The Islamic Translation Center: Al-Qaeda’s Media Force Multiplier

As Al-Qaeda (AQ) continues its globe-spanning competition with the Islamic State (IS) for support and influence, the movement looks for every bit of help it can get. Although AQ and IS have directly come to blows on multiple battlefields, a fair part of this inter-organizational conflict takes place in the media and communications space.

To be successful on the propaganda front, Al-Qaeda needs to conceptualize and craft appealing narratives. However, this alone will not suffice, as AQ’s ideas and talking points have to actually reach and resonate with the intended target audience.

Given that Al-Qaeda is an international network and seeks appeal with supporters and potential sympathizers around the globe, linguistic barriers are a natural hindrance to such efforts. To try and overcome this, AQ publishes and provides captions in multiple languages. Yet, AQ is working with limited resources and must prioritize a select few languages for any given production.

Recognizing this, supporting elements within the greater Al-Qaeda movement have stepped in to help fill these gaps by translating official AQ propaganda materials into an expanded number of languages. One of the most notable is the pro-AQ Islamic Translation Center (ITC).