Literature is rife with stories of people who made deals with the devil for youth, beauty, riches, or success in exchange for their soul. Usually the devil seeks them out in a moment of weakness, like he did Faust or Joe Boyd in the Broadway hit, “Damn Yankeesâ€. Today, the always adaptable Lucifer entered the communication age with a new way to seduce his victims; a glossy magazine complete with assault rifle on the cover.
When I first read the story that al Qaeda had launched Al-Shamikha, loosely translated to “The Majestic Womanâ€, aimed at recruiting women jihadists, I thought it was funny: I actually laughed at story lines like how to have a lovely complexion by “not going out more than necessary and always wearing your niqab as protection against the sunâ€. This had to be a spoof…a parody worthy of Stephen Colbert . But the story kept popping up on MSM sites throughout the day. The laughing stopped when I realized there was no joke.
According to the UK newspaper, “The Independentâ€, this new version of how to be a mid-east Cosmo girl includes advice on finding the right man ("marrying a mujahideen"), and provides tips on first aid and etiquette, along side interviews with martyr’s wives and praises those who give their lives in the name of a twisted interpretation of Islam. "From martyrdom, the believer will gain security, safety and happiness".
For those readers not quite ready for such a drastic step, it argues the pros and cons of honey facemasks and lobbies against "toweling too forcibly": My goodness we wouldn’t want to damage that lovely skin of yours before we convince you to splatter it in little pieces all over a street or cafe.
In full “media launch†mode, the editors of Al-Shamikha, when asked why they started the magazine, replied, “"Because women constitute half of the population – and one might even say that they are the population since they give birth to the next generation – the enemies of Islam are bent on preventing the Muslim woman from knowing the truth about her religion and her role, since they know all too well what would happen if women entered the field of jihad… The nation of Islam needs women to know what is expected of them."
Media analysts say the idea is to market global jihad with the same slick feel as Cosmopolitan Western culture to young women. So there you have it girls: Launch in to spring with a new lipstick or a new Kalashnikov. Either way you’re bound to make a splash.
I am always amazed at the ability of some to come to others “like wolves in sheep clothing” in order to convince people to do what they would like them to believe is the right or correct thing to do for the country. You said it right when you stated above that “Lucifer entered the communication age” but he was there all the time doing what he does best, most of the time silently and sometimes very loudly. I really do not know so much about the middle east, except the women do not have a lot of freedom, is that correct?
Ruth,
The way many women have to live in those repressive societies, death must seem like a pleasant alternative, which is exactly why this magazine was created…to lure women in to considering blowing themselves up. It’s disgusting beyond words.
You hit it right on the head Pam, when you said sometimes “something so evil enters our world that it almost defies ones ability to absorb it.” This is truly awful.
Cindy,
This has hit home with me like few other things I’ve read. Perhaps it’s because of my work with Afghan women. This horrible strategy to attract desperate women with beauty tips and then seduce them into dying is directed not at some nameless stranger behind a veil: It’s directed at my friends.
Great job Pamela, I heard of this last week in alternative media, but I never expected to see it here. I cannot believe the mcall allowed you to talk down about Lucifer like that. At any rate these fundamentalist Muslims can’t have their slaves getting uppity and engaging in free and independent thinking so any means of brainwashing will help their cause.
Rollin,
I, too, was surprised that a story such as this did not get more play through the major media outlets; perhaps because it’s almost too preposterous to be believed.
I do want to make one thing clear: I do not work for The Morning Call. My blog is carried on the mcall.com blog page on a pro bono basis. It’s a fair exchange…I don’t take money from them and they don’t edit my content.