Coronavirus: See wetin ISIS, Boko Haram and oda jihadist leaders dey tok about Covid-19

Di reactions of Jihadist to di Covid-19 pandemic dey different between groups, altho plenti of dem agree say na divine punishment against "pipo wey no believe in God".

Di different opinion wey dey clear pass na been between jihadist rivals Islamic State group (IS) and al-Qaeda.

As IS dey treat di pandemic as opportunity to increase attacks, al-Qaeda dey see am as chance to preach and dem don invite non-muslims to convert to Islam.

All di Jihadists dey hopeful say di pandemic go affect di capacity of di military forces wey dey fight against dem and allow dem to make gains.

So far, e be like say di pandemic don get little impact on jihadist activity on ground. In fact e be like say IS don increase attacks for di past two months, with dia messages.

However, dis fit change if di situation dey worse for areas where dis group dey active like Africa and Middle East.

'Soldier of Allah'

For di early 2020 wen na only for Wuhan Covid-19 bin dey, jihadists bin happy say di virus na God punishment for di "persecution" of Uighur Muslims for China's western Xianjiang province.

IS, bin look di matter in a different way.

For their first comment on di mata on 6 February, IS, through iim weekly paper al-Naba, say as Covid-19 be punishment wey God send, Muslims fit no sabi say na di punishment of di Chinese for di "persecution" of Muslims, dem still remind dem say e fit affect di Muslims too. However, dem tok say reliogion allow am if pesin dey happy sake of im enemy downfall.

Later dat month, IS rejoice wen di virus hit Iran.

For March, as di virus spread to Europe and di US, jihadist groups happy more and more. dem call Covid-19 "soldier of Allah" wey dey punish di West for im "sins" and "persecution" of Muslims.

On 22 March, as IS supporters mark di first anniversary of di group loss of Baghouz, di last pesin wey be IS backbone for eastern Syria, dem tok say di spread of di virus for di West na God punishment for Muslims wey dem kill for di Syrian village.

For early April, al-Shabab hailCovid-19 as punishment from God of "infidels", including for dia killing of jihadist leaders for different conflict zones. Dem ask Muslims to celebrate di virus outbreak for di West.

But by mid-March, as Muslims begin catch di virus all around, jihadist begin change dia message.

Many of dem begin tok say Covid-19, wey dem bin tok say na "soldier" of God, na wake up call to humanity, including Muslims, to "return to God".

Al-Qaeda, for example, for im first official comment on di pandemic on 31 March, tell Muslims say di spread of di virus among dem na di sake of say dem no too follow Islam and im teachings well. "Truth be told, di arrival of dis virus to Muslim kontris na sake of our own actions. Na our fault because we don move away from di path of God ", dem tok am as dem ask Muslims to repent.

For im second comment on di virus on 27 April, Somali group al-Shabab stress im position say di virus na revenge of God against pipo wey be "infidels", but dis time dem add "sinful" Muslims to di mix. Dem warn say God dey punish Muslims for "di evil wey dey spread among them".

Dis na also Boko Haram position on 15 April. As di group leader Abu Bakr Shekau celebrate di spread of di virus for di West, he also tok say na God punishment for di sins of humanity.

Shekau no support movement constraints and social distancing around di world, plus for Muslim kontris, with di freedoms wey Boko Haram militants continue to enjoy. "You getthe virus, we get di anti-virus, wey be Allah", im boast tok am.

Even as conspiracy theories bin dey about Covid-19 say na man-made and na for one laboratory for China or di US, jihadists mostly dey believe say na God send am as a message to humans.

For im weekly paper al-Naba on 26 March, IS dey yab Muslims wey dey follow "ignorant" theories say goment get hand to develop di virus.

IS argument no be to defend di US or China, but to make sure say God alone, rather than man, dey control events of di scale of di Covid-19 pandemic.

Jihadists don also criticise Western states, especially di UK and US, for di way dem no handle di crisis well.

On 19 May, al-Qaeda condemn British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as im propose "herd immunity" strategy. For one video message, one al-Qaeda narrator say: "Dis theory na cosmetic makeover of Darwinist theories wey don dey di Western psyche: extermination of di weak and survival of di fittest."

Jordan-based jihadist cleric Abu Qatada al-Filistini, wey dem deport from di UK in 2013,tok di same thing for March. He stok say di UK response to Covid-19, dem design am to remove old pipo for di kontri to reduce financial pressures for di economy.

Dis arguments follow wetin jihadist dey tok about Western capitalist system say e dey materialistic and e dey carry di economy and financial strength over human life and dignity.

Na opportunity to strike

So far, di most direct call to use di Covid-19 pandemic in order to increase jihadist attacks globally don come from IS.

For di editorial of al-Naba on 19 March, di jihadist group tell im followers say Western armies and security forces don dey "stretched to di maximum" for di support of their goment' efforts to stop di spread of di virus. Sake of dis, their capacity to constrain in their ability to fight jihadists abroad sake of di fear of infection, e add am.

Data on attacks wey IS don claim worldwide don show upward trend for April and May over di first three months of di year.

Dis conditions, IS tok say e dey, present golden opportunity for jihadists to strike even harder and "show no mercy".

"Di last thing dey [Western goments] need na new caliphate attacks wey be like di one for Paris, London and Brussels", IS tok, as dem dey reference past attacks.

Dem also tok say di rescue of "Muslim" prisoners while goments dey "distracted" suppose be priority. Dis na likely reference wey dem IS-linked prisoners and families wey dem hold for east Syria prisons and detention camps, among other jihadists wey dem detain for oda places.

Di group also dey hopeful say di impact of di pandemic on goment' economies "go need take big effect on how to weaken their ability to fight di mujahidin for di coming phase".

One week earlier, on 12 March, many international media outlets interpret IS general health guidance to Muslims to stay away from di epicentres of any virus outbreak to mean say na directive to its militants to avoid travelling to Europe.

But dis no be wetin IS really tok, and a directive to members di following week confam di opposite; as dem tell followers to carry out attacks for Europe and elsewhere. (See: Explainer: Did IS ban members from going to Europe over coronavirus?)

Shortly after IS call for attacks during Covid-19, pro-IS media groups produce posters wey dey call for attacks for di West.

Images show landmarks for di UK and US with calls to "Hit dem wen dey least expect it" and di hashtag "coronavirus".

In di same vein, on 25 March, di jihadist magazine Voice of India, wey dem link to di pro-IS Kashmir Jundul Khilafah, ask jihadists to use di pandemic as opportunity to strike for India and elsewhere.

"Allah don make dis disease a source of chaos among di nations of disbelief, and dem don deploy their militaries and police for their streets and alleys, E go make dem easy target... Use dis opportunity to strike dem", di English-language publication tok.

Al-Qaeda's soft message

Al-Qaeda's soft message to Western nations during di global pandemic dey different from dat of im rival, IS.

On 31 March al-Qaeda release im first official comment on di health crisis for one detailed five-page statement.

Under di subhead, "One general invitation to Western nations to enter Islam", al-Qaeda ask dem to consider di moral and divine lessons of di coronavirus and how it don make strong economies, armies and goment dey "helpless".

For one message to non-Muslims in general and Western nations especially, al-Qaeda tok say: "We go like to express our strong desire for you [non-Muslims] to become our partners for heaven... Just as we share life on dis earth. na our desire and wish that we go all share eternal life for heaven. Therefore, we go invite you to get to know Islam and convert to am".

Inside di meassage, e tell dem to take advantage of di lockdown to read and learn about Islam "through ogbonge sources wey dem fit trust".

Al-Qaeda promot Islam as a religion wey dey encourage cleanliness and personal hygiene, including through regular ablution to perform prayers and quote Prophet Muhammad say im dey encourage strict quarantine measures at times of virus outbreaks.

Despite im conciliatory message to Western nations, al-Qaeda dey happy at di "helplessness" of Western goments, especially di US, to contain di pandemic and deal with di result di pandemic dey get on their economies.

Al-Qaeda tok say di "injustice" and "tyranny" of Western governments get link to "God's wrath" wey don send coronavirus to dem.

Di difference responses from al-Qaeda and IS to di pandemic dey represent di approach of individuals for di group and media strategies.

While al-Qaeda dey use 'hearts-and-minds' policy to win over ordinary Muslims and sometimes Western nations IS dey use blunt, confrontational and uncompromising approach.

Al-Qaeda's strategy, still never stop am to dey threaten and incite against both di US and im Western allies.

Some jihadist groups or individuals don consider Covid-19 to offer temporary relief for jihadists, according to them, dem use di impact e get on reducing military operations against them as example.

IS, for example, don report di impact of Covid-19 on di deployment of Western armies for di Middle East, especially Iraq, and for Africa Sahel.

In April and May, IS attacks for Iraq increase. E no dey clear if dis na result of how di goment dey busy with Covid-19 measures or di ongoing political kasala for di kontri, plus how US comot operations against IS for Iraq.

For early March, Syria-focused jihadist magazine say di global pandemic don "slow down" di war for northern Syria in favour of rebel and jihadist groups as e change di priorities of tdi Syrian goment and Russia wey don dey close to capturing Idlib Province.

For April, Al-Qaeda's Sahel branch Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) bin happy say di "Godsent" don get impact on foreign troops wey dey fight jihadists for di African region. JNIM claim say di spread of di virus for France and Spain - both members of an anti-jihadist coalition for di Sahel - and purported infections among "invader forces" in Mali, dey make foreign troops to reduce or suspend operations for di region.

Also for April, senior al-Shabab preacher, Fuad Shongole, tok am for one audio message say di pandemic dey work in favour of jihadists.

Shongole, wey get bounty on im head, tok: "dey [US] deny us movement and put five million on our heads. You don see plane dey fly nowadays?", im dey suggest say dei number of US aircraft wey dey target jihadists don reduce. You go hear di congregation dey shout "God is Great".

Wetin be di measures

Most hardline jihadist groups wey don talk about their own militants taking precautions to avoid infections, and dem no show say di virus get any effect on their gatherings or operations.

IS, for example, for May release some photo wey no too dey clear of im militants dey enjoy Ramadan food and dem dey pray together without any signs of social distancing.

For April, Boko Haram leader Shekau compare di position of im fighters with all di Muslims around di world wey dey face restrictions like di suspension of di Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, di closure of mosques or bans on Friday prayers.

"We dey fine, fine, fine", he tok. "We still dey able to pray five times everyday, we still dey fast, we dey flog pipo wey commit adultery and we still dey cut di hands of pipo wey tiff as punishment", he add am.

But jihadist groups, including IS and al-Shabab, don issue guidance to Muslims dey tell them to observe health and safety measures suitable for virus outbreaks. Most of the things dem recommend na from religious books and health advice from early Islam.

Jihadists in general don criticise di moves to close mosques or stop communal prayers. Dem don argue say make Muslims take precautions, plus make dem wear masks and stay away if dem no well, but dem tok say make mosques no close their doors.

Sake of active measures to take tackle di virus, some groups don prepare pass di others. Dis na especially di case for groups wey don hold territory.

On 13 May, al-Shabab announce say dem form one seven-member committee to monitor Covid-19 cases for areas under im control and to provide guidance on future developments. Dem tok say di pipo wey dey di committee na doctors, religious scholars and sabi pipo.

Di Syria-based opposition body, di Salvation Goment, wey dey run most of Idlib Province for di north, don dey very active as e dey try to prove say im be one de facto government. Na jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) dey support di administrative body and na dem dey control di large parts of Idlib.

Di Salvation Goment don dey promote im measures to curb di spread of di virus for Idlib. Part of im measures na to suspend Friday prayers and close open markets, remove public benches, sanitise prisons conducting tests, dem dey produce affordable face masks and dem also train female volunteers wey get medical background. On 12 May, dem announce say dey set up "crisis cell" to deal with di pandemic.

Meanwhile, di Afghan Taliban don comment on the "dire" conditions and di too much crowd wey dey for Afghan prisons, dem warn say dis fit dey "catastrophic" for di context of Covid-19. Dem don criticise Afghan and US authorities as well as human rights organisations say dem no gree address di mata.

Conclusion

Overall, jihadists don cautiously welcome dis period of Covid-19, dem dey see am mostly as a problem for dia enemies.

Gloating don be part of di key sentiments wey jihadists don express towards di West.

Jihadists no too show concern about di conspiracies say di development and spread of di virus in labs, and largely believe na God punish "infidels" and, later, to help jihadists.

As IS bin vocal about using di pandemic to step up attacks, other jihadist groups dem don make as dem see opportunity in di pandemic. Dem dey hopeful say e go reduce military pressure on dem as e go distract goments and armies.

Di pandemic so far never get any notable impact on di activities of di militant, as we report am on 17 April.