Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 12 October 2023

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against, and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters. 

Information on 13 October, “Day of Jihad”:

• Former Hamas chief calls for protests, neighbours to join war against Israel. Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called for protests across the Muslim world on Friday in support of the Palestinians and for the peoples of neighbouring countries to join the fight against Israel. “[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday,” Meshaal, who currently heads Hamas’s diaspora office, said in a recorded statement sent to Reuters. Meshaal, who is based in Qatar, said the governments and peoples of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt have a bigger duty to support the Palestinians. “Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan… This is a moment of truth and the borders are close to you, you all know your responsibility,” Meshaal said. Jordan and Lebanon are home to the largest number of Palestinian refugees. His rallying call came as Israel vowed to escalate its response to an attack by Hamas with a ground offensive, after Israeli fighter jets struck more than 200 targets in Gaza city overnight. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 950 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in the crowded coastal enclave. On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel’s history. “To all scholars who teach jihad… to all who teach and learn, this is a moment for the application (of theories),” Meshaal said.
• Hamas Calls for Global ‘Day of Jihad’ on Friday the 13^th.
• Hamas Declares Friday, October 13, As General Mobilization Day For ‘Al-Aqsa Flood Operation,’ Urges West Bank, Jerusalem Palestinians To Join Massive Rallies And Confront Israeli Soldiers
• Former Hamas Leader Calls On Muslims To Carry Out Protests, Global ‘Jihad’ On Friday | Sahara Reporters. Former Hamas leader and founding member Khalid Mashal has called for global jihad on Friday, October 13, 2023.   He also called for a show of anger and protests across the Muslim world on Friday in support of the Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.   Mashal gave the call in a video released on Tuesday in which he asked Muslims worldwide to apply Jihad “on the ground rather than just in theory.”  
• NYPD orders all cops to report in uniform after ex-Hamas chief calls for global protests. The NYPD has ordered all cops to report in uniform starting Friday in anticipation of potential unrest stemming from a call by the former leader of Hamas to stage global demonstrations in support of Palestinians, The Post has learned. “All uniformed members of the service in every rank, will perform duty in the uniform of the day and be prepared for deployment,” read a Wednesday night memo sent to all NYPD members. Cops will not be granted excusals or shift changes and the order will remain in effect “until further notice,” according to the memo. The directive was issued after Khaled Meshaal, who served as chief of Hamas from 2004 to 2017, called on the Islamic world to stage protests on Friday. The NYPD is also beefing up security at all of its 77 police precincts, assigning additional cops to monitor entryways and parking areas at the stationhouses, according to the internal memo.

Analyst Comments:

All Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) should consider preparing for a wide variety of threats due to unfolding events in Israel and Gaza and related demonstrations.

All FBOs should coordinate with local law enforcement and consider adding to their regular security measures.

The following resources provide valuable information for “routine” and heightened security.

• FEMA: You Are the Help Until Help Arrives
• STOP THE BLEED
• Faith-Based Community | Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA with links to multiple resources.
• CISA’s Protective Security Advisors (PSA) Security Advisors
• Mitigating Attacks on Houses of Worship – Security Guide (cisa.gov)
• Protecting Places of Worship: Six Steps to Enhance Security Against Targeted Violence (cisa.gov)
• Security of Soft Targets and Crowded Places-Resources Guide.
• DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships | FEMA.gov

As always, FB-ISAO’s website has valuable resources at Resource Library – FB-ISAO (faithbased-isao.org).

Shepherd’s gate breached: Another Filipino bishop falls to hackers

Another Filipino bishop fell prey to Facebook hackers, the Diocese of Cubao announced on Wednesday, October 11. The diocese now fears that the hackers might solicit donations in the bishop’s name.

Analyst Comments:

While physical threats can be the main concern of FBOs, especially during situations like the Israel – Gaza conflict, cybersecurity should not be neglected.

The October FB-ISAO Newsletter provided an overview of Cybersecurity Awareness Month and a link to CISA’s 4 Things You Can Do To Keep Yourself Cyber Safe.

CISA’s Cyber Threats and Advisories website is also a good source of cybersecurity information.

In a related matter, 23andMe has been hacked. A hacker offered to sell information on 23andMe’s millions of users, calling out Jewish people specifically. Here’s how to ask the company to delete your data. Worried about the 23andMe hack? Here’s what you can do.

First Lawsuit Filed Over 23andMe Data Breach provides additional info.

U.S. Secret Service Announces a New Series of Live Virtual Presentations on Targeted Violence Prevention

The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) is pleased to announce a new monthly series of live virtual events. In these presentations, our expert researchers will share findings and implications from decades of research on targeted violence and offer strategies for preventing acts of violence impacting the places where we work, learn, worship, and otherwise live our daily lives. The list of available virtual training events will be regularly updated, and presentation topics may change from month to month.

To learn more about this series of live virtual presentations, or to register for one or more of these events, please follow the link below.

Learn more and register at Virtual Monthly Training Registration Event (secretservice.gov).

Info Sharing:

• FB-ISAO members are sharing additional information on this event as well as information about domestic protests and security coordination activities in FB-ISAO Slack. Join here.
• FB-ISAO members, other ISACs, and security partners from trusted communities are collaborating in the National Council of ISACs’ Slack Workspace. ISAC and ISAO members are welcome to join via their respective organizations.