(New York, N.Y.) — The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists and terrorist groups on the Internet to spread propaganda and incite violence. In the last three weeks, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a guide on July 11 glorifying the alleged perpetrator of the June 1 Boulder, Colorado, attack on a group calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
On July 18, ISIS released a new propaganda video from the group’s West Africa Province. On July 14, a pro-ISIS tech group warned its followers to avoid the SimpleX Chat program due to potential privacy flaws. Additionally, the moderator of a pro-ISIS chatroom advised a user to learn how to acquire and send the cryptocurrency Monero by using YouTube tutorials.
On July 19, the third issue of a neo-Nazi accelerationist prison outreach newsletter was released online, featuring an essay by Sarah Beth Clendaniel, who was found guilty of conspiring to attack power stations in Maryland, as well as a feature explaining accelerationism. A Telegram channel belonging to the individual(s) behind the newsletter claimed to have sent a previous issue to the perpetrator of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue attack. While searching Telegram on July 22 and July 24, CEP researchers found advertisements on eight channels connected to the Active Club movement, Patriot Front, or the White Lives Matter movement. On X, CEP located a recent video series praising Nazi Germany that received tens of thousands of views.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Releases Guide Praising Man Charged with Molotov Cocktail Attack in Boulder, Colorado
On July 11, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released an “Inspire Guide” that praised Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who is charged with attacking the group “Run for Their Lives” in Boulder, Colorado, which called for the release of Israeli hostages, using Molotov cocktails in June. Soliman has been charged with attempted murder, assault, possession of incendiary devices, and 12 hate crimes.
The AQAP guide praised Soliman for taking revenge, noting that he had failed to acquire a firearm before deciding to use homemade incendiary weapons. The guide declared that Western media shows sympathy to Israeli hostages and those harmed in the Boulder attack, but ignores Palestinians killed in Gaza or imprisoned in Israel. The manual also called for additional attacks in the U.S. It recommended obtaining firearms to commit a mass shooting, making explosives or incendiary weapons, or using a vehicle to run people over. The AQAP document also provided advice for recording the attack, contacting media outlets, and using social media to post about an attack and specifically noted that proper targets were individuals or entities that support Israel, as well as the government, or law enforcement, and said that times of crisis, such as large protests or civil disturbances could be good moments to commit an act of terrorism.
AQAP released a similar “Inspire Guide” on June 13, praising Elias Rodriguez, who is charged with murdering two Israeli embassy employees outside the Jewish National Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21.
ISIS Releases New Propaganda Video
On July 18, ISIS released a new propaganda video titled “The Consequence of Betrayal” from the group’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) on multiple platforms. The approximately 7-minute video contains interviews with ten men in Nigeria identified as local militia members or leaders, village heads, or accused of notifying the government of ISWAP movements. The video ends with two sets of executions of all ten individuals. The last full-length ISWAP propaganda video was released on May 19.
The video was spread via Telegram, RocketChat, SimpleX, and Element. The video was uploaded to several file download sites. CEP researchers also found a clip from the video, as well as a still image and audio from the video on TikTok. Both posts were reported on July 18 but remained available on the platform as of July 24, where they had garnered 555 and 751 views, respectively. One of the posts had been removed by July 28. Another post advertising the video on TikTok, posted by one of the same accounts, had garnered over 2,200 views as of July 24. CEP also found the full video on Facebook, which was removed after it was reported.
A clip on TikTok from the July 18 ISIS video “The Consequence of Betrayal.” Text added to the video clip lists a Telegram account that can be contacted to obtain the full video. Screenshot taken on July 24.
Pro-ISIS Tech Group Warns About SimpleX Chat Platform
On July 14, the pro-ISIS tech group Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) warned its followers to avoid the SimpleX Chat app. The message was released on PasteThis.To and shared on RocketChat, warning that SimpleX could share a user’s IP address. The post also stated that SimpleX Chat developers advised users to ensure their own online security, which QEF noted was a red flag. Additionally, the post stated that SimpleX Chat is based in the United Kingdom and subject to that country’s laws, and is therefore cooperating with UK law enforcement. The post interestingly noted that SimpleX has not removed ISIS or pro-ISIS content, alleging that this behavior was “highly suspicious.”
The administrator of another pro-ISIS RocketChat room noted that all communication apps, specifically mentioning Element and Telegram, work with governments and acquire data on their users, and that individuals should always use good online security practices.
The QEF post shared several points that were also made by pro-ISIS users on Element and RocketChat in late May, warning that the SimpleX platform could expose IP addresses. A May 29 check of 12 pro-ISIS SimpleX channels found an average of 328 members, ranging from 53 to 821, although the same user can join a channel anonymously multiple times.
Qimam Electronic Foundation (QEF) infographic warning users to avoid SimpleX Chat. Screenshot taken on July 24.
Pro-ISIS User on RocketChat Suggests Using YouTube to Learn How to Acquire Monero
On July 20, the moderator of a pro-ISIS chatroom on the RocketChat platform suggested that another user learn how to purchase the privacy cryptocurrency Monero using non-extremist tutorials available on YouTube. The user had asked how one could avoid government attention or identity checks when sending or receiving money. Pro-ISIS users have previously posted tips and advice for acquiring and sending Monero in the same chat.
Third Issue of Neo-Nazi Prison Outreach Newsletter Released, Associated Telegram Channel Claims to be in Contact with Perpetrator of Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack
On July 19, the third issue of a neo-Nazi prison newsletter was released on Telegram. The issue contained an essay by Sarah Beth Clendaniel, who was sentenced in September 2024 to 18 years in prison for conspiring with former Atomwaffen Division leader Brandon Russell to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland to knock power out to Baltimore. In the newsletter, Clendaniel argued that women should participate in the accelerationist movement in any way they could, including through violence, “if so many men are afraid to.”
The main article, written by the editors, discussed the concept of revolutionary accelerationism, stating that accelerationists could either wait for “optimal conditions for the revolution” or seek to create the conditions for a fascist accelerationist revolution. The article claimed that they were not promoting the second “proactive” form of accelerationism before discussing the book Siege, the Iron March forum, and Terrorgram, and offering a series of points of what the author declared were the most important arguments for adopting an accelerationist worldview. Additional sections contained letters written by “Anonymous NS [National Socialist] Federal Prisoner[s]” and puzzles.
On July 23, a Telegram channel connected to the newsletter contained a digital note from the perpetrator of the October 27, 2018, Pittsburgh synagogue attack, dated July 18, 2025, praising the newsletter and promising to spread word of it. The channel noted that they had sent him the first issue when it was released in March 2025.
Telegram Advertisements Found on Active Club, Patriot Front, White Supremacist Affiliated Channels
In searches of Telegram on July 22 and July 24, CEP researchers found advertisements on eight extreme right Telegram channels. The channels included three accounts affiliated with the white supremacist Active Club movement, three accounts affiliated with Patriot Front, one account affiliated with the White Lives Matter movement, and one neo-Nazi influencer account with over 12,000 followers that supports the three entities and heavily promotes antisemitism. Several previous versions of the channel, which currently has over 12,000 followers, have been removed from Telegram.
The advertisements, which were displayed on both days in some cases, promoted advice regarding investing or cryptocurrency, or in one case, what appeared to be a scam selling “patriot coins.” CEP researchers have previously identified Telegram advertisements on Active Club-affiliated and other channels.
Telegram allows channels with over 1,000 subscribers to contain advertisements, with payment in the company’s TON (Telegram Open Network) cryptocurrency. Telegram channel administrators receive half of the revenue for ad placement.
A Telegram post with an advertisement on a channel that shared an Active Club recruitment message. Screenshot taken on July 24.
Video Series Glorifying Nazi Germany and Promoting National Socialism Located on X
CEP researchers located a video series on X glorifying Nazi Germany and promoting national socialism with tens of thousands of views. The videos, made by an individual with a verified X account who claims to be a political scientist who operates a Telegram channel that shares a variety of extreme right texts, seek to provide “an analysis of national socialism and its development.” The first X video, posted on July 11, had garnered over 32,000 views almost two weeks later. Titled “The Nation,” the video host promoted scientific racism and declared that “the distinct European spirit can only be safeguarded through exclusionary racial policy.” The second video, posted on July 19, had almost 25,000 views five days later and expanded on national socialist concepts. Both videos endorsed Nazi Germany and contained multiple quotes from Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels, as well as other Nazi leaders.
The X account was created in September 2024, had over 12,000 followers as of July 24, and shared posts that promoted the White Lives Matter movement. A Telegram account with over 2,400 subscribers, advertised by the video narrator, contains over 300 text files that promote Nazi Germany, neo-Nazism, Holocaust denial, and antisemitism. In addition to books written by high-ranking leaders of Nazi Germany, the channel contains Siege by James Mason, The Turner Diaries, and The Blood and Honour Field Manual. The channel also includes a ten-part antisemitic purported documentary that glorifies Nazi Germany and promotes Holocaust denial.
Video glorifying Nazi Germany and national socialism on X. Screenshot taken on July 23.