The name you use to refer to the Islamic State terror group can reveal whether you are a supporter or opponent of the jihadi organisation, according to a new study published in the Daily Mail. Research has revealed those who call the organisation as 'Islamic State' overwhelmingly support it, while those who refer to it by its abbreviated name, ISIS, are mostly opposed to it. Not only does it reveal an individual's ISIS leanings, but researchers were also able to develop a model which accurately predicted future support of the terrorists. Those who refer to the jihadi group by its full name 'Islamic State' overwhelmingly support it, while those who call it 'ISIS' mostly oppose it, researchers have revealed This was only made possible due to ISIS's widespread use of social media - unparalleled in modern conflicts - in attempting to recruit would-be jihadis from across the globe. The Qatari Computing Institute analysed 123million Arabic tweets by 57,000 Twitter users to reveal common traits among those in the pro or anti camps. The remarkable results showed 93 per cent of those referring to the group by its full name Islamic State were supporters, while 73 per cent calling it ISIS were opposed. The tweets used to determine support and opposition to the group were taken from mid-October to the end of December last year. During this time, former US Army Ranger Peter Kassig was beheaded, while the jihadis carried out numerous other atrocities against locals within their territory. Alarmingly, the results showed there was increasing support for the group on Twitter during the three month time period. The report stated: 'Anti-ISIS tweets generally peaked when news of ISIS human rights violations emerged such as the killing of hostages, accounts of torture, or reports of the enslavement of Yazidi women. 'On the other hand, pro-ISIS tweets generally peaked in conjunction with the release of propaganda videos and major military achievements.' They added: 'It seems that the top interests of both groups are rather different, except for one incident when an ISIS affiliate group attacked the Egyptian Army in Sinai.' ISIS brutality, according to the study, tended to galvanise opposition against the group and it was 'unclear' if it was effective recruitment tool. The researchers then looked further ahead. Using those accounts identified as pro or anti-ISIS according to how they referred to the group, they could determine - with 87 per cent accuracy - who was likely to become a supporter in future based on their use of hashtags from four years' previous. Hashtags relating to the Arab Spring, or ongoing conflicts within the Muslim world, showed those who were opposed to overturned political leaders were more likely to become ISIS supporters. 'Looking at discriminating hashtags suggested that a major source of support for ISIS stems from frustration with the missteps of the Arab Spring,' researchers concluded. 'As for opposition to ISIS, it is linked with support for other rebel groups, mostly in Syria, that have been targeted by ISIS, support for existing Middle Eastern regimes, and Shia sectarianism.' Researchers also revealed the ranked locations of the most pro and anti-ISIS tweets. In first place, for both those expressing support and opposition to the militants, was Saudi Arabia, where the militants self-proclaimed capital in Raqqa is based. All the top 10 locations were confined to the Middle East and north Africa, with the exception of Britain, which placed 7th on the rankings of most anti-ISIS sentiment.
