This chapter is part of a collection edited by Rudiger Lohlker; World Wide Warriors: How Jihadis Operate Online. The chapter is an in-depth analysis of a four-part video series named Salil alsawarim, or the “clanging of the swords”. This series is worthy of such detailed attention as it provides an excellent example of a certain form of ISIS propaganda. More specifically, it isakey example of how IS uses theology to justify the actions of its fighters and legitimise its occupation of territory in Syria and Iraq.
Sunni extremists, referred to as jihadists or Salafi-jihadists, have a long and rich tradition of written theological explanations of what it means to be a “true” or “proper” Sunni Muslim. However, IS uses theology to justify its day-to-day operations to a greater degree than other Sunni extremist groups, including al-Qaeda (AQ).
The series Salil al-Sawarim is particularly illustrative of this emphasis on theology.Readers sufficiently initiated into the mainly Arabic language corpus of Sunni extremist theology will understand the title’s particular reference right away; it refers to the book al-Sarim al-maslul ‘ala shatim al-rasul, “the Sharp
Sword onwhoever Insults the Prophet.” Its author is 13th century Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328 AD), who is often referred to as shaykh al-Islam (“the scholar of Islam”) in the conservative Arabic-Islamic framework.
Read the full chapter:
Ali Fisher, Nico Prucha, “A Milestone for “Islamic State” Propaganda: “The Clanging of the Swords, part 4“, in Lohlker, R. (ed.) World wide warriors: How Jihadis operate online. (2019).