The Crisis in the Use of Religion as a Culture Industry by ISIS

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ayatollah Borujerdi University, Borujerd, Iran

2 Master of Political Science at Ayatollah Azami Boroujerdi University

Abstract

Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS) From the beginning of formation, especially since 2014, when its leader, Abubakr al-Baghdadi, declared a caliphate in Mosul, took an approach that was different from its Salafist predecessors. By recruiting and relying on modern tools and technologies, they tried to give a emancipatory face to their actions and ideology. In this way, part of their targeting included young people from different countries of the world, especially Western countries. The research, with a descriptive and analytical method, has investigated the strategy that ISIS used to increase the number of its people every day. In this way, this article relies on the use of the theoretical framework of critical theory and the Frankfurt school to conceptualize the term religion industry and by using concepts such as emancipation and the category of culture industry, which is interpreted as the “ religion industry ” in the strategy of ISIS. From the Critical theory perspective, how does ISIS use religion as an industry? The findings of the research show that ISIS, by using religion, technology and the media, sought to create false consciousness among the youth in order to present itself as a emancipating base, while there is no potential of emancipation within the religion which ISIS propagandizes and this is the major crisis that ISIS is facing

Keywords

References

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Crisis Studies of the Islamic World
Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 29
Summer Quarterly
September 2023
Pages 1-16

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