Virtual jihadism: Netnographic analysis on trends of terrorism threats

Sahrasad, Herdi and Al Chaidar, Al Chaidar and Nurdin, Muhammad Amin and mulky, Mohammad asrori (2020) Virtual jihadism: Netnographic analysis on trends of terrorism threats. SEARCH Journal of Media and Communication Research, 12 (3). pp. 71-85. ISSN Online ISSN: 2672-7080

Preview

Text SEARCH-2020-12-3-J4-71-85 copy.pdf Download (206kB) | Preview

Abstract

This article examines how the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been using terrorism to rebel in order to establish their own superstate, leading to the outbreak of a civil war in Iraq and Syria. To this end, ISIS has intensified the use of the internet and Telegram in the global arena massively and intensively. In this context, by using netnography—a method for analysing all human activities and cultures related to qualitative internet use—we can observe the cruelty of the transnational jihadism in spreading a model of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria through harassment and hostility, virtually. This movement has tried to mobilise civil war and terrorism through cyberspace, involving businessmen, foreign adventurers, transnational and domestic terrorists. The main objective of this article is to show the shift from the real battleground toward virtual hostilities where the internet and applications like Telegram have created major changes, both theoretically and practically, in the world of communication. People live in cyberspace (online) just like in real life (offline). Internet users chat and exchange ideas with each other, virtually in various parts of the world—as if they live in a global village. However, the use and abuse of the internet and other virtual applications by ISIS supporters and sympathisers has eventually pushed international communities and governments to work together to fight against this global terrorism. Keywords: netnography, cyberterrorism, ISIS, internet,Telegram

Actions (login required)

View Item