Decoding DA’ISH

An Analysis of Poetic Exemplars and Discursive Strategies of Domination in the Jihadist Milieu

by Kurstin Gatt

Book cover: Decoding DA’ISH

Extent: 344 pages

Publisher: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag

Subjects: Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies, Literary Studies

Series: Literaturen im Kontext. arabisch - persisch - turkisch

Series volume number: 45

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(November 2020)

ISBN: 9783954904723

Price: $119.00

In stock

Why do Jihadists compose poetry and what role does poetry play in the transmission of the jihadist ideology? Decoding DA’ISH is located at the intersections of the literary, the religious, and the political in jihadist discourse. The study examines how the self-professed ‘Islamic State’ has twisted and manipulated the Arabic language, the classical Arabic ode, Islamic symbolism, traditions, and guiding myths to legitimate its political power and justify its violent policies. The discussion culminates in the analysis of Arabic poetry produced by the jihadist group by taking into consideration the socio-political context in the contemporary Iraq-Syria region. By drawing primarily upon numerous poems and chants, the author shows why our knowledge of the jihadist stream needs to be grounded in a thorough understanding of the cultural logics of mobilization, identity structures, and the belief systems and desires of these groups.

  • By (author) Kurstin Gatt