Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently: Difference between revisions

Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently (RSS or RBSS) is a group of journalists,^[1][2] reporting Syrian opposition news and human rights abuses by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other forces occupying the northern Syrian city of Raqqa. ISIL uses Raqqa as its de facto capital. RSS reportedly works to counter the suggestion that citizens of Raqqa have welcomed the presence of ISIL.^[3] Some sources have described the group as an one of the few reliable sources of information from the city.^[4] RSS is criticised for having an ideology of Sunni Arab supremacism, and for siding with ISIL in the pursuit of it.^[5] It was founded by Abu Ibrahim a-Raqqawi.^[6]

The group has published first hand accounts, videos and photos of life and war crimes in Raqqa through its Facebook page and website, other social media, and via interviews and furnishing material to media organizations worldwide. As a result, RSS has been cited by international media outlets fairly extensively, and major news outlets have done feature stories on the group.^{[7][8][9][10]} Since no foreign or domestic journalists can operate in Raqqa, the efforts of RSS provide unique insights. The work is dangerous, with ISIL militants searching for, torturing^[11] and in at least one case killing, RSS members.^[12]

The group and its members have been accused of being anti Assad government, anti-YPG,^{[citation needed]} and anti-SDF.^{[5][5][13][14]} They have been also accused of having links with the Turkish authorities, making pro-ISIS propaganda and ethnic chauvinism.^[5]

It is known that Abdul-Aziz al-Hamza, one of the founders of the RBSS, backed the ISIS while it was attacking the Kurdish town of Kobane, calling it Kobane Ayn al-Islam, a name only used by ISIS. Abdul-Aziz al-Hamza had said “ISIS now sweeping the rest of Ayn al-Islam to purge the last remnants of communist PKK (Kurdish) forces,” in his tweet on 8 October, that he deleted later.^[5]

On 6 November 2016, U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces launched a military operation to capture the city of Raqqa. The RBSS said it is strictly against the military campaign and attacked the female commander of SDF, accusing her of not speaking Arabic "properly". Bader Mustafa, a member of the Kurdish Youth Movement (TCK) said:

"This group [RBSS] has repeatedly asked the world’s help to kick ISIS from Raqqa, but when the SDF started the Raqqa liberation operation, the RBSS started complaining even before the first bullet was fired with endless accusations against Kurds."^[5]

The spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces accused the RBSS of distorting events in Raqqa and said the group is “competing with Nazi propaganda and Turkish government propaganda” instead of focusing on the Raqqa civilians liberated from ISIS by the Arab, Kurdish and coalition forces.^[5]

According to an interview with VICE News, there were originally 17 members, who started out opposing the Syrian government. When ISIL moved into the city in April 2014 the group started the posting information about ISIL. One member who had fled Raqqa said "After we launched the campaign and posted a lot of crucifixions and executions on the news and Facebook and Twitter, they made three Friday sermons about us, saying we are infidels and we're against Allah and "we'll catch them and we'll execute them." "We are 12 inside the city and four outside. Before the 12 inside the city were posting on Twitter and posting on Facebook, and talking to journalists, but it's very dangerous. So we decided to use a "secret room," and the people in the city post all the photos, the news, and everything, and the four that are out, we are posting it on the internet, Twitter, and Facebook, and talking to journalists. We hide behind fake names and we don't trust anyone, so we don't get captured."^[15]

Several members of RSS have been executed inside Raqqa. In May 2014, Al-Moutaz Bellah Ibrahim was kidnapped by ISIL and murdered. In July 2015, ISIL released a video showing two men being strung up on trees and shot. Though ISIL claimed the two murdered men had worked with RBSS, one of the founders of RBSS denied they were members.^[16] Another friend of the group was similarly executed.^[4] Hamoud al-Mousa, the father of one of the group's founders, was killed in ISIL custody. On October 30, 2015, RSS activist Ibrahim Abdul Qadir (age 20) and his friend Fares Hamadi were found stabbed and beheaded in Urfa, Turkey. It was the first acknowledged assassination outside of ISIL controlled territory.^[17]

Abdalaziz Alhamza acts as a spokesperson.^[17] At least five members of the group live outside Syria.^[4]

On December 16, 2015, masked men murdered RSS member Ahmad Mohammed al-Mousa in the rebel held city of Idlib, Syria.^[18]

Naji Jerf, the group's film director and editor-in-chief of the independent monthly Hentah, was killed in Gaziantep, Turkey with a silenced pistol in broad daylight outside a media building in late December 2015. ISIL claimed responsibility on Twitter.^[19][20][21]

In an interview with Sarah Montague on BBC HARDtalk, aired June 22, 2016, RBSS spokesman Hussam Eesa said, via interpreter, "When we chose to work together against Daesh, documenting its abuses, we understood there would be casualties. However, it's been worse than we expected. It is an inevitable price to be paid. So far we have lost 14 people – four group members and 10 friends and family members. Currently we have 18 inside Raqqa and 10 outside Raqqa."

When ISIL banned home internet in Raqqah and forced internet users into cafes where they could be monitored, RBSS started releasing unfiltered information about life under ISIL rule.^[22]

RBSS members broke the story of the failed U.S. special forces raid to save journalist James Foley and the other hostages.^[16]

Soon after the release of a video showing the burning alive of a Jordanian pilot, Muath Al-Kasasbeh, RBSS released Google Earth photos they cross-referenced to landmarks pinpointing the location of the execution in the southern part of Raqqa near the river. They also reported that videos of the execution were played for the public on large screens throughout the city of Raqqa.^[23]

RBSS detailed that the effects of Russian airstrikes in and around Raqqa were targeting mainly civilian targets, and having little effect on ISIL.^[24]

RBSS also relayed reports from the ground of illegal white phosphorus munitions used in airstrikes.^[25]

The group was awarded the International Press Freedom Award in 2015, from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The citation said in part “While RBSS was formed to document the atrocities of [ISIL], its members have also reported critically on the Assad government’s bombings, other rebel forces, and civilian casualties caused by U.S.-led airstrikes”.^[16][17] RBSS was given the 2016 Civil Courage Prize for "risking their lives on a daily basis to document the abuses of the Islamic State."^[26]

Kyle Orton writing for The Independent, said "The risks are extreme. Their bravery quite extraordinary" and wrote "Where [ISIL] presented a functioning, just government, RBSS showed the scarcity and brutality. Not a few foreign fighters ... have gone to wage "five-star jihad" ... only to be disillusioned... that [ISIL] is reportedly having to kill them to stop them leaving. RBSS's work, therefore, offers the chance of preventing people inclined toward [ISIL's] ideology actually going to Syria."^[22]

City of Ghosts is a 2017 documentary on the group.

• Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
• Mosul Eye, blog on life under ISIL rule in Mosul, Iraq

• Facebook page
• Website