"The Independent"

Isis 'tourist guide': British jihadist Abu Rumaysah publishes e-book comparing self-declared caliphate to 'plush holiday resort'








'Ridiculous' book promises Kit Kats, 'an exquisite Mediterranean climate' and none of those 'dreaded E numbers'
HEATHER SAUL



Tuesday 19 May 2015






















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A British jihadist who skipped bail and claimed to have fled the UK to join Isis in Syria has purportedly released an e-book guide targeting Western recruits that compares territories under the extremist group to a “plush holiday resort”.


Abu Rumaysah is named as the author on a document entitled 'A Brief Guide to the Islamic State' [2015]' which was released on Monday and is being shared across social media.

The 46-page document presents a utopian view of life in the terror group's Iraqi and Syrian strongholds under the headings: "food in the caliphate", "weather", "transport", "technology", "people" and "education".

Some of the many outlandish claims include that Isis is "dead serious" about its transport networks. "The natural progression for the transport network in the Islamic State has to be trains then ships and aeroplanes," it states, "but everything is on the table: zeppelins, hovercrafts, trams [and] microlites."

The cover of the 'e-book'The guide is miles away from the brutal reality of life in Isis-controlled territories, where even smoking a cigarette can see a person flogged and, in extreme cases, put to death. Instead, it goes to great lengths to present common aspects of Western life as readily available there, such as popular chocolate, tea, coffee and even "fruity cocktails".

The true reality of life under Isis’s disturbing regime has already been exposed in documents and guides translated from Arabic.
READ MORE: THE MOST DANGEROUS ISIS PROPAGANDA YET?

Abu Rumaysah pictured with his "newborn son" in Syria

Charlie Winter, a researcher at the counter extremism think tank Quilliam, told The Independent it lacks any official Isis branding and does not appear to have been produced by the group's media arm. "It is something which seems to have been done off his own back and that is important to note. What is presented in this is not the official Isis line - it’s quite a juvenile piece of literature. Clearly he is trying to appeal to the masses and portray life there as a viable option but it’s very weak in terms of its propaganda value." These are some of the more absurd extracts from the document.

Food

The e-book includes a menu of “popular dishes and snacks” that promise to dispel concerns about what would be available to eat for those who join militants. Dishes include “scrumptious” sheesh kebabs, falafel sandwiches (“a great vegetarian option”) and chocolate; “Snickers, Kit Kat, Bounty, Twix, Kinder Surprise, Cadburys – yes, yes we have it all.”

People

The guide goes on to describe a diverse population living under its territories by comparing it to "cosmopolitan" cities such as London. “If you thought London or New York was cosmopolitan then wait until you step foot in the Islamic State, because it screams diversity," it continues.