Popularising the political : jihadi chants as a popular medium of communication in jihadi circles

Abstract

Over the past decades, political chants in Arabic have played a unique role in the youth culture of several anti-establishment movements in the Arab-Islamic world. Islamist movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and jihadi organisations such as the self-named ‘Islamic State’ organisation (henceforth, ISO) and al-Qāʿida have skilfully resorted to this popular medium to spread their ideology. From a literary and discourse-analytical perspective, this study examines how jihadi chants are deployed to inculcate a political worldview in the Arabic-speaking environment. More specifically, this chapter deals with four main issues related to this artefact: firstly, it examines the genre’s popular appeal in the light of the Arabic-Islamic culture. Secondly, it investigates the chants’ socio-political context. Thirdly, it locates jihadi chants within the vast poetic tradition, and finally, it exemplifies how chants are put to jihadist use on the battlefield. The overarching argument made in this work is that ideological chants are attractive and influential among the youth culture because of their resonance with popular traditional practices. By providing multiple examples of jihadi chants, this chapter argues that this genre should be acknowledged as a chief tool of ideological transmission among jihadi groups.