ISIS Is Trying to Lure British Recruits with Cappuccinos

A British man who skipped bail to fight in Syria has written a 46-page guide to to the Islamic State—also known as ISIS, ISIL, IS, or Daesh.

A Brief Guide to the Islamic State 2015 by Abu Rumaysah al Britani, the "Walthamstow jihadi" who escaped to Syria via a Paris-bound coach after being arrested on suspicion of terrorism last year, is being circulated on social media by ISIS sympathisers.

The document promises to enlighten those wanting "to know more about this new fledgling state and what life is really like under the Caliphate." Unsurprisingly, no reference is made to mass killings or destruction of ancient historical sites.

"This small ebook reads like a typical tourist guide, aiming towards a broad audience with an easy-to-read and approachable style," explains Charles Lister, Visiting Fellow at Brookings Doha Center. "IS is not all about militancy and warfare; at the end of the day, it's attempting to build itself into an Islamic State. Despite the fact that recruitment continues apace, it needs more families—women, children, as well as men."

The document includes information on weather, transport, and technology in the Islamic State, as well as a whole chapter dedicated to the variety of available food options.

According to al Britani, if you thought ISIS lived on stale bread and septic water, you need to "erase that culinary fib from your mind." In addition to classic Middle Eastern dishes like shawarma, "scrumptious" sheesh kebab, and falafel sandwiches ("a great vegetarian option"), the Islamic State also offers all your favourite chocolate bars.

"Snickers, Kit Kat, Bounty, Twix, Kinder Surprise, Cadburys—yes, yes we have it all," writes al Britani.

For would-be jihadis "worried about leaving your local Costa Coffee," the Islamic State also has it covered. You may not be able to get your Coffee Club card stamped, but "the Caliphate serves some of the best lattes and cappuccinos around."

While al Britani's goes into weirdly specific detail about British confectionery, halal options in the Islamic State are confined to a one-line mention at the end of the chapter.

"The guide is clearly directed at the consumerism that also characterises the lifestyles of young urban Muslims," explains Dr Carool Kersten, author of The Caliphate and Islamic Statehood. "The author recognises food and drink as an integral part of the urban 'comfort zone' to the extent that what I had expected to be much more central to narrative—halal food—comes only as an afterthought."

Indeed, many of the 500 Muslim Britons thought to have travelled to Syria are young city-dwelling men, a demographic known for its interest in food.

"Subjects like food and transport may seem benign to an outsider, but they're the kind of subjects that prospective IS recruits talk about online when considering joining the cause," agrees Lister, who was sent a link to the document by al Britani on Twitter. "IS fighters frequently post pictures of the food they're eating, from curries, spaghetti bolognese, and sushi to Bounty bars."

It isn't the first time Islamic State propaganda has focused on food. Women's organisation Al Zawraa urges the wives of jihadi fighters to cook soups, fajitas, and pancakes for "Allah's soldiers."

The travel guide format is also a familiar tool in the ISIS recruitment drive. Dabiq, a glossy, English-language magazine includes reports on military successes alongside "lifestyle" coverage. Kersten also sees similarities between the "jihad tourism" proffered in A Brief Guide and the Services Bureau run by Osama bin Laden and his mentor Abdullah Azzam in 1980s Afghanistan.

"It offered young Muslims (then predominantly Arabs) an opportunity to visit the war zone during holidays; generally keeping them out of harm's way but still providing them with glamorous stories to tell," he explains. "At the time, this offered a much more austere experience in guerrilla camps than the 'Club Med' associations conjured up by A Brief Guide to the Islamic State."

It seems potential Islamic State recruits behave a lot like the rest of when considering a trip abroad: flicking through tourist guides and hoping there will be somewhere that sells Kit Kats.