A Japanese Hashtag Is Mocking ISIS Amid Hostage Threats
The hashtag #ISIS?????????, meaning something along the lines of "ISIS Photoshop grand prix," started spreading on January 20.
The hashtag was a near immediate response to an ISIS video on Jan. 19 that promised to execute two Japanese hostages unless Japan paid the group $200 million.
Peter Payne, an owner of an internet store selling Japanese goods, explains the general message of #ISIS?????????succinctly: "You can kill some of us, but Japan is a peaceful and happy land, with fast Internet. So go to hell."
ISIS has given Japan until approximately 12:50 am Eastern Standard time on Friday to pay the ransom. In the meantime, Tokyo has struggled to secure the release of freelance journalist Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, a founder of a private security firm.
While Tokyo has been desperately trying to find ways to save the hostages, the Japanese public has responded with a barrage of Photoshopped images. Far from making light of the situation, they can be seen as a way of striking back at ISIS and publicly demeaning the notoriously self-important and humorless jihadist group.
Reported.ly made a Storify of some of the tweets.
Below are some of the more appropriate tweets aimed at mocking ISIS.