This is an interdisciplinary study unit which explores the cultural dimension of jihadism. While scholarship about the operations, structures, and resources of radical groups abound, the artistic products and social practices of jihadi groups are often overlooked. This study-unit introduces students to the rich aesthetic culture of jihad that is essential to understanding the jihadi mindset and worldview. Such aesthetics include customs, dress codes, music, films, storytelling, weeping rituals, and the love for poetry. This study-unit critically examines the multifaceted nature of Salafi-jihadi culture, shedding light on its historical roots, ideological underpinnings, and contemporary manifestations. The overarching aim of this study-unit is to move beyond conventional analyses about jihad that often focus solely on operational details and ideological aspects and focus instead on the visual, literary, and performative dimensions. This approach helps participants to deconstruct the 'Western' portrayal of the jihadist and understand how specific cultural elements contribute to the ideological, social, and political dimensions of the Salafi-jihadi movements. Among the jihadi propagandist material taken into consideration are the videos, numismatic iconography, flags, school books, newspapers, and pamphlets. This study-unit should be of particular interest to students in the fields of anthropology, Arabic studies, art, communications, criminology, international relations, media studies, and political sciences. It may also be helpful for anyone with a general curiosity about the symbolic world of the jihadist phenomenon. The study-unit is conducted entirely in English and delivered online, incorporating synchronous and asynchronous sessions to accommodate diverse learning styles. A wide range of engaging activities, such as forum discussions, presentations, as well as individual and group tasks, are integrated into the study-unit. Students are required to be digitally literate, ensuring they can navigate the online components and create online material (short videos, recordings, presentations, etc..). Virtual office hours are communicated by the lecturer at the beginning of the semester.

Main Reading List

• Hegghammer, Thomas, editor. Jihadi Culture: The Art and Social Practices of Militant Islamists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
• Matusitz, Jonathan. Symbolism in Terrorism: Motivation, Communication, and Behavior. Rowman and Littlefield, 2014.
• Pfeifer, Simone, Christoph Günther, and Robert Dörre, eds. Disentangling Jihad, Political Violence and Media. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2023.

Supplementary Reading List

• Gatt, Kurstin. “Popularising the Political: Jihadi Chants as a Popular Medium of Communication in Jihadi Circles.” Approaches to Arabic Popular Culture. Edited by Lale Behzadi, Peter Konerding and Felix Wiedemann. 14. Bamberg: Bamberg University Press, 2021: 59–96.
• Gatt, Kurstin. “Poetry as a Communicative Vehicle in the Jihadi Milieu: The Case for Modern Extremist Poetry.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 49, no. 5 (2022): 993–1013.
• Kendall, Elisabeth, and Ewan Stein, editors. Twenty-first Century Jihad: Law, Society and Military Action. London: I.B. Tauris, 2015.
• Kendall, Elisabeth, and Ahmad Khan, editors. Reclaiming Islamic Tradition: Modern Interpretations of the Classical Heritage. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016.
• Lohlker, Rüdiger. World Wide Warriors: How Jihadis Operate Online. Vienna: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Unipress, 2019.
• Lohlker, Rüdiger. Jihadism: Online Discourses and Representations. Vienna: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Unipress, 2013.
• Lohlker, Rüdiger. New Approaches to the Analysis of Jihadism: Online and Offline. Vienna: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Unipress, 2011.