HOW AL-QAEDA AND ISIS EMPLOYED MEDIA? A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Terrorist movements express their discourse through messages, which they are keen to send a specific state or people or the whole world. However, terrorist blasts are not the only message, but rather ideological reasoning accompanies every terrorist act. This was clearly observable in the discourse of Al-Qa’eda, especially as the group tried to rely on considerable grievances which cannot be denied. Al-Qa’eda has a wide and accumulated experience in turns and events, which make it a phenomenon worthy of study. With the development of Al-Qa’eda’s experience, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s power, speed of spread, ascendancy and brutality since it took control of Mosul without noticeable resistance on June 20, 2013 has been remarkable. This moment was a point of transformation in the media’s view of the organization. And it becomes clear that any of both organizations will not be sustainable so long as they lack justifications considered reasonable by outside observers and lack grievances to push their soldiers to recruit youth and convince them with their media arguments.