Islamic State Praises Australia Jihad Attack, Urges Muslims in Belgium to Wage Violence Against Jews and Christians

Image: Jihad Watch

On 18 December, the Islamic terrorist organisation ISIS released the 526th edition of its official propaganda magazine Al-Naba, using it to openly glorify an antisemitic terror attack carried out against Jews at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. In a disturbing editorial titled “The Pride of Sydney,” the group hailed the perpetrators as “heroes” and projected the bloodshed as a model to be emulated across the world. An accessed copy of the article reveals how ISIS continues to weaponise propaganda to celebrate violence and inspire further attacks.

The editorial celebrates the attack on Jews who had gathered at Bondi Beach to observe Hanukkah, portraying the massacre as an ideological triumph. The terrorist who initiated the violence is praised without restraint, reinforcing how global jihadist networks rely on online radicalisation to incite brutality against communities that do not conform to their extremist worldview. The article leaves no doubt that ISIS views such attacks not as isolated crimes, but as ideological victories.

ISIS made no attempt to conceal its admiration for the attackers. Instead, it glorified the massacre as a successful execution of its core doctrine, presenting it as proof that individuals inspired by ISIS propaganda can strike deep within Western societies. The narrative promotes the idea that decentralised, self-directed violence is both effective and desirable, even without formal operational links to the organisation.

In the editorial, the attackers—identified as Naveed Akram and his father Sajid Akram—are repeatedly referred to as “heroes” and “lions.” The article praises them for killing 15 people and injuring several others. While ISIS stopped short of formally claiming responsibility for the attack, the language used leaves little ambiguity about ideological ownership. The massacre is framed as a religiously sanctioned act, described as adherence to what ISIS calls the “Prophetic methodology.”

A key theme running through the piece is the assertion that the outcome of an attack matters more than formal allegiance or documentation. By stressing results over organisational ties, ISIS seeks to encourage lone-actor terrorism, allowing individuals radicalised online to act independently while still advancing the group’s objectives. This strategy mirrors a long-standing ISIS playbook, where ideological credit is claimed after the fact, even in the absence of direct coordination.

Some of the most chilling passages boast that Jews are now “bleeding in the streets of Australia” and claim that a Hanukkah celebration was turned into a “funeral.” The editorial portrays the massacre as a victory achieved by “zealous ones” who obeyed ISIS calls to target Jewish and Christian gatherings during religious festivals. Such language underscores the group’s explicit intent to exploit religious occasions as moments of maximum vulnerability.

The article makes it clear that ISIS deliberately views Jewish religious events as legitimate targets. Synagogues, community gatherings, and festivals are openly framed as arenas for violence, revealing the genocidal mindset embedded within ISIS ideology. The hatred expressed is not incidental but ideological and theological, reflecting a deeply entrenched obsession with targeting Jews.

Alarmingly, the editorial does not stop at celebrating past violence. It explicitly incites future attacks beyond Australia, calling on Muslim refugees in Belgium to carry out similar acts. ISIS urges them to “fight Jews and Christians in every street,” openly dismissing refugee status, asylum protections, and migration as tools to be discarded in favour of violence. Belgium, with its significant migrant population, is portrayed as fertile ground for future attacks.

By naming Belgium as a potential next target, ISIS once again exposes Europe’s unresolved struggle with Islamist radicalisation. The editorial raises serious concerns about the continued exploitation of migration networks and online platforms by extremist groups, and the persistent failure to effectively counter radical ideologies that translate propaganda into real-world bloodshed.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)