several journalist activists work with great caution and absolute secrecy to convey the image of al-Raqqa city to the world via the recently established Free Euphrates network which aims at breaking the Islamic State imposed media blackout on the city.
Ibn al-Furat, one of the network founders, pointed out that Free Euphrates works to convey the reality of the eastern part of al-Raqqah. He stressed that the media network sides with the city’s people, especially the city of al-Raqqah’s residents against the terrorist Islamic State.
The network focuses on covering the current situation in the al-Raqqah, and the founders hope that they will be able to cover all parts of the eastern region and to transfer news from all the areas of Euphrates basin in the near future, according to Ibn al-Furat.
Ibn al-Furat stressed that many of the rebellious young people of the Euphrates are eager today to restore the momentum of the revolution and achieve its goals of a free and decent life away from the terrorism of both the regime and Islamic State. Their desires are hindered by the Islamic State’s choking grip on media outlets in all areas under its control.
The Islamic State has killed many of those work as media professionals and convey the truth of what was happening in al-Raqqah city and its countryside.
Despite all these terrorist practices, several groups inside al-Raqqah manage to work with great caution in the Islamic State controlled areas to weaken the State, expose its practices, and communicate the voices of the vulnerable.
Ibn al-Furat pointed out that the Islamic State in al-Raqqa regards journalists and media activists as a source of danger similar to revolutionary fighters. The Islamic State never tire or grow bored of searching for media activists and anyone trying to communicate the reality within the city to the world. Based on this obsession, he commented: “All pages that publish news about al-Raqqa city and other Islamic State control areas are considered pages that oppose the Islamic State, and so they must be silenced or destroyed.”
The Free Euphrates network reporters in al-Raqqa acquired the skill and expertise necessary to conceal effectively conceal their work since the regime started oppressing the media activity that accompanied the revolution. Ibn al-Furat apologized for not providing further details about this issue to ensure the safety of the network reporters. He only commented that “each of them developed a method of work based on their circumstances and the surrounding environment.”
Regarding the difficulties the network faces in light of the Islamic State control, Ibn al-Furat confirmed that al-Raqqa’s people and media activists, in particular, experienced states of fear and terror imposed by the Islamic State.
The Islamic State resorted to killing and disappearing many young men on charges of media activity. However, with the approach of the moment of salvation from the Islamic State and the liberation of the city, youth groups working in the media were reinvigorated and began to expose more of the Islamic State’s atrocities. These youth groups oppose the Islamic State in various ways among them preparing leaflets that oppose it and working to reveal the reality of what is happening inside al-Raqqa to the rest of the world.
Ibn al-Furat highlighted the challenges facing the Free Euphrates network, including difficulties in communicating with reporters who are in Islamic State controlled areas. He stressed that the Islamic State “is currently adopting a strict protocol to limit any media activity or breach.” He added that Islamic State members “are checking civilians’ mobile phones when they pass any checkpoints.”
In the past two weeks, the al-Hesba (judgment) members have launched intensive raids on internet cafes, closing many of them, to prevent a media breach and stop residents communicating information about the situation in the city.
Internet cafes in al-Raqqa have developed in ways that responded to the security concerns of the Islamic State. “Many of the internet cafes in the city are just small open rooms surrounded by curtains on all sides to prevent people from seeing the al-Hesba members when they arrive for a check. The al-Hesba elements ask people to raise their hands when they enter and start checking mobile phones,” Ibn al-Furat revealed.
Regarding the network’s dependence on caricature drawings to convey messages, Ibn al-Furat explained that “Getting pictures and videos from the al-Raqqa is very difficult because of the Islamic State’s strong security grip on the media and means of communication. So the Free Euphrates team was forced to design meaningful caricatures special to the network moving from the conviction that this is the best way to show what the Islamic State and other forces in al-Raqqa are doing.”
