A few photos of me serving tea in a fancy set. pic.twitter.com/36C3nQsnlj — GreenBirdOfDabiq (@GreenBirdDabiq) September 7, 2015

Western recruits to Islamic State can’t complain too openly about any problems they have in the new Syrian caliphate, because the propaganda outlet is tightly controlled.

For the most part, Twitter users post about the tasty and wholesome food available, glorification of soldiers killed in battle and their hope to spread Islam further in the world.

But that doesn’t stop a few cracks from showing in the Twitter accounts run by foreigners who left for a new life in the Islamic State where they imagined they would be able to live their fanatic version of faith in a pure form.



The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) tracks social media posts by jihadis and says although people must have realised they would give up western comforts when going to live in a warzone, there are a lot of posts talking about the lack of simple luxuries, such as this post admitting that coffee just isn’t the same:


I know it may be shirk but sometimes I do miss Starbucks. The coffee here is beyond wretched. ? — GreenBirdOfDabiq (@GreenBirdDabiq) May 12, 2015

Twitter user Green Bird of Dabiq, seemingly from Russia originally, posts mostly about how much she enjoys her new life in Raqqa, including snaps of her petting cats and pouring tea. However, she also complains about internet signal and suggests there are issues surrounding integration between Western and Syrian women.

This is the roof of my building–pretty typical of what u find here. I'm often up there for cell reception! ? pic.twitter.com/kWjcHxfxJL — GreenBirdOfDabiq (@GreenBirdDabiq) May 29, 2015

My ceiling thanks to shaking from recent kuffar air strikes. pic.twitter.com/xysrVV85Wq — GreenBirdOfDabiq (@GreenBirdDabiq) October 23, 2015

If I hear one more European muhajirah trashing Arab sisters I'm going to lose it. If you didnt like Arab culture, u shouldnt have come here — GreenBirdOfDabiq (@GreenBirdDabiq) October 18, 2015

And don't trash our Syrian sisters who didn't grow up with the wealth u have. Yr not better than they r and u risk nullifying yr hijrah — GreenBirdOfDabiq (@GreenBirdDabiq) October 18, 2015

According to the MEMRI, people also have concerns about the standard of hair and beauty salons in the region, with one woman asking whether she could get her hair done before she decided to make the journey to Syria.

(Picture: MEMRI JTTM)

The observers from the research institute also said that on September 4 this year, a British woman called Umm Rayyan complained about a local woman she met, writing this on her Twitter page:

The complicated situation for women emigrating to the Islamic State is also increased by the fact many of them are widowed shortly after arriving as their husbands seek to become ‘martyrs’. A Dutch ISIS member Haarith indicated she faced pressure to remarry even when she was still in mourning, posting:

In a series of tweets that have now been deleted, a Swedish woman called Muhajira Umm Hamza talked about her dissatisfaction with the lack of respect she received from men in the street, saying ‘Seriously I am getting so tired of many men muhajirin now. I feel harassed so often now. Women can’t do this or that. What is the point?’

Men have also used Twitter to set out their gripes, including about the food which is not what they have been used to in the West.

Now deceased Belgian ISIS fighter Abu Maria Al-Belgiki tweeted in July: ‘When I came to the state… I ended up in Iraq… I made it very clear the first day, ‘sorry I don’t like arab food’ they used to force me to eat something called ‘bacha’ or whatever… urgh so disgusting… it was cow/sheep bones and this and that…’

British ISIS fighter Omar Hussain has a Tumblr blog where he gives advice to new recruits on dealing with the culture clash, often in terms insulting to his Syrian hosts. MEMRI quoted him as saying: ‘It is not unusual to see (Syrians) walk away after eating leaving a big mess for someone else to clean up after them.



‘And the sight of a typical kitchen sink is just appalling. During my time in Syria, I have only met a handful of Syrians who are strict on keeping the kitchen clean, may Allāh make more such brothers.’

Read more here.