"The Global Islamic Media Front," an al-Qaida affiliated group, has announced the formation of a new media organization. Al-Qadisiyyah Media will translate al-Qaida messages into South Asian languages and Persian.
"Al-Qadisiyyah Media will focus on releasing and translating materials into the languages of the Indian Sub-continent, from them Urdu, Hindi, Bangla, Pashtu, and Persian," says a press release announcing the formation of the group. "Any productions of Al-Qadisiyyah will be officially released by Markaz Sada al-Jihad of the Global Islamic Media Front. Any material not released by Markaz Sada al-Jihad does not represent AlQadisiyyah Media."
The new group is focusing on recruiting youth and takes its name from one of the major battles of the Islamic conquest of the Indian subcontinent. "We also remind the Muslim youth that Muhammad b. Al-Qasim, the commander of these armies which conquered As-Sind, was only 17, yet he conquered one of the greatest kingdoms of the time – India," states the press release.
The release acknowledges the increasing importance of the 'battle for hearts and minds.' "Today as well, we see this struggle, in which the Cross worshippers have mustered all they can to fight the truth. One of the greatest means they have mustered is the media, a means which has become of the most important weapons in modern warfare," it states. "It would not be an exaggeration to say that in every war which has taken place in our present times, the military campaign has been preceded by a media campaign to gain the favor of the masses."