Sources from the Guardian claim that the counter-terror police’s strategy in severing online networks has led to recruitment being shifted to the ground. Extremist preachers in mosques, particularly from Cardiff and Birmingham where men have travelled to Syria to fight, are a growing concern inside the Muslim community.
A 19 year-old ISIS supporter – who states that he is not based in the UK but still within Europe – has said to the Guardian, “We’re really excited to come in and join the khilafah. I know many brothers who have said the recruitment has been booming ever since the announcement [of the caliphate’s establishment] was made because this is what all these groups fought for years and years.” He argues that the UK in particular has been targeted due to its large minority of Salafis.
