Two weeks ago, EA featured a “Fun Day in Aleppo” held by the Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham, with the insurgent faction hosting cream-eating contests, Quran readings, and a tug-of-war, as “a glimpse into how the group is attempting to win over local hearts and minds”.
Far from being a one-off, that effort has continued through the holy month of Ramadan.
Yesterday, ISIS released footage of another celebration, this time in the Al Ansari Al Sarqi neighborhood of Aleppo.
Al Ansari is controlled by the Sharia Council, a coalition of Islamist groups established at the beginning of the year who are trying to govern the area and earn the trust and support of residents.
ISIS calls its own effort “tent advocacy” or “tent preaching”, in which a tent is set up in a particular neighborhood as the site for fun activities mixed with a good dose of ideology.
These festivities include a Quran recital competition. Both the event and the video of it are heavily branded with the ISIS flag and logo:
شبكة حلب نيوز – المعادي – أحد الأطفال المتسابقين يقرأ سورة العلق from HalabNews on Vimeo.
At the same “tent advocacy” event, ISIS also organized a rather more secular competition for local youths — inflating colored balloons:
شبكة حلب نيوز – المعادي – مسابقة للشباب بنفخ البالون from HalabNews on Vimeo.
In another set of videos posted on Saturday from Al Ansari Al Sarqi reinforces the message of “hearts and minds”, although it is unclear which faction sponsored this Quran recital competition in a local mosque.
The competition was divided into several sections, based on the ages of the children. Here, a toddler shows off his knowledge of the Quran:
Girls aged 12 and above demonstrate their abilities:
