No more gory beheading videos: Why ISIS has banned execution videos
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who has been called the caliph of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS), has reconsidered the terrorist group鈥檚 gory media strategy.
Mr. Baghdadi of the group鈥檚 infamous execution videos in a report issued to ISIS media offices in Syria and Iraq, according to local news sources.聽
While the militant leader made no suggestion of curbing the group鈥檚 atrocities, he demanded that any released footage of beheadings should exclude scenes of the actual execution and only expose moments before and after the act takes place.
Though he leads one of the world鈥檚 largest terrorist groups, Baghdadi prohibited brutal footage out of his consideration for 鈥淢uslims and children鈥檚 feelings who may find these scenes grotesque,鈥� an ISIS source told local media.
Some ISIS militants聽supported Baghdadi鈥檚聽decision and agreed that their beheading scenes may be too 鈥渂arbaric.鈥� Others and argued the footage is distributed to intimidate the groups鈥� enemies, not the common folk, ARA News reports.
The extremist group first shocked the globe last August when it distributed footage of one of its members, "Jihadi John," cloaked in all black and knife in hand, beheading American journalist James Foley. It was the first in a string of graphic and increasingly the group has released aiming to 鈥渟ow terror and recruit followers,鈥� writes the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Now that ISIS has seized substantial territory in Iraq and Syria and continues to recruit an estimate of a month, the shock value of their videos might not be their top priority.聽
Speaking with ARA News, Syrian politician and lawyer Ferid Hisso said the group isn鈥檛 worried about pleasing its victims or the public. Evidently, its acts speak for themselves and will continue to do so.聽
The ban 鈥渨on鈥檛 eliminate the IS-led horrors that have been seen by people around the world over the past couple of years,鈥� Mr. Hisso said.聽聽
鈥淚nstead of banning the release of such videos, Baghdadi should have rather banned the crimes behind the scenes. But he has already justified the barbarism of his followers, and his decision makes no sense,鈥� Hisso added.聽
Local observers say his decision may have been voiced a few weeks ago. The latest footage ISIS released after Baghdadi鈥檚 ban shows a young boy dubbed the 鈥�cub of the Caliphate鈥� beheading a Syrian soldier, yet the clip didn鈥檛 feature any images of the actual execution.聽
ISIS executed several high-profile hostages following Mr. Foley鈥檚 beheading last summer in a similar fashion,聽including American journalist Steven Sotloff in September and Japanese reporter Kenji Goto in January.聽
Three days after releasing footage of Mr. Goto鈥檚 beheading, the group shared one of its most professionally produced videos, in which Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was burned alive in an outdoor cage.聽
Whether or not viewers even watch ISIS鈥檚 graphic media, the group鈥檚 鈥渟trategy is to bypass established news organizations and reach the intended audience directly,鈥� according to CPJ.聽聽
鈥淎fter all, ISIS fighters do not give interviews,鈥� CPJ writes. 鈥淭hey speak directly into the camera.鈥�
