Spring 2018

Colloquium I

Read my Colloquium I paper

(111 photos analyzed)
I have around 30 findings, some are based on the Islamic Imagery report as well as “the culture of Jihad” writing by Afshon Ostovar, and others are through my observation.

Findings Presented

    Fighter - Mujahid -
  • “In Islam, there is no greater spiritual act than martyrdom for one’s faith”. Therefore, a martyr is singular and is elevated above other believers in the eyes of God.
  • This preference consists of forgiveness, an assurance of paradise, safety from the suffering of the grave and the terror of resurrection, placement of a crown on the head of the martyr, his marriage to 72 young virgins, and finally intercession for relatives.
  • The direct access to the vision of paradise signifies that martyrs possess superhuman qualities (Cook 2017, p. 153).
  • Moreover, according to Ostovar (2017), a fighter/mujahid elicits notions of bravery, virtue, strength, and religious devotion, heroism, and divine reward” (Ostovar 2017, 93).
  • Looking Away - evokes heroism of a jihadi in the name of faith furthermore elevating his status as soon to become a martyr.

All Black Dress - The colour black is regularly used as a colour of protest (Ostovar 2017, p. 100). The black suggests operating in secrecy and working from the shadows to attack the enemy (Ostovar 2017, 96).

The masked, faceless fighter evokes an intimidating sight, which projects strength, mystery, violence and anonymity (Ostovar 2017, 96).

in the first photo - (the jihadist as a shadowy but impressive fighter)
in the second photo - this concept contradicts itself with the big smiles the fighters have on their faces.

Clasped Hands - hands together in a team-like manner represents - unity

Circle - in Islam represents unity The photograph of fighters’ hands grasped together in a team-like manner is shot from God’s-Eye View camera angle that evokes circle, which in its turn also represents unity in Islam additionally reinforcing the unity representation of the clasped hands.

Finger pointing upwards is the Finger of Tawhid (right index finger)

the Tawhid is the belief in the oneness of God and is a key component in Islam.

The tawhid comprises the first half of the shahada, which is an affirmation of faith, one of the five pillars of Islam, and a component of daily prayers: “There is no god but Allah, and the second half is accepting Muhammad as God’s prophet.

It is used as a salute by the Prince of the Caliphate, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Like the Nazi salute or the communist raised fist, this gesture has become an integral part of the IS propaganda.

According to a director in an intelligence group called SITE, ”the gesture has been used by jihadis for years, including Osama bin Laden. Within jihad, this finger takes on political meaning as well, widely rejecting any form of government not under Shariah law,” which is the religious law forming Islamic traditions.

Depicting a fighter in a pre-modern appearance such as on a horse or with a sword suggests notions of Islam’s past (Ostovar 2017, 94) specifically associating with the legacy of Islam’s founding generations (Ostovar 2017, 95) and their early successful jihadi campaigns, which also grants legitimacy to modern jihad and the group itself.

“Horses and horsemen are also an important symbol of virility and warfare" (Cook 2017, 159)

Children
According to Brachman et al. (2006), children are employed in jihadi visuals to call forth notions of pride, honour, as well as, the need to protect Islam from outside harm for generations to come. Photographs of young boys also propose the rise of a new generation of jihadi fighters (Brachman et al. 2006, 90), and the invitation for newcomers.

Colour of the flag: Black
Greenery (i.e. trees, forests, and other plants) usually used as a background element is very common in jihadi imagery (Brachman et al. 2006, 24). This element elicits notions of the Islamic concept of heaven being a lavish garden.

  • ascension to heaven… through jihad
  • showing also the vast land of the Caliphate... await the new comers

Sun
In jihadi imagery, the sun is generally used to evoke association with the divine, legitimizing themselves spiritually as well as religiously, and it also evokes association with the afterlife (Brachman et al. 2006, 10-11).

Body of water
According to the report, a body of water , generally used as a background element in the jihadi visual composition is generally employed with the intention of evoking notions of purity, the divine, paradise (i.e. the afterlife), and religious piety (Brachman et al. 2006, 16-17-18).

  • for photo of fighter marching - A call to Paradise - a path of jihad - a path to paradise

Movie-poster like photographs

The smoke-like air coming out of the fuel vent tanks of the airplanes. What is interesting is that the designer has placed the fighter in this photo-montage under the strips of air, which give the impression of sun rays.

Moreover, I will re-employ the pre-iconographic analysis for the IS’s discontinued magazines such as Dar al-Islam (French language), Constantinople (Turkish language), and Istok (Russian language) to compare with Rumiyah.

Depending on the findings, I will decide whether to analyze all the magazines or not. Afterwards, I will move from the IS portraits to its rival magazines such as al-Qaeda’s Inspire 7English magazine; again, the findings of each magazine analysis will dictate whether I analyze other magazines.