Friday, February 24, 2006

Internet Mujahedeen

Muslim hackers, angered by the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, have defaced nearly 3,000 Danish Web sites in the past month in what could be the biggest politically motivated cyberattack to date. Those knowledgeable about the subject say the worldwide protests over a Danish newspaper's decision to publish the caricatures may prove to be something of a coming-of-age moment for Internet mujahedeen -- Islamic extremists committed to electronic terrorist attacks.

"They see this as a huge opportunity," said Stephen Ulph, a terrorism analyst with the Jamestown Foundation who monitors Web forums and chat rooms used by Muslim hackers. "You can feel the excitement. ... There's a sense that they can make a real difference."

This phenomenon is call 'the emergence of the digital 'umma'. Umma is an Arabic term for the global Muslim community. Mujahedeen: مجاهدين; struggler; someone who engages in jihad; holy warrior, armed fighters of Islamic ideologies. It's no surprise that the mujahedeen have brought their fight to the world wide web. What better way to create chaos for those who would oppose them. I think they have grossly underestimated their enemy.