When discussing jihad , we must first dispel the common myth that this concept is reduced to the meaning of "holy war." In reality, it is a much more complex and nuanced concept. First, we must recognize the macro dimensions of armed jihad : defensive (a mandatory task for every believer) and offensive (the burden of which falls on the entire community, not just the individual, specifically the political leadership ).
Jihad: a difficult definition
To date, experts have not yet been able to develop a unanimous interpretation of jihad ; only etymologically do they agree on its meaning of "effort," "striving toward a goal." Among the most common meanings is the previously mentioned armed dimension, but also completely different meanings , such as the preaching of the word of God ( jihad with the word), the individual believer's struggle against evil inclinations ( jihad with the heart), and "more concrete" forms such as helping the needy and the community ( jihad with the hands).
Indeed, even today, for a large number of Muslims, the drive for betterment (both individual and collective) inherent in the concept of jihad continues to hold extremely positive connotations. Indeed, the majority of believers view the militants of al-Baghdadi's self-proclaimed "caliphate" as murderers who committed brutal crimes in defiance of recognized sharia law, which regulates and limits the use of violence within clearly defined channels. The association of the term jihad with a purely armed nature is not the exclusive domain of the local media, but also of the jihadist community itself.
Radicalism of armed jihad
For many militants (to name a few: Osama bin Laden, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi), jihad is armed, and anyone who claims otherwise is considered an enemy of the true faith (sinking a sin far more serious than that attributable to the infidels). Indeed, for jihadist theorists, jihad with the sword is an integral part of Islamic doctrine and holds a specific weight comparable to that of the so-called pillars of Islam (the declaration of faith, ritual prayer, pilgrimage, fasting/purification during the holy month of Ramadan, and legal almsgiving).
With the proclamation of armed jihad, there is no longer any room for wait-and-see positions . The world is ideally divided between the ranks of "true Islam" and those of unbelief, and every believer is faced with a choice: join the ranks of the believers or be considered an enemy, regardless of formal membership in the umma (for members of the "Islamic State," the latter are referred to as takfir , "unbeliever" and therefore liable to death).
Jihad: Between Diffusion and Radicalization
Fueling the spread of the jihad- holy war binary means supporting the cause of the jihadist groups it seeks to combat, with far-reaching effects. Those who suffer from this interpretation are not only non-Muslim populations living in the West, where aversion to a religious system perceived as "different" and often at odds with indigenous value systems is growing, but also Muslims themselves, both within and outside the Western world. For the former category of victims, the condemnation of one of their most important principles ( jihad in all its meanings) of their faith can only reinforce the divide and the difficulty with societies in which they already struggle to integrate and identify, fostering a sense of closure and increasing the risk of radicalization.
As for the second type, it often ends up demonstrating yet another example of Western "bad faith." A belief that, already steeped in resentment stemming from an indelible colonial legacy and the challenging conditions of today, fosters the formation of a cultural substratum that directly feeds actors more or less close to the jihadist world. Going beyond the challenges of communication, we analyze the cornerstones of jihadist thought and the factors that have favored its success.
The comunication
First, it must be recognized that the immediacy of the message adopted is one of its most significant elements. It successfully exploits part of the Islamic cultural substratum and scriptures, appealing to a minority (but still significant) segment of the umma (community of believers). Reference to the most radical parts of the Islamic legal corpus represents one of the most important resources for these formations.
Precisely by relying on arguments based on difficult-to-contest sources and illustrious authors of the past, they have succeeded in challenging the authority of traditional religious institutions, presenting themselves as the true bearers of a pure prophetic message, uncontaminated by the contaminations and deviations accumulated over time. In this context, in fact, one of the main accusations against the contemporary era is that it has distanced itself from Islamic precedents, so much so that it has been associated with the age of ignorance ( jahiliyya ) preceding the preaching of the Prophet Muhammad.
The complex logic of the jihadist movement
Among the elements underlying the success of jihadist movements is a complex and far from disorganized ideological platform. Behind it lies a message capable of attracting militants from profoundly diverse areas, social classes, and backgrounds . Their stories reveal that their actions cannot be explained by forms of deviance, manipulation, or extreme social hardship (think of Osama bin Laden, scion of one of the richest families in the Saudi kingdom), but by their adherence to a value system alien to the Western cultural model, yet not necessarily characterized by rational judgment.
The jihadist movement is imbued with a compelling logic that clearly emerges from the statements of its main exponents.
A complex doctrinal basis
Another determining factor was the ability to present a doctrinal basis that was comprehensive, but not characterized by "barriers to entry" so high as to discourage its potential recipients.
On the contrary, by exploiting a series of references to the humiliation, anger, and sense of impotence that permeate various segments of the Muslim world, it has succeeded in touching the sensibilities of its target audience , activating mechanisms capable of encouraging individuals to identify with both the suffering of the umma and the promises of redemption inherent in jihadist logic.
In this way, armed jihad ended up representing a means to right the wrongs of a corrupt world, but also an opportunity to escape systems that seemed to trap volunteers in endless cycles of harassment and humiliation. Becoming a mujahideen became not only a meritorious act from a religious perspective, but also an opportunity to give meaning to lives suspended in a hopeless limbo.
Another key element was the ability of the movements to exploit the opportunities offered by the information society (for example the obsessively broadcast images of September 11, 2001).
the weaknesses of the jihadist universe
The jihadist world, however, also presents weaknesses. The message is a strength, yet, in its simplicity, it demonstrates clear limitations when it comes to defending itself. As early as July 2005, as in September 2014, ulema and Islamic legal experts condemned the militants' actions, exposing the errors and violations of Sharia law committed by the self-styled "Islamic State." The threat to these groups comes not only from without, but also from within. Behind an apparent facade of cohesion and unity, the jihadist world is riddled with extremely significant divisions and fault lines. The vulnerability of the jihadist message has also become apparent to moderate fundamentalist groups.
The victories in Egypt and Tunisia in 2012 , and the significant influence held by similar groups in Libya and Syria, contrasted sharply with the less-than-resounding results achieved by jihadist groups up until then. Indeed, the latter had failed to substantiate the pars construens of their message, failing every time they had the opportunity to administer more or less significant portions of the dar al-Islam . If the jihadist doctrinal foundation is far more fragile than it appears, so too is the movement's propaganda strategy.
Its fundamental elements : the ability to remain the center of attention and inspire fear, in the long run, tends to be inversely proportional to the repetition of the movement's violent mechanisms. The more it resorts to large-scale brutal tactics, the more they lose the ability to attract attention and inspire terror that is the foundation of the movement's modus operandi .
Flavia Verona
Bibliography:
Plebani, A. (2016). Global Jihadism: Strategies of Terror between East and West. Giunti.
