TEL AVIV — Social media users in the Arab world have started more than one hashtag to highlight the Islamic State group’s loss in Mosul and the withdrawal of the global terrorist organization from other locations.
The hashtags “end_of_the_delusion_state” and “isis_is_finished” were used by many Iraqis on Twitter, while many Twitter users sought to focus not only on the Islamic State group but also Shi’ite militias they say committed crimes just as bad as IS.
The Iraqi Aisha Alanzi wrote, “With the fall of ISIS, will the Hashd Shabi [a Shi’ite militia] organization, that committed [crimes] that even ISIS didn’t do, now be dismantled? Or maybe they’ll continue harming innocents with nothing to deter them?!”
The Syrian Waajde Hamdan wrote, “There’s nothing happy about the crumbling of ISIS and the Hashd victory, both are two sides of the same coin meant to kill Sunni Muslims.”
The Saudi Badr Albalawi wrote, “The end of ISIS is happy news for any normal person, what’s important is to drain the reservoir because terrorism isn’t only ISIS. Terror is manifested in the continued growth of terrorist groups.”
Gorom Albeshe wrote, “May Allah take revenge upon them, on those who created them, on those who supported them. We ask that Allah purify the Muslim nations from all those following such an ideology!!”
Waheed Algamedi wrote, “The end of ISIS as an organization and activists. The real end will come when ISIS is finished as an idea!”
Mohammed Alyehya wrote, “The end of the terrorist ISIS and the renaissance of Shi’ite terror movements! This is just a change in roles!”
The Iraqi Bin Said Diaa criticized the Saudis and suggested that they are the inspiration for IS, writing, “ISIS crumbled beneath the legs of men who sacrificed their souls in order to liberate their land. All that’s left to see is the fall of the priestly Sheikhs who created the bloodthirsty, bloody ideology. Drain the reservoir.”
A Twitter account called cqjqi, which apparently supports IS, wrote, “They say the delusion state has fallen. Our response: What crumbled was your deterrence, your false belief has been revealed and the parts of your bodies that flew in the air. And what is going to happen in the future is much more difficult.”
Another Twitter user and apparent IS supporter wrote, “The fight in Mosul is the second biggest battle for a city in history! The days are still ahead of us. It’s going to be the first and most difficult battle in the history of Islam.”
Yet another apparent IS supporter wrote, “isis_is_finished or end_of_the_delusion_state are the stupidest hashtags. Don’t those spreading them know that the real campaign hasn’t yet begun?! Attrition is causing the infidels to hallucinate.”
The pro-IS account The Roar of Lions,” wrote, “Our war with you Shi’ites will not leave any of you, we will ignite the land beneath your feet, purify the land until there is no trace left of you.”
The Washington Post on Tuesday reported on the battle against IS in Mosul:
Iraqi forces edged through the final roads and alleyways of Islamic State territory in the city of Mosul on Tuesday as dazed and malnourished civilians were evacuated to safety. The militants are cornered in a sliver of land in the western Old City, and commanders say they expect to declare victory against the Islamic State here by the end of the week.
Gen. Sami Al-Aridhi, a commander with the Counter Terrorism Service, said his troops were advancing on foot through the Old City’s winding maze of streets. “It’s a battle inside alleyways against an enemy that commits to no ethics,” he said.
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