Overview
- MEMRI’s Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor reported no trace of the statement on credible ISIS channels and deemed it a prank.
- Analysts flagged language, layout, and distribution that diverge from Amaq’s Arabic outputs, including nonstandard graphics and use of English.
- The graphic, titled “Opération Manhattan Project,” invoked “11/4” and falsely claimed actions by “109 Muslim brothers living in America.”
- Researchers say the item appears to have originated on 4chan before anti-Mamdani accounts amplified it on X and Facebook, including posts by Laura Loomer and Alexander Duncan.
- Aaron Zelin, Meili Criezis, and other experts note ISIS would not endorse a democratic election or a Shia politician, and they say the hoax has fueled hate speech toward Mamdani and Muslim communities.