This story contains images that may be offensive and are NSFW.
On Friday, self-professed members of Anonymous and their friends joined together in a unique new holiday: a concentrated effort to make fun of the terrorist group Islamic State.
Referred to as #trollingday on Twitter, the event was meant to both take the wind out of actual online ISIS supporters’ sails and provide an opportunity to mock a group that in the past month has engineered or inspired deadly attacks in Paris, Beirut, and California.
In theory, Trolling Day is meant to specifically zero in on ISIS militants, though in practice, a number of them encourage viewers to mock Islam specifically—which is ironic and potentially counterproductive, considering ISIS has very clearly stated their desire to eliminate the “grayzone,” its term for the peaceful coexistence of moderate Muslims and the West.
The “trolls” largely took the form of Photoshopped images and have a handful of recurring themes. ISIS members having sex with goats or thwarting the Islamic instruction to not eat pork play prominent roles. Continuing the grand tradition of the prankster who confused reporters with a mock ISIS flag made out of sex toys, a number of the images deride ISIS’s attempt to criminalize homosexuality by Photoshopping fighters supporting gay rights or engaging in gay sex acts. And, for reasons not fully apparent except for the pun “Allahu Quackbar,” some Anons change ISIS figures into rubber ducks.
Here’s a small sampling of their accomplishments. Again, these are NSFW.
#ISIS has found a new way to increase members, goat babies. #Daeshbags #ISISTrollingDay #Anonymous pic.twitter.com/b7eMGy7oGN
— Jerry Mander (@LicenseToFart) December 11, 2015
https://twitter.com/roecorroe/status/675323032093741056
ISIS AirForce Finally Uncovered — Alluah Quackbar#Daeshbags #ISISTrollingDay#AnonSec #OpISIS pic.twitter.com/D2WA260qhh
— Æp3x (@Apex_Haxor) December 11, 2015
https://twitter.com/LokiAerona2/status/675271755435380737
#ISIS #Daeshbags #Daesh #TrollingDay #ISISTrollingDay #OpISIS pic.twitter.com/6Ozyvr3Dc7
— Ben Harris (@heightsharris) December 11, 2015
https://twitter.com/Stefx00/status/675352827762446336
https://twitter.com/EvilLIKEBLE8888/status/675375785100894208
Using Photoshop and humor to fight ISIS dates back to at least January of this year, when Japanese Internet users made fun of the militant group after it demanded $2 million from Japan’s government for the release to two hostages.
Update 1:39pm CT, Dec. 11: Added additional context of Photoshop-trolling ISIS.
Image via thierry ehrmann/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) | Remix by Jason Reed
