Virtual Jihad: Iranian regime fights its citizens online

While Iran’s post-election political upheaval is taking place on the streets, the government pays special attentions to the online activities and exercises an expanded control over cyberspace.  Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA reported on Friday Nov 14, that Ismael Muqadam—the commander of the Islamic Republic security Forces—introduced a new police division for ‘exchange information space’.   Referring to the recent political unrests, Ismael Muqadam said: “there is a need for more supervision on cyberspace, and the decision we have taken is not a choice rather a necessity.”

Despite all restrictions on internet accessibility such as filtering and bandwidth limitations, social media and blogs are considered of the most effective information tools for protesters.  Facebook, in particular, provides the largest online platform for exchange of ideas and news among Iranians, and connects them to the international community.  Therefore, Iranian regime, has increasingly expressed concerns on what they call ‘soft revolution’, and employed severe policies to monitor and limit cyber activities.  The police chief revealed that, beside regular restrictive actions, an especial security force has been created to patrol cyber interactions in communication media.

Efforts in different parts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to control the Internet space is an issue that has been more and more reiterated by various authorities. In the past year, along with the expansion of web sites and blogs in number and also membership to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, Iran judicial system introduced a special court for cyber crimes. The court is part of a rather larger collective effort in preventing attempts for soft revolution.  Government of Iran accuses western and Israeli intelligence agencies that ignite political unrest through a combination of news media and new media.

In addition to all restriction policies imposed by the government, Baseedj – the civil militant branch of the Revolutionary Guard- took initiative in ‘online registration short course training virtual Jihadies.  In introduction provided on the website, Baseedj emphasizes on the importance of cyberspace as the primary tool of the enemy: “In the field of soft war, the enemy is trying to dominate online contents in order to achieve its goal to destroy entirely the true Islamic culture and encourage destructive social activities…. Although cyberspace provides a platform for the enemy’s satanic intentions, it is also considered an effective tool for those who exercise firmly the Islamic values and are willing to spread them out.  Nevertheless, the hidden hands of imperialism are behind this space to manipulate it in the name of democracy.”

The online registration for Jihadies offers various courses in four categories: blogging, Activities in social communication media, networking activities in cyberspace, and psychology of propaganda and effective communication techniques with a virtual audience.  Some of the courses are about virtual Jihad and its importance, strategies for defensive and offensive online activities, and how to implement virtual Jihad in the real world.

Although Iran has been arguably the only country that the government officially recruits for Jihadi suicidal activities, most of which are used for domestic suppression, the virtual Jihad is a new phenomenon.  However, it is not conceivable as a successful attempt.  What makes new media a powerful tool, at least for Iranians, is the fact that government has relatively less control over it.  Iranian people are using new media not only to have a better access to their community, but also as uncensored source of news and unrestricted space for freedom of expression.  Thus,  government use of virtual space, does not appear to be anything but another wheel for its propaganda machine.

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