1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict
  4. Volume 12, Issue 2
  5. Article
Volume 12, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2213-1272
  • E-ISSN: 2213-1280
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Even after the demise of its territorial caliphate in 2019, ISIS persists as a potent threat, adapting to new technologies and maintaining its status as an active insurgency. Amidst the backdrop of the terror group’s demonstrated resilience, this paper examines its practice of (de)legitimation and language of persuasion through a multimodal argumentation analysis. It combines the argumentation strategies () proposed by Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) and tools from Social Semiotics with argumentation theories, achieved through a comprehensive enthymematic deconstruction of arguments in ISIS’s e-magazine, . The findings reveal four interrelated sets of plausibly inferable premises, namely, advantage and disadvantage; threat and obligation; negative consequence and history; and authority and Shariah law. These premises fall within broad social, political, historical, and religious categories and are deliberately crafted to lend support to ISIS’s desired conclusions, aimed at systematically altering the addressees’ state of knowledge and eventually eliciting acceptance from the intended public.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00089.ras
2023-12-11
2024-10-06

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00089.ras
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Al-Dayel, Nadia, Andrew Mumford, and Kevin Bales
    2022 “Not Yet Dead: The Establishment and Regulation of Slavery by the Islamic State.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism45 (11): 929–952. 10.1080/1057610X.2020.1711590
     https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2020.1711590 [Google Scholar]
  2. Ali, Mah-Rukh
    2015 “ISIS and Propaganda: How ISIS Exploits Women.” Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism10 (11). https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/research/files/Isis%2520and%2520Propaganda-%2520How%2520Isis%2520Exploits%2520Women.pdf
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Bates, David
    2023 “‘The jobs all go to foreigners’: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Labour Party’s ‘Left-Wing’ Case for Immigration Controls.” Critical Discourse Studies20 (2): 183–199. 10.1080/17405904.2022.2041451
     https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2022.2041451 [Google Scholar]
  4. Bolechów, Bartosz
    2022 “The Islamic State’s Worldview as a Radical Terror Management Device.” Studia Politologiczne631: 61–85. 10.33896/SPolit.2022.63.4
     https://doi.org/10.33896/SPolit.2022.63.4 [Google Scholar]
  5. Boukala, Salomi
    2016 “Rethinking Topos in the Discourse Historical Approach: Endoxon Seeking and Argumentation in Greek Media Discourses on ‘Islamist Terrorism’.” Discourse Studies18 (3): 249–268. 10.1177/1461445616634550
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445616634550 [Google Scholar]
  6. Braet, A. C.
    2005 “The Common Topic in Aristotle’s Rhetoric: Precursor of the Argumentation Scheme.” Argumentation19 (1): 65–83. 10.1007/s10503‑005‑2313‑x
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s10503-005-2313-x [Google Scholar]
  7. Frissen, Thomas, and Leen d’Haenens
    2017 “Legitimizing the Caliphate and its Politics: Moral Disengagement Rhetoric in Dabiq.” InAuthoritarian and Populist Influences in the New Media, edited bySai Felicia Krishna-Hensel, 138–164. London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781315162744‑7
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315162744-7 [Google Scholar]
  8. Galloway, Chris
    2016 “Media Jihad: What PR can Learn in Islamic State’s Public Relations Masterclass.” Public Relations Review42 (4): 582–590. 10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.014
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.014 [Google Scholar]
  9. Goodwin, Jean
    1998 “Forms of Authority and the Real Ad Verecundiam.” Argumentation121: 267–280. 10.1023/A:1007756117287
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007756117287 [Google Scholar]
  10. Halliday, Michael A. K.
    1985 An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Edward Arnold.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Ihnen, Constanza, and John E. Richardson
    2011 “On Combining Pragma-Dialectics with Critical Discourse Analysis.” InKeeping in Touch with Pragma-Dialectics, edited byEveline T. Feteris, Bart Garssen, and Francisca Snoeck Henkemans, 231–244. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/z.163.16ihn
     https://doi.org/10.1075/z.163.16ihn [Google Scholar]
  12. Ingram, Haroro J.
    2016 “An Analysis of Islamic State’s Dabiq Magazine.” Australian Journal of Political Science51 (3): 458–477. 10.1080/10361146.2016.1174188
     https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2016.1174188 [Google Scholar]
  13. 2017 “Learning from ISIS’s Virtual Propaganda War for Western Muslims: A Comparison of Inspire and Dabiq. IOS Press.” https://www.icct.nl/publication/learning-isiss-virtual-propaganda-war-western-muslims-comparison-inspire-and-dabiq
  14. Jacoby, Tim
    2019 “Islam and the Islamic State’s Magazine, Dabiq.” Politics and Religion12 (1): 32–54. 10.1017/S1755048318000561
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048318000561 [Google Scholar]
  15. KhosraviNik, Majid
    2010 “The Representation of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Immigrants in British Newspapers: A Critical Discourse Analysis.” Journal of Language and Politics9 (1): 1–28. 10.1075/jlp.9.1.01kho
     https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.9.1.01kho [Google Scholar]
  16. Kress, Gunther, and Theo van Leeuwen
    1996 Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. 1 edn.London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. 2006 Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. 2 edn.London: Routledge. 10.4324/9780203619728
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203619728 [Google Scholar]
  18. 2020 Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. 3 edn.London: Routledge. 10.4324/9781003099857
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003099857 [Google Scholar]
  19. Kugle, Scott Siraj al-Haqq
    2010 Homosexuality in Islam: Critical Reflection on Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims. Oneworld Publications.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Ladd, Brian K., and Jean Goodwin
    2022 “Extreme Arguments: Anwar al-Awlaki’s Radicalizing Discourse.” Journal of Pragmatics2001: 39–48. 10.1016/j.pragma.2022.08.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2022.08.004 [Google Scholar]
  21. Lorenzo-Dus, Nuria, Luke Walker, and Anina Kinzel
    2017 “The Role of Discourse Analysis in Terrorism Studies: Comparing Inspire and Dabiq.” InTerrorists’ Use of the Internet, edited byMaura Conway, Lee Jarvis, Orla Lehane, Stuart Macdonald, and Lella Nouri, 158–169. IOS Press Ebooks.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Macdonald, Stuart, Sara Giro Correia, and Amy-Louise Watkin
    2019 “Regulating Terrorist Content on Social Media: Automation and the Rule of Law.” International Journal of Law in Context15 (2): 183–197. 10.1017/S1744552319000119
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744552319000119 [Google Scholar]
  23. McMinimy, Kayla, Carol K. Winkler, Ayse Deniz Lokmanoglu, and Monerah Almahmoud
    2021 “Censoring Extremism: Influence of Online Restriction on Official Media Products of ISIS.” Terrorism and Political Violence35 (4): 971–987. 10.1080/09546553.2021.1988938
     https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2021.1988938 [Google Scholar]
  24. Nagata, Michael, Ali Abbas, Scott Atran, Bill Braniff, Andrew Bringuel, Muayyad al-Chalabi, Sarah Canna, and Jocelyne Cesari
    2014 “Preface.” InMulti-method Assessment of ISIL, edited byHriar Cabayan, and Sarah Canna. kronosadvisory.com/U_SMA.SOCCENT.White.Paper.Final.Dec2014.pdf. 10.1016/B978‑1‑4832‑2961‑4.50004‑1
     https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-4832-2961-4.50004-1 [Google Scholar]
  25. Rasoulikolamaki, Sahar, and Surinderpal Kaur
    2021 “How ISIS Represented Enemies as Ineffectual in Dabiq: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis.” Discourse & Communication15 (6): 650–671. 10.1177/17504813211017709
     https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813211017709 [Google Scholar]
  26. 2023 “The Representational Strategies of Lionization and Victimization in ISIS’s Online Magazine, Dabiq.” Terrorism and Political Violence35 (5): 1161–1180. 10.1080/09546553.2021.2023504
     https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2021.2023504 [Google Scholar]
  27. Reisigl, Martin, and Ruth Wodak
    2001 Discourse and Discrimination: Rhetorics of Racism and Antisemitism. London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Salahshour, Neda, and Dimitris Serafis
    2022 “(De-)constructing New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern’s Initiative to Wear the Hijab after the Christchurch Terrorist Attack: Critical Perspectives on Newspapers’ Discourse and Argumentation.” Journal of Argumentation in Context11 (2): 157–179. 10.1075/jaic.21006.sal
     https://doi.org/10.1075/jaic.21006.sal [Google Scholar]
  29. Schmid, Alex P.
    2015 “Challenging the Narrative of the ‘Islamic State’.” The Hague: International Centre for Counter-Terrorism51. 10.19165/2015.1.05
     https://doi.org/10.19165/2015.1.05 [Google Scholar]
  30. Spier, Troy E.
    2018 “Extremist Propaganda and Qur’anic Scripture: A ‘Radical’ Corpus-Based Study of the Dabiq.” Discourse & Society29 (5): 553–567. 10.1177/0957926518770265
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926518770265 [Google Scholar]
  31. Strnad, Vladislav, and Nik Hynek
    2020 “ISIS’s Hybrid Identity: A Triangulated Analysis of the Dabiq Narrative.” Defence Studies20 (1): 82–100. 10.1080/14702436.2020.1720513
     https://doi.org/10.1080/14702436.2020.1720513 [Google Scholar]
  32. The Clarion Project
    The Clarion Project 2014 AccessedMay, 2016. https://clarionproject.org/islamic-state-isis-isil-propaganda-magazine-dabiq-50/
  33. van der Krogt, Christopher J.
    2022 “Incitement: Anwar al-Awlaki’s Western Jihad.” Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations33 (3): 326–328. 10.1080/09596410.2022.2096949
     https://doi.org/10.1080/09596410.2022.2096949 [Google Scholar]
  34. van Eemeren, Frans H.
    2010 Strategic Maneuvering in Argumentative Discourse: Extending the Pragma-Dialectical Theory of Argumentation. Vol.21. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/aic.2
     https://doi.org/10.1075/aic.2 [Google Scholar]
  35. van Eemeren, Frans H., Bart Garssen, Erik C. W. Krabbe, A. Francisca Snoeck Henkemans, Bart Verheij, and Jean H. M. Wagemans
    2014 Handbook of Argumentation Theory. Dordrecht: Springer. 10.1007/978‑90‑481‑9473‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9473-5 [Google Scholar]
  36. Walton, Douglas Neil
    1997 Appeal to Expert Opinion: Arguments From Authority. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Wozniak, Jesse, Joshua Woods, and Quentin King
    2018 “Chaos and Civilization: The Organizational Impression Management of the Islamic State in Dabiq Magazine.” Social Science Quarterly. https://drjessewozniak.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Wozniak-et-al_SSQ_2018.pdf
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Žagar, Igor
    2010 “Topoi in Critical Discourse Analysis.” Lodz Papers in Pragmatics6 (1): 3–27. 10.2478/v10016‑010‑0002‑1
     https://doi.org/10.2478/v10016-010-0002-1 [Google Scholar]
  39. Zappettini, Franco
    2019 “The Brexit Referendum: How Trade and Immigration in the Discourses of the Official Campaigns Have Legitimised a Toxic (Inter)national Logic.” Critical Discourse Studies16 (4): 403–419. 10.1080/17405904.2019.1593206
     https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2019.1593206 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00089.ras
Loading
A multimodal analysis of (de)legitimation through argumentation in extremist discourse: The case of Dabiq
Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 12, 263 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.00089.ras
/content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00089.ras
/content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00089.ras
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): (de)legitimation; argumentation; extremism; ISIS; multimodal argumentation; persuasion; topoi

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error