A new propaganda video from the militant group Islamic State shows three French fighters calling on Muslims in France to carry out attacks in France or to join the group’s fight in Iraq and Syria, according to a jihadist monitoring organization, reports The New York Times.
The seven-minute film, released on Wednesday by Al Hayat Media Center, an affiliate of the Islamic State, also shows what appear to be French jihadist fighters burning their French passports. The video appears to be part of an intensifying propaganda effort by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, to use foreign fighters to recruit members and to encourage the spread of violence.
The video was publicized by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist groups’ communications.
The release of the video came after the French authorities identified two citizens, Michaël Dos Santos and Maxime Hauchard, as recruits who had appeared with their faces uncovered in the prologue of a gruesome video released last Sunday showing a beheaded American aid worker, Peter Kassig.
In the past, the Islamic State has sought to conceal the identity of its members, who are often shown with their faces covered. Its increasing use of foreign fighters in its propaganda messages seems calculated to appeal to disenchanted youth in Europe. Analysts say that some young people are drawn to the Islamic State through a mix of adolescent rebelliousness and the group’s slickly produced recruitment videos.
In the new video, several men who appear to be French are shown with their faces visible, tossing their passports into a bonfire. “There has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone,” says one masked man, speaking in French. “You have oppressed us, fought our religion, and insulted our prophet. And today, we disbelieve in you and your passport and if you come here we will fight you.” The video has both English and Arabic subtitles.