“Mort et fanatismes” [Death and Fanaticism] is the most recent publication of Frontières, a scientific journal dedicated to the study of death. This volume highlights the work of Le Centre d’expertise et de formation sur les intégrismes religieux, les idéologies politiques et la radicalisation (CEFIR) researchers, including an article titled “L’idéologie de la mort dans la propagande de l’État islamique” [The Ideology of Death in Islamic State Propaganda] by Project Someone collaborator and Concordia University Theological Studies professor, André Gagné, and Concordia University doctoral student Marc-André Argentino.
According to the abstract, “Since 2014, the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) has managed to attract a large number of Western foreign fighters. The spread of its message via social media and encrypted applications has allowed the group to recruit several members and supporters. Through its propaganda, ISIS promotes various facets of its ideology, one of the most significant of which is the ideology of death. Death is in fact dictated by a particular interpretation of the jihad tradition, and inspired by contemporary martyrological narratives. In this article, we used the Open Source Intelligence Framework (OSINT) to observe how the group manages to communicate its ideology through the production of videos, instruction manuals on how to die and religious songs. Through such media, we are witnessing the construction of a social identity by the Islamic State members and supporters, leading to a collective appropriation of the values and actions of the group. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of its members kill themselves for the group’s cause, and that its supporters celebrate the virtues of their martyrs.”
To access Frontières and view the article, please click here.
Français