Leiden University Student Repository

Unland, Vianna (2020)

Decoding the Counter-Jihad Movement: How They Maintain Their Ideology Online

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

This thesis seeks to answer the question, “how has the Counter-Jihad Movement (CJM) maintained their ideology online?” The purpose of this is to explore the means in which the movement and their associated digital platforms preserve their beliefs and values. The narrative adopted by the CJM exploits topics that are considered divisive amongst the public like terrorism, security, immigration, and the position of Muslim citizens to help affirm their relevancy. Additionally, the CJM engages in normalizing their rhetoric so as to lose the general reputation of being extremist and racist, and thus gain more widespread support. This topic was chosen considering the position of social media and its increasing influence in social movements (SMs) and the current societal and political relevance of the CJM. To understand the counter-jihad discourse, framing theory will be employed —namely the three core framing tasks, diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing.

Counter-Jihad

Europe

Framing Theory

Gates of Vienna

Social Movements

Author

Unland, Vianna

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Europe

Supervisors

Heyer, Anne

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en