In the field of global politics, our current global situation is a hotbed of conflict. One particularly prevalent example of the conflict in our world is the ISIS situation in Syria. ISIS is a group of Sunni jihadists led by 43-year-old Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, working predominately in Syria and Iraq. ISIS has been a common feature in the western news recently due to the public beheadings of journalists James Foley, Steven Sotloff and British aid worker Alan Henning. These videos have reached western audiences and are readily available through a quick Google search. ISIS has been shown to have a strong social media presence. The organization has a twitter page as well and a “gift shop” in which supports can buy merchandise. Through the ISIS social media campaigning, a blog entitled “diary of a muhjirah” has appeared. There have been accounts of young western women leaving their homes to marry ISIS fighters, and to most westerns (including myself) this concept seems utterly unimaginable. But it is not unimaginable for a women whom goes by the username of “Bird of Jannah” who blogs about her live as an ISIS wife. The tumblr blog accounts her day to day life, pictures of her Syria, exerts from the Quran and exemplifies her love for her life with ISIS. In the blog she claims to be a western woman (her exact country of origins is never revealed) and states that coming to Syria was the best choice she ever made. Regarding the blog as truth projects a different image then that radical, fundamentalist, violent ISIS which is presented in western media. Though many researchers have their doubts about the authenticity of the “Bird of Jannah’s” story. Many researchers believe that the blog of a modern western women turn ISIS bride is an elaborate propaganda scheme from ISIS. If this proves to be the case, this terrorist organization is utilising a life narrative to project a certain viewpoint. If the same statements were released through an official ISIS source, the credibility would be lost. But through a woman whom is intelligent and well versed in tumlbr, the cause gains a level credibility. This usage of life narratives as propaganda may prove to be very effective, using the reliability of an imaginary western woman to gain support to their cause.
Hi Delaney!
What is most troubling about ISIS, in my personal opinion at least, is their immensely hypocritical nature. As this BBC article reports, ISIS declares is goal to be establishing a global “Islamic State” under strict Islamic law. In a recording, the leader of ISIS demands that all Muslims “reject democracy and other garbage from the West.” That’s what they say, but their actions go against their claims. That very recording was posted on the Internet, and as you mentioned, they even have a Twitter account, an online shop, and a blog that may or may not be associated with them officially. All of the above, as far as I know, are Western inventions, or according to the ISIS leader, “garbage from the west.” So ISIS uses the very Western garbage it renounces to promote their cause. As hypocritical as their action is, it works — some Western citizens, self-radicalized through the Internet, have gone to fight in Syria.
In ASTU class we’ve been discussing the many ways that life narratives can be used, most recently how they are used by human rights organizations to promote their causes. I think your case study of a blog-turned-ISIS-propaganda fits in the discussion, in that it really reminds us what kind of reader we should be. We should be critical readers, thinking not just about the content we consumed, but also why the author wrote it and what they wanted to achieve. As soon as one asks those questions, it should be easy to spot the hypocrisy of ISIS; if one doesn’t ask those questions, it’s much easier for them to be swayed by ISIS propaganda. Sadly, as self-radicalization in the West shows, not everyone is a critical reader.
Jeff
I really like how you touch on the Western identification of propaganda vs genuine personal expression. But I’m wondering if you could turn this around and examine it from an Eastern perspective. Would any random person’s tumblr then be considered unintentional (or Western produced) propaganda promoting the West?
Hey Delaney! I really like how you brought the fact that even terrorist groups like ISIS use social media to convey their messages. It just shows how far social media has spread. It never really occurred to me that even groups like ISIS use social media and blogs to get their messages across. Your post is very insightful, it really got me thinking. It’s strange to even imagine such individuals using social media in the first place. They must also understand the power social media has over people, linking back to the whole ‘soft weapon’ concept, which is why they got involved in using it in the first place. So strange.