The Jihadi Discourse of the Terrorist Propaganda on the Internet

Abstract

This article uses the method of thematic discourse analysis to study jihadi discussion forums in cyberspace. Firstly, this paper deals with propaganda as a form of communication, shows the Internet as a medium that has absorbed all other media, and analyses the terrorist ideas spread through the Internet. The main part of this study focuses on the jihadi discourse, through which jihadists present the Islamic world as suffering under the oppression of the West to persuade a passive Muslim audience to join the jihad. Through an analysis of text extracts from three popular jihadi forums (Alqimmah, Al Fallujah and Ansar Al Mujahideen) the paper deals not only with different types of propaganda, but also with the intentions of the propagandists and the means they use to achieve their goals.