Social media accounts affiliated to the Islamic State (ISIS) militants are now asking the American Americans in Ferguson to embrace Islam for 'true equality'.
Through a series of ISIS propaganda posters, the militant group that propagates archaic practices of beheading and stoning in Iraq and Syria, has severely criticised the US government for deploying SWAT teams and snipers for tackling the Ferguson protesters.
The ISIS propaganda posters depict how by embracing Islam, the ISIS fighters from various countries are living together are 'brothers' while US treats the blacks so 'horribly'. In all, at least over 10 ISIS posters have been shared online in both English and Arabic.
These propaganda posters are nothing but ISIS recruitment material.
A VOX article recently noted that for the ISIS propagandist, the situation in Ferguson is a goldmine. "It allows them to portray the United States as a vicious, repressive state that lies through its teeth about ideals of equality and democracy. The ISIS caliphate, in this view, is the only force that can take on this monstrosity," the article stated.
Similarly, Souad Mekhennet, a journalist and associate at Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, in another article noted that Ferguson is being tracked keenly by the group to recruit black Americans.
"According to interviews and social media, members of the group and sympathisers with its jihadist ideology are closely tracking the events in the St. Louis suburb," Mekhennet wrote in an August Washington Post article.
"One argument [jihadis have] been making for years is that racism and discrimination are rampant in some parts of the West, and they're hoping the Ferguson riots could help them recruit black Americans."
ISIS has increasingly been seen trying to hijack the Ferguson protests, so as to use the discord for its personal gain. Recently, an ISIS Twitter account belonging to ISIS fighter Abu Hussain al-Britani -tweeted a photograph of a hand-written letter urging the Ferguson rioters to 'reject corrupt man-made laws like democracy' and declare their allegiance to ISIS' leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Hussain tweeted: "Accept Islam & give bayah [allegiance] to Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi & then we will send u soldiers that don't sleep! - #IS #Ferguson'."
Similarly another ISIS fighter on his Twitter handle @Abu 3antar posted: "From #IS to #Ferguson we heard your call and we are ready to respond! #FergusonDecision #BeLikeMalcolmX #FightBack'."