In graphic video, ISIS beheads American journalist James Foley

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Wednesday released a gruesome video on Youtube.com that allegedly showed the beheading of James Foley, a freelance photojournalist who had been kidnapped in Syria in 2012.

 

Reminiscent of the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002, the graphic video – which has since been removed from the video sharing website – has shocked the world and snapped attention back on the so-called Islamic Caliphate that now controls large chunks of Iraq.

The video was reportedly posted in response to recent airstrikes by the US in northern Iraq and as a warning to President Obama. In the video, Foley is seen being forced to recite a message asking his friends and family to rise up against his "real killers” (the US).

 

 

The executioner, who speaks in fluent English, warned US president Barrack Obama by saying, “…any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic Caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people”.

 

The video ends with a shot of another journalist, Steven Sotloff, who has been missing since 2013. "The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision", the executioner can been seen saying.

 

According to media reports, 40-year-old Foley went missing in northern Syria while working for Agence France-Presse and the Boston-based media company GlobalPost.

 

Following the emergence of the video, Foley’s mother posted a statement on a Facebook group titled ‘Free James Foley'.

 

Post by Free James Foley.

His sister reacted on Twitter with the following message.

Life is the most precious thing and its unfathomable how quickly it can be taken away. I love you James Foley. Rest peacefully; you're free.

— Kelly Foley (@ke11yfoley) August 19, 2014

Reactions of colleagues also quickly flooded Twitter:

RIP James Foley. Can't pay him a bigger compliment than say he was the kind of journalist I wanted to be. Fearless and awesome.

— Andy Jones (@Andyjoneswrites) August 19, 2014

James Foley was a generous colleague & friend. We had beers in Antakya a week before he was taken. We talked about marriage/kids...

— Sheera Frenkel (@sheeraf) August 19, 2014

Remembering him for his work: James Foley's last piece from Syria for @GlobalPost in 2012 http://t.co/1MlkvD4rBK

— Campbell MacDiarmid (@CampbellMacD) August 19, 2014

First corresponded with James Foley in 2010 when he was reporting in Afghanistan. You didn't deserve this. I'm so sorry.

— Evan Hill (@evanchill) August 19, 2014

 

As soon as the video was released, a self-censorship campaign was initiated by journalists with the hash-tag ‘#ISISmediaBlackout’ appealing people not to share videos and images of terrorist organisations promoting their message.

Please do not retweet or share the video of James Foley. That's what IS wants. Don't give it to them.

— B. Allen-Ebrahimian (@BethanyAllenEbr) August 19, 2014

 

Friend with experience on these issues wants to remind you its a really bad idea to share terrorist beheading videos pic.twitter.com/RdBiZvVMk3

— Zeddonymous (@ZeddRebel) April 26, 2014

Please don't share any images or videos released by #ISIS. Join the #ISISmediaBlackout campaign. Stop spreading their propaganda.

— Ismail Sakalaki (@IsmailSakalaki) August 20, 2014

Twitter suspended the account of the Radio Sawa reporter, Zaid Benjamin,  who broke the news of Foley's execution video along with pictures. His account was reactivated as soon as he deleted the tweet.