Violent Islamism and Shame-Inducing Narratives

Abstract Shame avoidance or repair can serve as a powerful source of motivation, a view shared by violent Islamist (VI) organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda, whose respective propaganda activities seek to shame sympathizers into action by dislodging them from positions of inactivity or indecisiveness. Utilizing concepts contained in Benford and Snow’s notion of experiential commensurability, this article will examine how VI organizations seek to induce shame among their targets of mobilization by facilitating comparison and instilling a sense of accountability.