Jordan Newton

Islamic culture, Indonesia politics, Southeast Asia counterterrorism. Views are my own, RTs and likes =/= endorsement

[Cole Bunzel @colebunzel]

"Is this the end of political Islam?" asks @NYTBen. Count me a skeptic.

The obituary of Islamism has been written many times, and the deceased always rises from the grave. A quick thread: (1/6)

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

Another great piece on the current state of the online realm. Favourite bit:

"Because IS embeds its narratives within the identity structures, aesthetics, and social dynamics native to Gen-Z platforms, effective responses must operate at the same cultural and algorithmic level"

[Dr. Amira Jadoon ***امیرہ جدون @AmiraJadoon]

In our latest analysis for the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), Saif Tahir and I examine how the Islamic State has reconstituted itself in the digital identity spaces where Gen-Z lives. IS has migrated into gaming platforms, meme culture, and music trends — building a "virtual caliphate" https://t.co/LklnykGKP6

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

PS: Try explaining to investigators in the early 2000s that one day kids would be conducting searches on the internet about 'Amrozi mullet style'

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

A must-read for those watching this space in Indonesia and SEA. Perfectly highlights the big challenges in monitoring, collecting and analysing 'extremist-looking' content on TikTok which, even if it's not intended to be pro-jihadist, is still problematic. Some choice quotes: /1

[GNET @GNET_research]

In response to a recent memefication trend, Nauval El Ghifari analyses how Indonesian TikTok accounts glorify prominent Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) figures through emotionally engaging digital content using a video-editing style known locally as “Jedag Jedug”.
https://t.co/C5iNaQGR2Y

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

What might help us answer this question is similar work examining far-right and NVE streams, which also reflect this shift in online content and producers (even if there still is a degree of debate about how much the former and latter are actually separate streams) /end

[Aaron Y. Zelin @azelin]

For those curious about IS-Philippines (East Asia Province) there is a ton of details on my IS Worldwide Activity Map
https://t.co/NNrNSuzDNK

[Edward Aspinall @EdwardAspinall]

My take on the recent protests in Indonesia

https://t.co/KUXC66l9hG

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

That ultimately reflects the kind of terrorist threat which exists in Indonesia at the moment. Much smaller than it was in the mid-2010s (or even the 2000s), but nonetheless a stubbornly resilient community which can still spawn deadly plots, if left unattended /end

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

[Hopelessly Late Post] My latest on the pro-ISIL social media scene in Indonesia, via @RSIS_NTU Counter-Terrorist Trends and Analysis journal: https://t.co/HwJZfAh2NY

/1

[Jordan Newton @GusAJordan]

There's a separate conversation around what the govt's efficiency drive and the massive changes happening in international aid might (or should) mean for P/CVE efforts. But it's clear those combating narratives online will probably need to be more self-reliant in future /9