'The government invites you to be wary of those who do not eat baguettes'

[muriel_volestrangler]

A French government infographic designed to help fight jihadist ideology gets widely shared online - but with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

On Wednesday the French government launched a website to counter terrorism in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Its message of national unity, aimed at young people who could be radicalised as well as the general public, quickly made a splash on the internet. The site was liked 17,000 times on Facebook; its official Twitter hashtag (#StopDJihadisme) was used 12,000 times; and a slick video meant to counter jihadist recruiters got over half a million hits.

But it didn't take long for sarcasm to emerge. And it was the government's infographic about radicalisation that seemed to catch the internet's attention most of all. It spells out eight "tell-tale signs" of radicalization for people to watch out for in others, such as withdrawing from friends and family, quitting sporting activity, terminating old friendships and changing the way you dress. "In fact, the campaign to #StopDjihadism isn't about identifying potential jihadists, it's about describing unemployed people," was one of the most widely retweeted quips.

The most cutting remarks were about the warning that those who change their eating habits - indicated in the infographic by a cross over a baguette-shaped object - are likely to become extremists. "The government invites you to be wary of those who do not eat baguettes," said one user, in a theme that was echoed by many others.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-31047810

#glutenjihadist