Islamic State messaging to Central Asians Migrant Workers in Russia

Shohruh’s profile picture from 18 October

CERIA Brief No. 6, March 2015

By Noah Tucker

In 2013, 20-year-old Shohruh opened a Facebook profile. An Uzbek from a sleepy little town near Samarqand that was once an imperial capital, Shohruh hoped to use Facebook for the same reason most 20 year olds anywhere hope to use it—to find love. Aside from a few male friends and a group for help applying for a US green card, throughout 2013 he used the site to make connections with young women his age and even tried joining dating service that featured pictures of scantily clad European women.

Additional Resources:

Syria Calling: Radicalisation in Central Asia, International Crisis Group Report