The Global Fatwa Index (GFI) of Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa indicated that terrorist organizations are trying to compensate their losses incurred since the global outbreak of COVID-19 by trying to restore lands they had lost or by mobilizing new members.
The index stated that 45 percent of the terrorist organizations’ discourse associated with coronavirus promoted an attempt to revitalize their presence.
In a recent report, the index noted that ISIS was the most interested organization in achieving this goal, indicating that since the pandemic, it has taken upon itself to expand the scope of its terrorist operations in various countries.
ISIS has increased its operations in Africa through Boko Haram and in Asia through Abu Sayyaf group. The terrorist group also called for intensifying the operations in the Philippines and Indonesia and sought to expand its activity to the Maldives as well as Europe.
The index also confirmed that ISIS sought to exploit the situation resulting from the coronavirus pandemic to transfer prisoners.
It clarified that al-Qaeda organization also aimed to increase its terrorist operations through its branches in Africa including Harakat al-Shabaab and Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM).
Since the era of former leader Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda’s ideological speech was directed at non-Muslims in the West, aiming to undermine the confidence of Western peoples with their governments and invite them to learn about Islam through the organizations’ discourse.
The index warned that the terrorist organizations are hopeful they can return and compensate their previous losses, which could raise the morale of their followers or bring new followers. However, the index affirmed that global governments are capable of confronting the operations of terrorist organizations.
