deliberate.
The English word ''disinformation'' comes from the application of the L ...
appear ngto originate with ''Islam Memo'', which is a pro- al Qaeda, pro-Iraqi insurgency Iraqi insurgency may refer to:
* Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), part of the Iraq War
** Iraqi insurgency (2003–2006), 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency
** Iraqi civil war (2006–2008), multi-sided civil war in Iraq
* Iraqi insurgency (20 ...
, Arabic-language Web site based in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
."[
]
Controversy
Rita Katz
Rita may refer to:
People
* Rita (given name)
* Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984)
* Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962)
* Rita (Japanese singer)
* Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita
Places
* Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...
, co-founder of the SITE institute, publicly speculated that JihadUnspun was a US government website "designed to find out who visits or orders videos glorifying bin Laden". Azzam Publications also questioned the website's authenticity.[
Libertyforum.org argued that JihadUnspun was unlikely to be a genuine pro-jihad website, given the relative sophistication of the websites' content and design in comparison to other jihadi websites which only operate on a shoestring budget.][
]
References
{{Reflist, refs=
[
{{cite news
, url=http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2005/04/20050408142145atlahtnevel0.4041559.html
, title=A Trio of Disinformers: Islam Memo, Muhammad Abu Nasr, and Jihad Unspun
, publisher=]US State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
, date=2005-04-08
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302222414/http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2005/04/20050408142145atlahtnevel0.4041559.html#axzz4aD5Of7YA
, archive-date=March 2, 2017
, url-status=dead
, quote=Jihad Unspun has a track record of spreading very unreliable allegations. For example, on November 22, 2004, it reported that a November 21 attack on a U.S. base in Balad, Iraq had killed 270 U.S. troops. In reality, no U.S. troops were killed that day.
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.paktalibanisation.com/?p=2453
, title=Little effort shown to locate kidnapped Canadian: The National Post, Nov 2
, publisher=]National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
, author=Brian Hutchinson
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027085741/http://www.paktalibanisation.com/?p=2453
, archive-date=2016-10-27
, access-date=2017-03-01
, url-status=dead
[
{{cite news
, url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/abducted-b-c-woman-s-friend-fears-worst-1.969334
, title=Abducted B.C. woman's friend fears worst: Seized in Pakistan in 2008
, publisher=]CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...
, date=2010-07-05
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005083106/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/abducted-b-c-woman-s-friend-fears-worst-1.969334
, archive-date=2016-10-05
, access-date=2017-03-01
, url-status=dead
, quote=He said that even then, the 56-year-old Giesbrecht-Qahaar sounded like she had aged 30 years.
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/abducted-canadian-journalist-dead-sources/706027
, title=Abducted Canadian journalist dead: sources
, publisher=]Indian Express
''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...
, date=2010-11-02
, location=Peshawar
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807190717/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/abducted-canadian-journalist-dead-sources/706027/
, archive-date=2016-08-07
, access-date=2017-03-01
, url-status=dead
, quote=A woman journalist from Canada, who was abducted by militants in November 2008, has died following prolonged illness in the custody of the Taliban somewhere in northwest Pakistan or Afghanistan, sources said on Tuesday.
[
{{cite news
, url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/cd-rom-tracks-hatred-and-terrorism-websites-1.252131
, title=CD-ROM tracks hatred and terrorism websites
, publisher=]CTV News
CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name ''CTV News'' is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os), which are closely tied to the national ...
, author=Andy Johnson
, date=2007-08-11
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012045956/http://www.ctvnews.ca/cd-rom-tracks-hatred-and-terrorism-websites-1.252131
, archive-date=2012-10-12
, access-date=2017-03-01
, url-status=live
, quote=Among the worst in Canada is a website calling itself B.C. White Pride and another, also from B.C., known as Jihad Unspun.
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.twf.org/News/Y2003/0822-BevKennedy.html
, title=Disinformation: CIA Posing as Al Qaeda?
, publisher=LibertyForum
, date=2003-08-21
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815110742/http://www.twf.org/News/Y2003/0821-CIA.html
, archive-date=2016-08-15
, access-date=2017-02-28
, url-status=dead
, quote=. . . So right in our backyard we have a semi Al Qaeda operation which unlike Azzam doesnt even lose its ISP, let alone get shut down.
]
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.twf.org/News/Y2003/0822-BevKennedy.html
, title=Assalamualeikum Enver, May this letter reach you in the best of health and Imaan
, publisher= Jihad Unspun
, author=Beverly Anne Giesbrecht
, date=2003-08-21
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815115924/http://www.twf.org/News/Y2003/0822-BevKennedy.html
, archive-date=2016-08-15
, access-date=2017-02-28
, url-status=dead
, quote=Although it grieves me a great deal to say this, the CIA accusations stem from Muslims, my very brothers and sisters. The first rumors were started by Azzam Publications and Maktabah Al Ansar, both who know exactly who I am as we have had business dealings early on.
]
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.islamistwatch.org/links.html
, title=Azzam claims Jihadunspun is a fake
, publisher=islamistwatch.org
, date=2002-11-06
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021206225838/http://www.islamistwatch.org/links.html
, archive-date=2002-12-06
, access-date=2017-03-01
, url-status=dead
, quote=Following this second, direct attack on our credibility and integrity, and JUS ihd unspuns statement that Waaqiah.Com is now the home of Britain's controversial Azzam Publications, which has led to our Azzam.com domain being taken down by authorities following this statement (it remains down as this statement goes to press), we had no choice but to issue a statement and warn the Muslims about what Jihadunspun is really about.
]
[
{{cite news
, url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/old-friend-gives-up-hope-for-captive-canadian-in-pakistan/article1946576/
, title=Old friend gives up hope for captive Canadian in Pakistan
, work=]The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
, author=Mark Hume
, date=2011-03-17
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920234138/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/old-friend-gives-up-hope-for-captive-canadian-in-pakistan/article1946576/
, archive-date=2016-09-20
, access-date=2017-03-02
, url-status=dead
, quote="I have long feared it, but I finally accepted her demise only a few weeks ago," said Mr. Cooper, who for years has served as a spokesman in Canada for Ms. Giesbrecht, an old friend of his.
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/17/bc-giesbrecht-kidnap-investigation-closed-rcmp.html
, title=RCMP secretly ended probe into Canadian held by Taliban: Foreign Affairs told Mounties to close investigation into kidnapping and death
, publisher=]CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...
, author=Curt Petrovich
, date=2012-04-17
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622112725/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/17/bc-giesbrecht-kidnap-investigation-closed-rcmp.html
, archive-date=2012-06-22
, access-date=2017-03-02
, url-status=dead
, quote=Last year, while Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs publicly insisted it was trying to aid a Canadian held for more than two years by the Taliban, it was privately telling the RCMP to stop investigating the crime.
, author-link=Curt Petrovich
[
{{cite news
, url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/07/10/web-terror-cover.htm#more
, title=Militants wire Web with links to jihad
, publisher=]USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
, author=Jack Kelley
, date=2002-07-10
, location=Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513115805/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/07/10/web-terror-cover.htm
, archive-date=2016-05-13
, access-date=2017-03-02
, url-status=dead
, quote=Other Internet sites, including jihadunspun.net, offer a 36-minute video of bin Laden, with four minutes of previously unaired footage; pictures of President Bush with his head in the sights of a gun; and other propaganda.
[
{{cite news
, url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/bal-te.journal28mar28,0,3457290,full.column
, title=The Web as al-Qaida's safety net
, publisher=]The Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
, date=2003-03-28
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306214009/http://www.chicagotribune.com/bal-te.journal28mar28-column.html
, archive-date=2016-03-06
, access-date=2017-03-02
, url-status=dead
, quote=They speculate that Jihad Unspun, an English-language site that appears to promote terror, may be a CIA creation, designed to find out who visits or orders videos glorifying bin Laden.
[
{{cite news
, url=https://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2011/01/12/WhoWillMournJournalistsDeath/
, title=Who Will Mourn Journalist's Death?
, publisher=]The Tyee
The Tyee is an independent online daily news source primarily based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was founded in November 2003 as an alternative to "corporate media". Articles in The Tyee focus on politics, culture, and life.
The Tyee was f ...
, author=Claude Adams
, date=2011-02-11
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060243/http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2011/01/12/WhoWillMournJournalistsDeath/
, archive-date=2016-03-04
, access-date=2017-03-02
, url-status=dead
, quote=As for her controversial website, friends say it was not propaganda, but rather a tool to gain the confidence of the people she wanted to interview. "If you put up a website that looks like another CNN wannabe," says one close friend in Canada, Glen Cooper, "they're not going to pay much attention to you."
External links
"From Ashes to Light"
Khadija Abdul Qahaar on herself and Jihad Unspun.
The Woman Who Joined the Taliban
- Documentary 2015 on CBC-TV
Islamic political websites
Canadian news websites
Internet properties established in 2002
Disinformation operations