Radical Islam & E-Terrorism in Africa

Abstract

The expeditious expansion in technology and the world’s shrinking geographical space has introduced an accelerated change in terrorist activities. It is not surprising that the conventional methods of radicalizing moderate Muslims in the mosque have been substituted by the use of the internet and the social media. Jihadist can carry out propaganda and terrorists activities by using the internet to further radicalize and impose ideologies of hate and destruction. This paper charts the methods of jihadist propaganda on the internet and how radical Islamist groups are using the internet to induce and influence moderate Muslims into their doctrine of hate. However, the use of the internet has an impact on human rights such as the freedom of speech. This paper strikes a balance between the freedom of speech and dissemination of hate literature on the internet. Furthermore, the paper indicates that there is a need for cooperation and collaboration between African states in order to win the war against terror.

Keywords: E-Terrorism, Jihadist, Internet, Propaganda