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Terror group ISIS has "an incredibly savvy marketing and branding campaign," writes Istanbul-based journalist Joseph Dana for Roads & Kingdoms—and that includes branded merchandise. Dana recently tracked down and interviewed the man who owns the only known brick-and-mortar boutique offering ISIS merchandise.
"I am not an ISIS member, nor have I ever been one," said the owner, who would not share his name, through a translator. "I am responding to a market demand. This is Islamic clothing. What else can I say?" The gear includes rugged cargo pants, cheap-feeling T-shirts and green bandannas often seen "around the heads of jihadi fighters on suicide missions."
"Clothing targeting young men has come to be a central component of the group's branding," writes Dana, adding that it is reportedly produced in East Asia. Business is so good for the Turkey-based shop, the owner said, that he plans to open more stores around Istanbul.
· The Jihadi Gift Shop in Istanbul [Roads & Kingdoms]