1887
image of What’s in a name?
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

This article investigates the role of naming practices in Salafi-Jihadism, emphasising their symbolic importance in conveying ideological goals and beliefs. Employing a qualitative approach, the research analyses naming conventions across different Salafi-Jihadi groups, demonstrating how these names function as a cost-effective means to propagate the Salafi-Jihadi ideology, reinforce loyalty among followers, and incite violence against opponents through deliberate linguistic choices. The study reveals that the effectiveness of Salafi-Jihadi propaganda lies in its strategic reinterpretation of Arabic and Islamic references, which creates a deceptive sense of religious legitimacy and authority. The findings contribute to the fields of socio-linguistics and discourse analysis, providing important insights into the role of the often-overlooked linguistic strategies and ideological motivations embedded in Salafi-Jihadi names.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.24020.gat
2025-04-30
2026-05-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abou El Fadl, Khaled
    2005The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. New York: HarperOne.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Abu Rumman, Mohammad, and Hassan Abu Hanieh
    2017Infatuated with Martyrdom: Female Jihadism from Al-Qaeda to the ‘Islamic State’. Translated byBanan Malkawi. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Atwan, Abdel Bari
    2015Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate. London: Saqi Books. 10.1525/9780520964037
    https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520964037 [Google Scholar]
  4. Bengio, Ofra
    1998Saddam’s Word: Political Discourse in Iraq. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Boudali, Lianne Kennedy, Afshon Ostavar, and Jarret Brachman
    2006Islamic Imagery Project: Visual Motifs in Jihadi Internet Propaganda. West Point: Combating Terrorism Centre.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Brookings Institution
    Brookings Institution 2014Who’s Who in the Arab World: A Guide to the Key Players in the Middle East and North Africa. October 20, 2014. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/en_whos_who.pdf
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Bunzel, Cole
    2015 “From Paper State to Caliphate: The Ideology of the Islamic State.“ The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World. Analysis Paper No. 19. Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/from-paper-state-to-caliphate-the-ideology-of-the-islamic-state/
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Culzac, Natasha
    2014 “Isis: British Women led by Aqsa Mahmood ‘Running Sharia Police Unit for Islamic State in Syria’.” The Independent. September 8, 2014. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-british-women-running-sharia-police-unit-for-islamic-state-in-syria-9717510.html
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Dijk, Teun Van
    2006 “Discourse and Manipulation.” Discourse and Society (): –. 10.1177/0957926506060250
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926506060250 [Google Scholar]
  10. Fisher, Humphrey J.
    1992What’s in a Name? The Almoravids of the Eleventh Century in the Western Sahara. Brill.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Gatt, Kurstin
    2020Decoding DĀʿISH: An Analysis of Poetic Exemplars and Discursive Strategies of Domination in the Jihadist Milieu, Litkon Series 45. Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Hegghammer, Thomas
    ed. 2017Jihadi Culture: The Art and Social Practices of Militant Islamists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781139086141
    https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139086141 [Google Scholar]
  13. Hitti, Philip K.
    2002History of the Arabs. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1007/978‑1‑137‑03982‑8
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-03982-8 [Google Scholar]
  14. Ibn Khordadhbeh
    Ibn Khordadhbeh 1967Kitāb al-masālik wa-l-mamālik. Edited byMichael Jan de Goeje. Leiden: Brill.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Jacoby, Tim
    2019 “Islam and the Islamic State’s Magazine, Dabiq.” Politics and Religion. (): –. 10.1017/S1755048318000561
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048318000561 [Google Scholar]
  16. Al-Kawamila, Fathi
    . Fī Rihāb al-Khansāʾ (‘In the Realm of al-Khansaʾ’) 1988 Damascus: Dar al-Jalil.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Kennedy, Hugh
    2016Caliphate: The History of an Idea. New York: Basic Books.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Logvinov, Michail
    2021 “Von ‘Deso Dogg’ zu ‘Abu Talha al-Almani’: Die dschihadistische Karriere von Denis Cuspert.” Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. www.kas.de/wf/de/71.15469/
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Lohlker, Ruediger
    ed. 2012New Approaches to the Analysis of Jihadism: Online and Offline. Vol.. Vienna: V and R Unipress GmbH.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. ed. 2013Jihadism: Online Discourses and Representations. Vienna, Austria: V&R Unipress GmbH. 10.14220/9783737000680
    https://doi.org/10.14220/9783737000680 [Google Scholar]
  21. Maher, Shiraz
    2016Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea. London: Hurst.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
    Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) 2017 “ISIS Video Features American, Canadian, British, Russian, Belgian Fighters Urging Muslims to Carry Out Attacks.” https://www.memri.org/reports/isis-video-features-american-canadian-british-russian-belgian-fighters-urging-muslims-carry
  23. “Neue Botschaft von IS-Terrorist Denis Cuspert aufgetaucht,” Stern.de. March 1, 2017. https://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/denis-cuspert---neue-botschaft-des-berliner-is-terroristen-aufgetaucht-7348906.html
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Orthmann, Eva
    2002Stamm und Macht: Die Arabischen Stamme Im 2. und 3. Jahrhundert der Hidschra (Nomaden und Sesshafte. SFB Differenz und Integration, Band 1). Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Sayed, Abdul
    2020 “Who Is the New Leader of Islamic State-Khorasan Province?” Lawfare.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Schaar, John T.
    1989Legitimacy in the Modern State. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Steinberg, Guido
    2014 “A Chechen Al-Qaeda? Caucasian Groups Further Internationalise the Syrian Struggle.” Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik Comment 31/2014. Berlin.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. University of Oslo
    University of Oslo 2025 “About the Jihadi Document Repository.” Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo. https://www.hf.uio.no/ikos/english/research/jihadi-document-repository/about-the-repository/index.html
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Van Dijk, Teun
    1995 “Discourse Semantics and Ideology.” Discourse and Society (): –. 10.1177/0957926595006002006
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926595006002006 [Google Scholar]
  30. Wagemakers, Joas
    2012A Quietist Jihadi: The Ideology and Influence of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139135368
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139135368 [Google Scholar]
  31. Wilbur, Douglas
    2017 “Propaganda’s Place in Strategic Communication: The Case of ISIL’s Dabiq Magazine.” International Journal of Strategic Communication (): –. 10.1080/1553118X.2017.1317636
    https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2017.1317636 [Google Scholar]
  32. Zaki, Mahmoud
    2017 “From ISIS’s Dabiq to Rumiyah: Parameter to the Future and an Indication of Loss.” Blasting News. uk.blastingnews.com/opinion/2017/07/from-isiss-dabiq-to-rumiyah-parameter-to-the-future-and-an-indication-of-loss-001820761.html
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Zelin, Aaron Y.
    2024 “About.” Jihadology: A Clearinghouse for Jihadi Primary Source Material, Original Analysis, and Translation Service. https://jihadology.net/about/about-me/
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/jlp.24020.gat
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: naming strategies ; socio-linguistics ; Salafi-Jihadism ; ideology
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