Terrorist Cosmopolitans Comparative framing analysis and ideological variation in contemporary jihadi propaganda: A case study of Dabiq and Inspire magazine Master thesis Political Science Author: W. P. J. Noldus Specialisation: Political Theory & Behaviour Supervisor: Dr. P. van Praag August 2015 Second reader: Drs. P.W.H. Aarts Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1, Comparing al-Qaeda and the Islamic State ........................................................................... 4 §1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 4 §2. Salafi jihadi ideology ................................................................................................................ 4 §3. Tawhid and the dismissal of rationalism ................................................................................. 5 §4. The debate over takfir ............................................................................................................. 6 §5. Territoriality and international relations ................................................................................. 7 §6. Sharia ....................................................................................................................................... 9 §7. Liberating sacred lands or ushering in the Apocalypse ......................................................... 12 §8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 13 Chapter 2, On Frames and Framing ...................................................................................................... 15 §1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 15 §2. Framing Theory ..................................................................................................................... 15 §3. Framing Theory in the study of Islamic Terrorist Movements .............................................. 16 §4. The Apostasy frame ............................................................................................................... 18 §5. The International Relations frame ........................................................................................ 20 §6. The Recruitment frame ......................................................................................................... 22 §7. The Sharia frame ................................................................................................................... 24 §8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 25 Chapter 3, Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 26 §1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 26 §2. Research question and hypothesis ........................................................................................ 26 §3. Data & data selection ............................................................................................................ 27 §4. Data processing and analysis ................................................................................................. 29 §5. Validity ................................................................................................................................... 29 §6. Reliability & replicability ........................................................................................................ 30 §7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 30 Chapter 4, Results ................................................................................................................................. 31 §1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 31 §2. Apostasy framing ................................................................................................................... 32 §2.1 Wholesale apostasy framing in Dabiq ............................................................................... 32 §2.2 Cautious apostasy framing in Dabiq .................................................................................. 35 §2.3 Wholesale apostasy framing in Inspire .............................................................................. 36 §2.4 Cautious apostasy framing in Inspire ................................................................................ 37 §3. International Relations framing ............................................................................................ 38 §3.1 Dismissive IR framing in Dabiq .......................................................................................... 39 §3.2 Traditional IR framing in Dabiq.......................................................................................... 40 §3.3 Dismissive IR framing in Inspire ......................................................................................... 41 §3.4 Traditional IR framing in Inspire ........................................................................................ 42 §4. Recruitment framing ............................................................................................................. 43 §4.1 Religious recruitment framing in Dabiq ............................................................................ 44 §4.2 Resistance recruitment framing in Dabiq .......................................................................... 45 §4.3 Religious recruitment framing in Inspire ........................................................................... 46 §4.4 Resistance recruitment framing in Inspire ........................................................................ 47 §5. Sharia framing ....................................................................................................................... 48 §5.1 Everyday life sharia framing in Dabiq ................................................................................ 49 §5.2 Everyday life sharia framing in Inspire .............................................................................. 51 §5.3 Utopian sharia framing in Inspire ...................................................................................... 51 §6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 52 Chapter 5, Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 54 Literature ............................................................................................................................................... 60 Appendix 1, Codebook .......................................................................................................................... 63 Notes ..................................................................................................................................................... 71 1 Introduction Over the course of the civil war in Syria we have seen the emergence of the next major Islamic terrorist organisation, the Islamic State (IS). Formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), IS has been subject to many name changes since its foundation in 1999 as Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad. The organisation now holds large territories in both Syria and Iraq, and on 29 June 2014 declared their territories a worldwide caliphate under Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi, or 'Caliph Ibrahim'. In many ways IS represents a new and interesting breed of jihadist organisations. Formerly an ally, and founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who also led al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the group separated from al-Qaeda in February 2014. One of the key differences between IS and more traditional jihadist organisations such as al-Qaeda, appears to have to do, perhaps surprisingly, with the timing of their respective endgames. Whereas al-Qaeda’s “...grand strategy does include an eventual, apocalyptic clash between Islamic forces and Westerners, the organization currently believes itself to be at an earlier phase in its plan. Rather than all- out battle with infidels, AQ’s current strategic stage involves executing spectacular terrorist attacks on the West.”(Gambhir 2014: 3). IS, on the other hand, already seems to believe itself to be in the closing phases of this plan, viewing the young caliphate as a springboard to worldwide domination, and, as we shall see, a means of bringing about the apocalypse. This suggests a strategical difference between the two groups: for al-Qaeda the battle with the West is now, inside every country al-Qaeda holds accountable for perceived injustices. For IS, the real battle with the rest of the world will eventually, and inevitably, arrive at its doorstep in the form of clashes at their ever increasing borders. Modern jihadi organisations show a strong presence in new media that is prompted by their need to generate support, and necessitated by the inaccessibility