The Afterlife

The Path of the Koran
Paradise, the Heavenly Garden
Hell for Enemies of Jihad

The Black Flag, al-raya

Weapons

Weapon, pre-modern
Weapon, modern
Weapon combination
Crossed Weapons

Blood

Bloody Sword
Blood, Martyr & State
Blood on Desert
Bloody Text

Jihadi propagandists employ symbols and text in order to create a visual distinction between correct and incorrect Islamic belief and practice by invoking the “Path of the Koran” motif.  Images which contain the Koran serve as a reminder (or admonishment) to Muslims to uphold their religious duties. 

One of the examples below is split into three parts, each represented by certain symbols and colors.  At the center of the image is a scale.  On the left side of the scale sits a violin and an ‘ud.  On the right side, which outweighs the left, sits some greenery, a white rose, and a book that indicates the Koran.  The full text of the image reads: “O People of Iraq: No (to) the amusement/diversion (lahw) of stringed instruments (ma’aazif) – (yes to) the path of the Koran.”  “The Path of the Koran,” is here indicated by the book itself and the white rose, which represents martyrdom.  Thus this image is asking its audience (young Muslim men) to reevaluate their lives and turn from worldly pursuits (i.e. secular pastimes, her represented by the instruments) to the path of Islam.  Here, the path of Islam is represented by suggestions of martyrdom (white rose) and heaven (greenery).

There is perhaps no greater inspiration for jihadi activists than the belief that they will be rewarded for their sacrifice by being granted entrance into the garden (janna) of heavenly paradise.  Symbols and images may allude to paradise indirectly or directly. The word used to indicate heaven, janna, also means “garden” and indicates the garden of paradise that awaits those Muslims who have lived particularly just, obedient, and pious lives.  Janna is an important and well-developed notion in Islamic discourse.  It is mentioned in the Koran and is often used to describe the rewards awaiting those Muslims who have died (or will die) as martyrs.  The term janna evokes all of the aspects associated with attaining this reward, including the accompanying huris (pure, virgin angels). 

The motif of  jahanam, which means “hell” in Arabic, is often used in jihadi propaganda to discredit enemies and to emphasize the notions of good (Islam) and evil (enemies of Islam).  The concept of Hell in Islam is similar to that in Christianity and Judaism.  It is a place of eternal suffering and fire for the wicked, the tyrannical, and the unjust.

In one of the examples below, the concept of hell is used to boast about the deaths of what are represented as two American soldiers.  The text of the image reads the same in both Arabic and English, literally: “They went to Hell.”  The notion of hell and the gruesome pictures serves as propaganda against the Coalition Forces, and they are an attempt to boast of jihadi victories. It also serves to bolster the resolve and reinforce the religious righteousness of the anti-occupational jihadi insurgency.  By labeling dead Coalition soldiers as people who are destined for Hell, the jihadi cause (i.e. those who brought about the death of these soldiers) is presented as the righteous side of the conflict. 

The Black Flag (al-raya) traces its roots to the very beginning of Islam.  It was the battle (jihad) flag of the Prophet Muhammad, carried into battle by many of his companions, including his nephew ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.  The flag regained prominence in the 8th century with its use by the leader of the Abbasid revolution, Abu Muslim, who led a revolt against the Umayyad clan and its’ Caliphate.  The Umayyads, the ruling establishment of the Islamic world at the time, were seen as greedy, gluttonous, and religiously wayward leaders.  The Abbasid revolution, then, was aimed at installing a new, more properly Islamic ruling house that would keep orthodox Islam at the center of its regime. Since then, the image of the black flag has been used as a symbol of religious revolt and battle (i.e. jihad).  In Shiite belief, the black flag also evokes expectations about the afterlife.  In the contemporary Islamist movement, the black flag is used to symbolize both offensive jihad and the proponents of reestablishing the Islamic Caliphate. 

In the primary example, we see a picture of the black flag (al-raya) superimposed on a map of the world.  On the flag is the shahada, or the Muslim decree of faith, and at the bottom of the image there is a line in Arabic script that reads: “Assembly of the Fleet-Footed (i.e. jihadi fighters)” (muntada al-safinat). In the background of much of the right side is a masked jihadi fighter looking onward.  This image clearly suggests a global jihadi aim.  That is, with the black flag covering the entire globe, the one who views this image recognizes that the banner of revolt and battle (al-raya) has been raised over the entire globe, which advocates an offensive jihad in all parts of the globe. 

Weapons are symbolically important in Islamic culture and are commonly used as motifs in jihadi visual propaganda.  Depictions of weapons can be broadly categorized as either modern or pre-modern.  Pre-modern weaponry includes swords or spears, and is used to suggest the violent reality of the jihadi struggle.  These images also link jihadi struggle to early Islamic history and the first generation of Muslims.  Swords are seen as noble weapons that embody the purity, nobility, and overall righteousness that is associated with early Islamic heroes and their jihadi campaigns.  Therefore, depictions of the sword indicate a desire to link the current jihadi movement and its aims to those of the early Islamic ancestors, and to thus legitimize and depict current jihadi activities as the modern extensions of successful early Islamic jihadi campaigns.

Modern weapons, such as rifles and RPGs, illustrate the violent nature of jihadi warfare and also exaggerate the power of the jihadists’ military technology.  Modern weapons evoke modern jihadi victories (or perceived victories) such as the expulsion of the Soviets from Afghanistan.  In this manner, modern weapons embody the inherent capacity of the jihadi movement to overcome and defeat the West, using the latter’s own military technology.  Modern weapons are also used by jihadi soldiers and martyrs to associate themselves with violent jihadi activism and construct their identities as participants in jihad.  Including a weapon in the photograph of individuals suggests heroic participation in the violent side of jihadi activism.

Weapons may be used in different combinations, or presented in different ways, to evoke more complex sentiments.  An example of this is the combination motif, which combines pre-modern and modern weapons.  By combining a sword and a rifle with other symbols, both the connotations of pre-modern Islamic history and modern jihadi successes are evoked.  In this manner, swords can be used to give modern weapons (such as rifles or RPGs) a nobler connotation, and link them to Salafi notions of the Prophet’s companions and their successful (and religiously legitimate) jihadi campaigns.

Weapons can also be used in different combinations, or presented in different ways, to evoke more complex sentiments.  One of these methods is the “crossed” motif.  It is employed by various groups throughout the Muslim world, and is usually done with swords, rifles, and RPGs.  While this motif evokes all of the meanings associated with each weapon used, it is also used more generally to suggest a group’s participation in, or espousal of, the contemporary jihadi movement.

Blood symbolizes violence, martyrdom, sacrifice, injustice, tyranny, oppression, and victory in battle. 

In the example below, blood drips from the sword of a jihadi fighter, evoking both the literal violence inherent in the jihadi struggle and the possibilities of a military victory.  The blood emphasizes the strength and power of the jihadi fighter and affords him an inflated stature (that of a strong, successful warrior).  The jihadi fighter’s sword, shield, and garments also connect him (and thus the greater jihadi struggle) to notions of the Islamic past, especially to the first generation of Muslims and their success in jihad.  Thus, blood dripping from a sword, as seen in this image, has strong Salafi connotations.

In the example below, blood is used to symbolize the sacrifice and the martyrdom of a jihadi fighter.  That the blood is “spilled” over Saudi Arabia both indicates where the fighter was martyred but it also speaks to the oppression and tyranny of the Saudi regime vis-à-vis their relationship to the radical Islamic movement in their country.

In this image, blood is shown spilled on a shield and the ground.  It suggests the sacrifice that jihad entails and alludes to the goal of martyrdom for jihadi fighters.  That the blood is shown on the desert ground is significant for two reasons: 1) It speaks to the active jihad in Iraq, while also making this movement broader and thus more inclusive to a non-Iraqi, sympathetic Muslim audience.  2) It evokes the deep historical traditions related to Muslim jihad campaigns in early Islamic history. The sword and the shield, which are both symbols of pre-modern Islam, have Salafi connotations and remind Muslims that jihad requires sacrifice.

Text dripping with blood, or “bleeding text”, is a common motif in jihadi imagery.  In this particular image, we see the name “Husayn” dripping with blood.  This image has a particular meaning to Shiites in that it references the martyrdom of the Imam Husayn.  In this regard, the blood also symbolizes the oppression, tyranny, and injustice surrounding the martyrdom of the Imam Husayn and his companions in the 7th century, as well as of the general oppression of Shiites under Sunni regimes.  While the blood glorifies Husayn’s martyrdom specifically, it also glorifies martyrdom in general.