How the Jihadi Narrative frames itself, its Enemy, and the Conflict at large
Terrorism is an intricate phenomenon that entails forceful violence by the use of threats, intimidation, extortion, and killing among other unlawful means towards individuals, groups, or governments for political reasons, usually to make political statements. The narrative frames Jihadi as a guardian of the rights and freedom of the Islamic religion through the means of struggle. The relevance of the Jihadi philosophy depends on factors such as time, place, and circumstances in which it occurs (Schmid, 2004). The Jihadist groups have sought the weaknesses of the West. There are continued recruitment, training, and publicity campaigns in an attempt to counter Americanism, free humanity, and Islamic homelands. There have been impending attempts to frame homeland criticisms amidst the Western propaganda, especially in the United States. The conflict that emanates from jihadist activities is unlikely to cease due to the elevating local grievances. Majority of Jihadist groups have camouflaged in formal affiliations with radical organizations (Sedgwick, 2007).
The Conflict in Syria according to Jihadists like the Islamic State
According to Jihadi, the conflict in Syria is a revelation of the ‘Holy War’ in Islam. The emergence of various Jihadist groups in Syria to counter foreign interventions falls along the dogmatism of the Islamic doctrine. The war in Syria started as irreligious insurgency to bring autocracy to a stop. However, this inclination has changed over time, owing to the influence of political Islam under the leadership of Assad’s government (Pape, 2003). Today, Jihadists have reoriented vehemence against the west in endeavors to instill fears and/or superimpose the criticized global advisory agendas on homeland terrorism.
How the Narrative is presented to a Western Audience
The Western perspective of the Jihad varies significantly amongst Americans. However, the narrative reveals that the Jihadists have turned into radical Islamic groups whose actions have led to inharmoniousness of democratic governance in Syria. A large number of non-Islamic native radicals in Syria claim to battle against autocracy. However, the controversy about Jihadi has heightened amongst the Western communities, as many revolutionaries who practice Jihadi are non-Islamists. According to Sedgwick (2007), it has become extremely challenging to distinguish between the Sunni-Islamists and the Salafi-Jihadists since many non-Islamic radicals have infiltrated the Jihadi. This situation has posed threat to the West.
Reference List
Pape, R. (2003). The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. The American Political Science Review, 97(3), 343-61.
Schmid, A. P. (2004). Frameworks for Conceptualizing Terrorism. Terrorism and Political Violence, 6(2), 197-221.
Sedgwick, M. (2007). Inspiration and the Origins of Global Waves of Terrorism. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 30(1), 97-112.