Thesis (Ph. D.)--New York University, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 210-223) and index.

Diss. : Philosophische Fakultät : Köln : 1983. - Textes en grec. - Notes bibliogr. Index. -

Digital development has made the efficiency of extremist networks possible. Internet and social media have been developed and started to be used as "human web-networks" for the recruitment of like-minded people with the same ideological hopes. For DAESH, this is something positive. The purpose is to give a deeper understanding of why young men join the DAESH. The empirical basis therefore consists of interviews conducted with DAESH warriors who are detained in place in northern Iraq. The opportunity to gain access to these respondents for both the study and the empirical basis is unique. The method used is of a qualitative nature. Furthermore, the profit part represents the empirical basis. Authors have transcribed the interviews, and then conducted a thematidation of collected data. With direct quotes from the material, authors argue that there are recurring patterns in it as respondents. The study concludes that young men join the DAESH because of social disorganization and the lack of strong social ties.

Master of Arts / Department of Communications Studies / Soumia Bardhan / In July of 2014, a spokesperson for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) made a televised announcement that captured the attention of the world – the terrorist organization decided to tweak its name to simply the Islamic State (IS), to indicate its intention of moving beyond Iraq and the Levant and conquering the world. This shift in rhetoric, along with the phenomenon of Muslims and non-Muslims from Western nations leaving their homes, friends, and families behind to join IS, have prompted discussions and debates on what makes this terror group’s message so effective. In the days following IS’s name change, the first issue of its magazine Dabiq was published online through its Al-Hayat Media Center. With versions in English, Arabic, German, French, and more, the magazine gained notoriety for its high-production value. This study seeks to understand the ideology manifest in IS rhetoric in Dabiq, which makes it so captivating to both sympathizers and agitators alike. This study is an ideological criticism of six of the fifteen issues of Dabiq published; the six issues chosen were all released in relation to catalytic events perpetrated or claimed by the terror group. For instance, the November 2015 Paris attacks or the shooting in San Bernardino, CA, by a ‘radicalized’ couple who pledged allegiance to IS. This study unearthed major themes of political claims, religious appeals, and terrorist actions which IS uses to incite recruitment. This analysis identifies IS’s ideology as one of Political Islamist Terrorism, and concludes with implications concerning exceptionalism and the persuasive appeal of Dabiq.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if women from the Western world joined ISIS in search of respectability. Beverly Skegg’s (1997) theory of respectability was used as the theoretical framework and as a lens to shape the result. The study collected information on women from the Western world known to have joined the Islamic State and then analyzed them to see if it was respectability they were searching for. Skeggs theory will be further explained in the theory chapter. This thesis is looking at articles, interviews, and YouTube clips of women who have joined ISIS this thesis will determine if it was because of respectability or not. The findings were relevant and useful because the interviews and articles went into depth on why Western women joined ISIS. The result and conclusion for this study are that Western women join ISIS in search of respectability.

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After the fall of ISIS ‘caliphate’, Sweden and other European countries are struggling with how to handle the group of people who left Europe to join the terrorist organisation and now seek to return. In traditional narratives of gender and war, women and children are commonly perceived as innocent victims in need of protection. This narrative now seems to be challenged by European countries hesitation to repatriate, not only men, but also women and children affiliated with ISIS. Drawing on securitization, feminist and postcolonial theory, this thesis examines political discourses surrounding women and children in Sweden after the fall of the ‘caliphate’ and considers how this seemingly discursive transformation allows for exceptional measures. The analysis finds that these women are foremost ascribed meaning in relation to the men of ISIS and appear to be portrayed as guilty perpetrators rather than victims. While the lives of the children are construed as more valuable, they are yet associated with different risks and problems. In these meaning-making processes, it is possible to identify hierarchies in relation to gender and race in which women and children are perceived as ‘the other’ and, to some extent, reabsorbed into the threatening mass of ISIS terrorists that Sweden needs protection from.

Dissertation Mats de Rooij Charles University Student Number: 17287595 ABSTRACT Keywords: ISIS oil financing strategy-making third-party interventions United States This dissertation will explore the US-led coalition's strategy for disrupting ISIS's oil network in Iraq and Syria. Scholars have debated the desirability of third-party interventions and strategies for countering financing structures of violent non- state actors. However, remarkably limited research exists on ISIS's estimated largest source of revenue during the existence of its caliphate: the production and distribution of petroleum. This study will therefore introduce a framework for analysing the military response enacted by the US-led coalition between September 2014 and October 2017. It will do so through a mixed method study that includes the first-hand generation and analysis of a dataset containing 5,768 unique data points that present both an insight into the strategy behind the strikes and vulnerabilities in ISIS's oil network. Findings demonstrate how the coalition was able to exploit vulnerabilities specifically in the production, transportation, and refinement stages of the production chain. It will be argued that, as the campaign proceeded, the coalition became increasingly willing to take risks of collateral damage as a...

Aphrodite is one of the oldest deities of the Graeco-Roman pantheon, and her cult has a rich and varied history in its development throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. The goddess has been associated with numerous female deities from other cultures, including Astarte, Inanna, and Ishtar from the Near East; Hathor and Isis from Egypt; and Venus from Rome. The origins and development of the cult of Aphrodite have long been favoured topics in Classical scholarship, with notable works including Friedrich’s "The Meaning of Aphrodite" (1978) and Budin’s "The Origin of Aphrodite" (2003). The nature of syncretism between deities continues to be a popular topic of debate, and collections such as "Transformation of a Goddess: Ishtar-Astarte-Aphrodite" (2014) are produced from conferences and symposiums. Likewise, interest in the history of the Ptolemaic dynasty remains high; in particular, the field of numismatics eagerly anticipates the final release of Lorber’s "Coins of the Ptolemaic Empire" (2018 - ), which will replace the seminal work of Svoronos (1904) as the primary catalogue. Although it is common for works concerning the Ptolemaic dynasty to reference Aphrodite, detailed discussion of her cult often arises only in the context of Arsinoë II, with whom she was syncretized. This thesis aims to bring Aphrodite to the forefront, and produce a cohesive narrative which highlights the role of her cult in the development of the Ptolemaic dynasty. It surveys the presence of the goddess in Egypt to determine her nature and significance, before examining the manner in which her cult was manipulated to the benefit of the Ptolemaic dynasts, predominantly through syncretism to the queens Arsinoë II and Berenice II. The discussion of syncretism is extended to include Isis, whose increasing popularity is connected to the eventual decline of the cult of Aphrodite in Egypt. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, his empire was divided between his generals. Ptolemy I obtained control of Egypt, and established a dynasty that endured for over two centuries before falling to Rome. This thesis examines the foundation of the dynasty, and the manner in which Ptolemy I and his early successors secured their power. It focuses on Greek and Egyptian religion, and argues that the cult of Aphrodite was integral to the legitimization and consolidation of the dynasty. Discussion extends beyond Aphrodite to those with whom she was associated, including the Egyptian goddess Isis, and the Ptolemaic queens Arsinoë and Berenice. The aim of the thesis is to highlight the complexities of religious practice, and demonstrate the significance of Aphrodite and the sociopolitical impact of her cult in Egypt and throughout the Hellenistic world.

The Internet is an instrument that has revolutionized the world and the society since its introduction. Today, over 4 billion people around the world have access to it. While this technology comes with several positive innovations, it can also be used negatively by terrorist organizations to more efficiently spread propaganda messages. More so, the development of social media has fostered new methods of recruitment that allows to reach a broader audience anonymously and outside of the geographical area of operation of a terrorist organization. The purpose of this research is to analyze the relationship between social media development and changes in terrorist recruitment strategies, discuss the main social media used for terrorist recruitment, and identify major targeted demographics. Further, the research seeks to analyze through case study examination whether the use of social media by terrorist organizations result in more effective recruitment. This is accomplished by comparing recruiting success of ISIS, which heavily relies on social media, with Boko Haram, which does not. After comparing data available on recruits based on their geographical location, gender and age, and economic status, this study finds that there is not a significant diversity between individuals recruited through social media or those recruited through a different method. This study finds that a significant difference only exists when recruiting individuals with different economic opportunities. While fighters from ISIS are recruited from any class of the society, including those with higher income and are more educated, Boko Haram tends to be more successful among individuals who experience economic hurdles.