DOCSLIB.ORG

The War for Supremacy of the Jihadist Movement

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The War for Supremacy of the Jihadist Movement THE WAR FOR SUPREMACY OF THE JIHADIST MOVEMENT Intra-movement rivalry in jihadist media, 2011-2016 Master Thesis, 28-07-2017 MA History of Society, Global History and International Relations Supervisor: Prof. Dr. D. Douwes Second reader: Dr. G. Oonk Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication Erasmus University Rotterdam Jasmin Seijbel Student number: 385331 [email protected] Abstract Syria today is torn by a major civil war and does not yet have the prospect of peaceful solution. The Syrian civil war is an offshoot of the Arab Spring, the widespread protests which began in Tunisia in 2010 and spread across the region. The civil war in Syria proved to be the right circumstances for several jihadist movements, and they have been able to establish themselves in the country. This research focuses on intra-movement rivalry and framing between ISIS, al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra during the ongoing civil war in Syria. The main research question is: What discourse have al-Qaeda, ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra adopted in their media expressions in order to legitimize jihadist differentiation and the use of violence, both symbolic and real, against their jihadist competitors? The main conclusion is that jihadist use a defectional discourse in order to legitimize jihadist differentiation and the use of violence against their jihadist competitors. ISIS, al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra have adopted and developed a radical discourse, which I have called the defectional discourse. They make use of the notion of takfir to legitimize violence, claiming the ‘other’ is not a pious Muslim. This defectional discourse interacts with a political and religious salafist discourse, drawing on early Islamic history and early Islamic religious texts. Key Words: intra-movement rivalry, Syria, civil war, Iraq, framing, sectarianism, ISIS, Jabhat al- Nusra, al-Qaeda, jihadism, salafism, discourse 1 Table of content Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1. Introduction and methodology .................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Introduction of the topic ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Methodology and approach ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.1 Research question & sub-questions ................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.2 Sources ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2.3 Media analyses ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2.4 Methodology .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 1.2.5 Relevance of the research .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.6 Transliteration ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 1.3 Theoretical concepts ................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 1.4 Religious concepts .................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 1.5 Online jihadi media .................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 2. The Roots of militant Islam ............................................................................................................. 19 2.1 Historiography ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 2.1.1 Islamic modernism ............................................................................................................................................................................... 20 2.1.2 The Islamic tradition of Salafiyya and Wahhabism .................................................................................................................. 23 2.1.3 Jihadist thinking ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 26 2.2 The ties that bind al-Qaeda, ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra ............................................................................................................... 28 2.2.1 The establishment of al-Qaeda ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 2.2.2 The roots of ISIS ................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 2.2.3 Jabhat al-Nusra joins the stage ........................................................................................................................................................ 31 2.2.4 Ideological differences, ISIS differentiation from al-Qaeda ..................................................................................................... 33 3. Syrian civil war............................................................................................................................. 35 3.1 Arab Uprisings and the civil war in Syria .......................................................................................................................................... 35 3.2 Role of jihadists in the protest and violence .................................................................................................................................... 37 3.3 Mapping the situation in Syria ............................................................................................................................................................. 39 3.4 Regional context of the civil war.......................................................................................................................................................... 40 3.5 Sectarianism and the Syrian civil war ................................................................................................................................................ 42 4. Framing and Othering ................................................................................................................ 44 4.1 The media methods of ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Jabhat al-Nusra..................................................................................................... 44 2 4.2 Shaping identities ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 4.3 Othering enemies and the use of invectives .................................................................................................................................... 51 4.4 Case study: al-Urduni .............................................................................................................................................................................. 56 4.5 Ideological differences ............................................................................................................................................................................. 60 4.6 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 5. Justifying violence and rebel infighting ...................................................................................... 62 5.1 Friendly period ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 5.2. Rebel infighting during the Syrian civil war ..................................................................................................................................... 64 5.3 The establishment of the Caliphate ................................................................................................................................................... 67 5.4 Jabhat al-Nusra cuts ties with al-Qaeda ..........................................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mcallister Bradley J 201105 P
    REVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS? AN ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN IN TERRORIST GROUPS by Bradley J. McAllister (Under the Direction of Sherry Lowrance) ABSTRACT This dissertation is simultaneously an exercise in theory testing and theory generation. Firstly, it is an empirical test of the means-oriented netwar theory, which asserts that distributed networks represent superior organizational designs for violent activists than do classic hierarchies. Secondly, this piece uses the ends-oriented theory of revolutionary terror to generate an alternative means-oriented theory of terrorist organization, which emphasizes the need of terrorist groups to centralize their operations. By focusing on the ends of terrorism, this study is able to generate a series of metrics of organizational performance against which the competing theories of organizational design can be measured. The findings show that terrorist groups that decentralize their operations continually lose ground, not only to government counter-terror and counter-insurgent campaigns, but also to rival organizations that are better able to take advantage of their respective operational environments. However, evidence also suggests that groups facing decline due to decentralization can offset their inability to perform complex tasks by emphasizing the material benefits of radical activism. INDEX WORDS: Terrorism, Organized Crime, Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Insurgency, Networks, Netwar, Revolution, al-Qaeda in Iraq, Mahdi Army, Abu Sayyaf, Iraq, Philippines REVOLUTIONARY NETWORK0S? AN ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN IN TERRORIST GROUPS by BRADLEY J MCALLISTER B.A., Southwestern University, 1999 M.A., The University of Leeds, United Kingdom, 2003 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY ATHENS, GA 2011 2011 Bradley J.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Analysis of the Syrian Crisis and the Zero-Problem Policy with Syria
    THE POLITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SYRIAN CRISIS AND THE ZERO-PROBLEM POLICY WITH SYRIA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ŞENOL ARSLANTAŞ IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DECEMBER 2013 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof.Dr. Meliha B. ALTUNIŞIK Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin BAĞCI Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Süha BÖLÜKBAŞIOĞLU Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. İlhan UZGEL (ANKARA UNIV, IR) Prof. Dr. Süha BÖLÜKBAŞIOĞLU (METU, IR) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özlem TÜR (METU, IR) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Şenol ARSLANTAŞ Signature : iii ABSTRACT THE POLITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SYRIAN CRISES AND THE ZERO-PROBLEM POLICY WITH SYRIA Arslantaş, Şenol M.Sc., Department of International Relations Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Süha Bölükbaşıoğlu December 2013, 118 pages This thesis aims to analyze both the evolution of Turkish-Syrian relations during the period of the AKP governments and the emergence of the Syrian revolt in March 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • Streets Songs from the Syrian Protests
    Orient-Institut Studies 2 (2013) Simon Dubois Streets songs from the Syrian protests <1> Since March 2011, the Syrian uprising has created spaces for popular expression that were restricted during the preceding four decades of dictatorship. Numerous productions of texts, poems, caricatures, and songs began to appear on social media sites, and activists then gathered them onto networks providing local alternative information. These networks included websites, blogs, YouTube channels, Facebook and Twitter accounts. They often contained sections titled "Art of the Revolution" or the like, which listed the cultural production of the protests. <2> This article is part of a study conducted online via networks (for instance, F.N.N,1 Deir Press2) and websites or YouTube channels that focused on the revolution©s music, such as "Music from the great or Dndne Indesasye.4 An initial survey of protest 3,( موسيقى الثورة العربية الكبرى) "Arab revolution songs, conducted between October 2011 and March 2012, revealed a vast production of protest music. This research presents some of the results of a global analysis carried out on a collection of material composed exclusively of demonstration chants, which represented cultural production in the service of protest. Videos of the demonstrations that frequently accompany these chants have a special status, since they are evidence that the protest rallies really took place, a fact that was repeatedly denied by the regime at the beginning of the protest movement. <3> In this research, demonstration chants are determined by two criteria. First, there must be interaction between the public and the singer; that is to say, the audience has to be active, repeating some lyrics that constitute the chorus.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Or Simply the Islamic State, Has Carried out Deadly Terrorist Attacks
    BACKGROUND REPORT Patterns of Islamic State-Related Terrorism, 2002--2015 For more than a decade, the organization now known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or simply the Islamic State, has carried out deadly terrorist attacks. Beginning as a small network led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the first terrorist attack attributed to this group was the assassination of American diplomat Laurence Foley in Amman, Jordan in October 2002. Since then, the group initially known as Tawhid and Jihad (Jama’at al-Tawhid w’al-Jihad (the Party of Monotheism and Jihad)) has undergone a complex evolution, including name changes, leadership changes, and shifts in allegiance to other Salafi-jihadist organizations, most notably al-Qaida. In addition, the reach of ISIL’s violence surpasses its own membership, to include attacks carried out by other groups and individuals who have pledged allegiance to ISIL regardless of whether or not formal ties exist. This complexity makes it difficult to comprehensively and systematically place into context the violence of one of the most active and deadly terrorist organizations in recent history. For the purpose of this report, we have classified the terrorist attacks in the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) into four ISIL-related perpetrator categories: ISIL Predecessor: attacks by organizations that were part of the ISIL lineage prior to adoption of the ISIL name in 2013 ISIL: attacks by operatives of the “core” of the organization, based in and primarily active in Iraq and Syria ISIL Affiliate: attacks by organizations that have declared allegiance to ISIL1 ISIL-Inspired: attacks by individuals who have indicated that they were motivated by allegiance to ISIL ISIL-Related: any of the above This report presents data that illustrate the dynamics of ISIL-related terrorism over time and place, from 2002 to 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • The Literature on Jihadism in Jordan Henrik Gråtrud
    When Insularity Becomes a Problem: the Literature on Jihadism in Jordan Henrik Gråtrud Address: Norwegian Defence Research Establishment/FFI Postboks 25, 2027 Kjeller, Norway Email: [email protected] Henrik Gråtrud is a research fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) and a doctoral candidate at the University of Oslo. Acknowledgment: I would like to thank my colleagues at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and the University of Oslo, the editor, as well as the anonymous reviewers for excellent input and advice. 1 Dette er en postprint-versjon/This is a postprint version. Publisert versjon/Publised version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2020.1723282 When Insularity Becomes a Problem: the Literature on Jihadism in Jordan ABSTRACT This article offers a review of the literature on Jordanian jihadism. While excellent work has been done, particularly on the phenomenon’s history and ideologues such as Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, several topics remain unexplored. The main explanation for the literature’s shortcomings is that it has been too inward-looking. I argue that this insularity has led to three problems: first, the literature sometimes recycles observations already made; second, it fails to show how Jordan presents specificities in terms of jihadism; and third and most importantly, it misses insights from the literature on political violence about radicalization and terrorist attack activity. As a result, it fails to address key questions about Jordanian jihadism, such as why, when, and how terrorist attacks happen. Keywords: jihadism; terrorism; Jordan; review; radicalization Introduction After the outbreak of war in Syria, Jordan witnessed an unprecedented jihadist mobilization in the early 2010s.
    [Show full text]
  • Geography of the Arab Spring
    Geography of the Arab Spring An analysis of the Syrian revolutionary process from a spatial point of view By Teun van de Ven Bachel or thesi s Geogr af i e, pl anol ogi e en milieu (GPM) School of Management Radboud University Nijmegen June 2013 Geography of the Arab Spring An analysis of the Syrian revolutionary process from a spatial point of view By Teun van de Ven Bachelorthesis Geografi e, planologie en milieu (GPM) School of Management Radboud University Nijmegen June 2013 Thesis supervisor: Olivier T. Kramsch Studentnumber: 4065751 Table of contents Su m m ar y ……………………………………………………………………………….II Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1 Met hod…………………………………………………………………………………4 Chapter One - Theor et i cal f r amew or k………………………………………………….6 1.1. Revolution………………………………………………………………………………….…...6 1.1.1. Definition………………………………………………………………………………………6 1.1.2. Preconditions and causalities…………………………………………………………………...8 1.1.3. The revolutionary process…………………………………………………………………….10 1.2. Uprising……………………………………………………………………………………….12 1.3. Revolutionary wave……………………………………………………………………………12 1.4. Geography and revolutions……………………………………………………………………13 1.4.1.Demography, Urbanisation and Economy…………………………………………………….13 1.4. 2. Ur bani sat i on…………………………………………………………………………………...14 1.4.3.Economy……………………………………………………………………………………....15 1.4.4.Food shortage……………………………………………………………………………….....15 1.4.5.Culture…………………………………………………………………………………….......16 1.4.6.Focus…………………………………………………………………………………………..16 Chapter Two - The Syrian revolutionary process……………………………………..17 2.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Presentation Outline
    Syrian Civil War Oral Presentation - Outline ● Introduction: ○ What is the Syrian Civil War and how did it GENERALLY start? ■ Started during protests against the oppressive Assad regime ● Violent suppression of these protests escalated into war ■ Since then it has turned into a complex and messy civil war with many sides ○ When did it happen? ■ Started in 2011 still going on ● fighting has slowed down recently ○ Who was involved in the war? ■ Assad regime: Oppressive regime that had been in power since 1970 ■ Rebel groups: People rising against the Assad regime ■ Kurds: People from eastern Syria also fighting against the Assad regime who wanted autonomy from the rest of the country ■ ISIS: Group that broke away from the rebels and started fighting against them and the Kurds ○ Who were key players (other countries) ■ Backing Assad: Iran, Russia, Hezbollah ● Iran: ○ Involvement ■ Iran was the main supporter and the first to get involved ■ Supporting loyal forces of Assad with money, weapons, and intelligence ■ Sent military advisers ■ Backing the militant group Hezbollah ■ Organized paramilitary militia ○ Motivations ■ Iran and Syria had a mutual defense pact before the Syrian Civil War began ■ Views Syrian Civil War as a way to expand regional influence ■ The Assad regime allows for Iran to fund Hezbollah (enemy of Israel) ● Russia: ○ Involvement ■ Deployed troops ■ Fighting against ISIS ■ Fighting against anti-Assad groups ■ Provided the Assad regime cover from UN resolutions ○ Motivations ■ Wants to secure influence in the Middle East
    [Show full text]
  • The Situation in Syria
    Montana Model UN High School Conference Security Council Topic Background Guide Topic 1: The Situation in the Syrian Arab Republic1 15 September 2016 In spring 2011, when the popular uprisings of the “Arab Spring” began across the Middle-East, protests began in a number of Syrian cities calling for President Bashar Assad to resign and for an end to authoritarian rule. In response, the Syrian government used military force against protesters and granted some symbolic concessions. What began as protests has now degenerated into one of the deadliest civil wars in world history. More than 400,000 Syrians, including both combatants and civilians, have died,2 and 11.4 million people, more than half of the country’s pre-war population, has been displaced, either internally within Syria or to neighboring countries.3 In addition, according to the UN Human Rights Council and other human rights organizations, both the Syrian government and rebel groups have committed human rights violations.4 The events in Syria have affected other UN Member States. Shelling from Syria has occurred over the borders of both Turkey and Israel,5 and Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, and Egypt have received large numbers of refugees. Today, the Syrian civil war has even affected countries beyond the Middle East. The refugee crisis has now extended into Europe, with more than 1.1 million refugees coming to Europe in 2015, including 363,000 Syrians who have lodged asylum applications and many more who have not yet applied.6 Since 2014, a United States-led coalition has been
    [Show full text]
  • Wagner2019.Pdf (3.884Mb)
    2 Transnational mobilities during the Syrian war An ethnography of rural refugees and Evangelical humanitarians in Mafraq, Jordan Ann-Christin Wagner PhD in International Development University of Edinburgh January 2019 3 4 Declaration I declare that this thesis has been composed solely by myself and that it has not been submitted, in whole or in part, in any previous application for a degree. Except where stated otherwise by reference or acknowledgment, the work presented is entirely my own. Some ethnographic vignettes and sub-sections appear in modified form in three publications which were released at about the same time as this thesis (Wagner 2017; Wagner 2018a; Wagner 2018b). Signature: Date: 3 January 2019 5 6 Abstract This thesis explores how conflict and closed borders have reshaped transnational mobilities in the Levant since 2011. It draws on fourteen months of ethnographic fieldwork in Mafraq, a provincial town in northern Jordan, in 2016/17. At the time of my research, Mafraq was home to ca. 100,000 locals and similar numbers of Syrians. The timeframe of the study coincides with a specific moment of the humanitarian response in Jordan when stricter encampment policies had exacerbated legal insecurity for urban refugees and the dwindling of international aid had heightened the importance of grassroots and faith-based organisations to Syrians’ daily survival. The thesis speaks to recent debates on “mobility” in the Anthropology of Humanitarianism, Forced Migration and Middle Eastern Studies. It captures intersecting transnational networks of two populations that often remain invisible to policymakers and academics: marginalized rural Syrians that come from, migrate and flee to remote borderlands in the Levant, and Evangelical humanitarians who operate mostly under the radar of the mainstream aid industry and host states.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Arab Spring Throughout the Middle East and North Africa
    A MODEL OF REGIME CHANGE: THE IMPACT OF ARAB SPRING THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts By OMAR KHALFAN BIZURU BA, Al Azhar University, Egypt, 1996 MA, Institute of Arab Research and Studies, Egypt, 1998 Ph.D. Nkumba University, Uganda, 2019 2021 Wright State University WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL April 21st, 2021 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT THE THESIS PREPARED UNDER MY SUPERVISION BY Omar Khalfan Bizuru ENTITLED A Model of Regime Change: The Impact of Arab Spring Throughout the Middle East and North Africa BE ACCEPTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Master of Arts. Vaughn Shannon, Ph.D. Thesis Director Laura M. Luehrmann, Ph.D. Director, Master of Arts Program in International and Comparative Politics Committee on Final Examination: _________________________________ Vaughn Shannon, Ph.D. School of Public and International Affairs ___________________________________ Liam Anderson, Ph.D. School of Public and International Affairs ___________________________________ Awad Halabi, Ph.D. Department of History ___________________________________ Barry Milligan, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Dean of the Graduate School ABSTRACT Bizuru, Omar Khalfan, M.A., International and Comparative Politics Graduate Program, School of Public and International Affairs, Wright State University, 2021. A Model of Regime Change: The Impact of the Arab Spring Throughout the Middle East and North Africa. This study examined the catalysts for social movements around the globe; specifically, why and how the Arab Spring uprisings led to regime change in Tunisia, why they transformed into civil war in some countries of the Middle East and North Africa (Syria), and why they did not lead to significant change at all in other places (Bahrain).
    [Show full text]
  • Routledge Handbook of U.S. Counterterrorism and Irregular
    ‘A unique, exceptional volume of compelling, thoughtful, and informative essays on the subjects of irregular warfare, counter-insurgency, and counter-terrorism – endeavors that will, unfortunately, continue to be unavoidable and necessary, even as the U.S. and our allies and partners shift our focus to Asia and the Pacific in an era of renewed great power rivalries. The co-editors – the late Michael Sheehan, a brilliant comrade in uniform and beyond, Liam Collins, one of America’s most talented and accomplished special operators and scholars on these subjects, and Erich Marquardt, the founding editor of the CTC Sentinel – have done a masterful job of assembling the works of the best and brightest on these subjects – subjects that will continue to demand our attention, resources, and commitment.’ General (ret.) David Petraeus, former Commander of the Surge in Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command, and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan and former Director of the CIA ‘Terrorism will continue to be a featured security challenge for the foreseeable future. We need to be careful about losing the intellectual and practical expertise hard-won over the last twenty years. This handbook, the brainchild of my late friend and longtime counter-terrorism expert Michael Sheehan, is an extraordinary resource for future policymakers and CT practitioners who will grapple with the evolving terrorism threat.’ General (ret.) Joseph Votel, former commander of US Special Operations Command and US Central Command ‘This volume will be essential reading for a new generation of practitioners and scholars. Providing vibrant first-hand accounts from experts in counterterrorism and irregular warfare, from 9/11 until the present, this book presents a blueprint of recent efforts and impending challenges.
    [Show full text]
  • Al Qaeda’S Command- And-Control Structure
    Testimony of Steven Emerson Before the United States House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence April 9, 2008 Steven Emerson Executive Director Investigative Project on Terrorism www.investigativeproject.org email:[email protected] Introduction: The 2001 invasion of Afghanistan was successful in obliterating much of al Qaeda’s command- and-control structure. Due to a robust and successful counter-terrorist policy made up of good intelligence gathered by the FBI, asset forfeitures and designations by the Department of the Treasury, and other good work by the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies within the intelligence community, the U,S. has fortunately not been hit with another attack since 9-11. Moreover, in the six and a half years since the those horrible, al Qaeda’s direct orchestration of acts of terrorism on the operational level has been somewhat constrained. This is not to say that al Qaeda has not been involved in terrorist attacks and plots since 2001 (training and guidance provided by al Qaeda in the 2005 London transit bombings and foiled 2006 Heathrow plot prove otherwise), but the group’s leaders have relied largely on the power of self- anointed franchises and recognized the power of spreading its message and ideology via the Internet. Extremist Muslims throughout the world have responded to this message and have sought to execute a number of attacks. While most have been stopped, some have been successful, killing hundreds and injuring thousands more, resulting in propaganda coups for al Qaeda and its leadership. Parallel to franchising the al Qaeda ideology, the group has successfully regenerated its operational capabilities in the sanctuary of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan.
    [Show full text]