Capitalizing on the Koran to fuel online violent radicalization: A taxonomy of Koranic references in ISIS's Dabiq. Issue 2 (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frissen, Thomas; Toguslu, Erkan; Van Ostaeyen, Pieter; d'Haenens, Leen
• Is Part Of: Telematics and informatics. Volume 35:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 491
• Page End: 503
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: Online radicalization -- Electronic Jihad -- Dabiq -- ISIS -- Koran -- Decontextualization; Telecommunication -- Periodicals; Computer networks -- Periodicals; Télécommunications -- Périodiques; Réseaux d'ordinateurs -- Périodiques; 384
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2018.01.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0736-5853

Abstract

Highlights: Quantitative analysis of Koranic referencing in ISIS's flagship magazine: Dabiq . Data shows that only about 9% of the Koran was quoted to support their discourse. Quoted passages were more likely to be revealed in the Medinan period. Infringing upon strict Salafi rules, verses are stripped to violent-laden parts only. Implications for future research, policy makers and CVE initiatives are discussed. Abstract: The current study set out to investigate to what extent ISIS is bolstering its jihadist ideology on a 'cut-and-paste' or 'cherry-picked' version of Islam in their renowned online propaganda magazine Dabiq. The main objective was to examine in a systematic and quantitative way to what extent ISIS utilizes the Koran in an atomistic, truncated and tailored manner to bolster its religious legitimacy. A total of 15 issues of Dabiq and 700 Koranic references were scrutinized. By means of a quantitative analysis we developed an innovative taxonomy of Koranic chapters and verses (i.e. surahs and ayat, respectively) on the basis of their appearance in Dabiq . Our large-scale data analysis provide consistent empirical evidence for severe decontextualization practices of the Koran in three ways: (1) a thin, Medinan-dominated religious layer, (2) ayah mutilation, and (3) clustered versus exclusive mentions. Limitations and implications for future research, policy makers and CVE initiatives are discussed.