Behind the Screens: How the Muslim Brotherhood Manages Online Disinformation Campaigns

The Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam currents never cease manipulating information and spreading lies, hoping to paint a different picture of terrorism and extremism activities.

Spreading extremism and propaganda is no longer limited to hate preachers; rather, extremism increasingly occurs online, according to the annual report of the Center for Documentation of Political Islam in Austria, which Al-Ain News reviewed.

It is already known that influencers affiliated with political Islam currents and their social media channels pose a significant problem in Europe, according to the report.

In this context, the Center for Documentation of Political Islam warns of a new danger: the dissemination of political Islam narratives on platforms such as Wikipedia.

Unlike traditional media, any user can, in principle, create or edit articles in a free digital encyclopedia on the internet.

This system can be breached, despite the existence of oversight mechanisms within the platform's community.

The non-governmental Center for Documentation of Political Islam in Austria does not accuse Wikipedia of spreading fake news. Ferdinand Haberl, the author of this section in the center's annual report, clarified that Wikipedia is "the largest knowledge collection in human history" and enjoys a good reputation.

In other words, it is not about blatant manipulation or spreading misleading information within electronic encyclopedias. It is more about subtle and indirect messages and manipulations.

For example, when the term "political Islam" or "Islamism" is replaced with the word "Islam," it creates a significant difference in the recipient's mindset.

While political Islam or "Islamism" refers to a political ideology carrying extremist ideas and inciting terrorism, the term "Islam" refers to the religion as a whole.

As an example, the report from the Center for Documentation of Political Islam cites the Wikipedia page dedicated to the Muslim Brotherhood; the most anti-democratic organization of political Islam, which several countries have classified as a terrorist organization and banned.

The page's revision history for the organization on Wikipedia shows that users deleted critical sources and changed terminology; thus, the description of the Muslim Brotherhood was transformed from an "Islamist" movement to an "Islamic" movement, according to the monitoring by the Center for Documentation of Political Islam.

A disinformation network in Austria
Currently, three to four internet users are primarily active in the field of political Islam in Austria, constantly editing pages under pseudonyms.

These individuals dedicate considerable time and specialized expertise, with one of these users attributed approximately 3,000 edits on Wikipedia.

According to the report, they manipulate pages by citing specific sources, taking quotes out of context, or smearing the reputation of critical voices by labeling them as "anti-Islam."

The strategy followed by these users relies on changing narratives in favor of political Islam groups, thereby manipulating the reader's mindset.

Moreover, these users (whether individuals or entire institutions remains unknown) appear as editors of pages for figures who criticize political Islam; critics are labeled as "anti-Islam," "controversial," or "right-wing," which can naturally harm the reputation of any expert or politician, in hopes of deterring them from continuing their path of supporting countermeasures.

According to investigations, scientists and politicians may have been affected by these activities targeting their online pages.

Another issue is that even small and unnoticed edits gain a new dimension through artificial intelligence: language models, chatbots, and AI-generated search summaries rely on free online encyclopedias and reproduce what is available there.

Therefore, the Center for Documentation of Political Islam warns that "once information is launched and published, it becomes very difficult to retrieve and rectify it."