A research discourse in ISIS media cognitive operations (with emphasis on Dabiq and Rumiyeh)

Ghoreyshi, Mahdi; NASROLLAHI, Akbar; Moghadamfar, Hamidreza; Jamshidiyan, Hadi

A research discourse in ISIS media cognitive operations (with emphasis on Dabiq and Rumiyeh)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Communication Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Corresponding author: Department of Communication Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of National Security, Higher National Defense University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The "Islamic State" group, known as ISIS, in the crisis situation of Syria and Iraq, by adopting a discourse different from other Salafist-Jihadist currents and groups and by claiming the formation of an Islamic caliphate in the areas under its control, expanded rapidly and was able to establish a quasi-state structure in this Create zones. ISIS changed its discourse from an identity discourse to a geopolitical discourse by choosing the "Caliphate" as its central sign. The repeated defeats of ISIS and the liberation of the two cities of Mosul and Raqqa from the control of ISIS in late 2017 disturbed the discourse of this organization, which was based on the occupation of the land. In the situation that ISIS's life as a quasi-state organization has ended, this article was written to answer the question, "What is the security threat of ISIS's developmentist discourse?" In order to answer the research question, using the content analysis method, this hypothesis has been investigated that "the center of gravity of the power of ISIS is the discourse of this group. For this reason, in order to maintain this center of gravity of power, ISIS has made changes in it according to the conditions and requirements of time and place. The findings of the article, while confirming the research hypothesis, show that ISIS, while being loyal to the central signifier and the floating signifiers of the previous discourse, has added new floating signifiers to its discourse and presented a new articulation of the signifiers.

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