Facing a ban from mainstream online social networks Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc., supporters of the Islamic State have launched their own “caliphate book.” 5elafabook.com was offline on Monday just a day after its launch and its Twitter account was suspended. Highlighting the challenges the ultra-violent militants group based in Iraq and Syria is spreading their message and recruiting online. 

It was unclear who created the site or how many members have joined. A banner message says, it had temporarily suspended operations to “protect the information and details of its members and their safety.” “5elafabook is an independent site and not sponsored by the Islamic State. We reiterate that the purpose of launching the site is to clarify to the whole world that we do not only carry guns and live in caves as they imagine ... we advance with our world and we want advancement to become Islamic,” it added.

“There is no secure website, even if it did belong directly to the Islamic State, because the servers are controlled by the governments, which can take all the IP addresses of those who visited the website,” said a user calling himself as Taqni Minbar.

IS militants relies heavily on social media networks for coordination and communication. Militants use them to publish shocking videos of beheadings and other violent acts against their enemies.

By Premji