Syftet med denna undersökning är att genom en kritisk diskursanalys av utvalda tidningsartiklar, redogöra för framställningen av Islamiska Staten (IS) i Irak och Syrien. Det avses genomföras i identifiering och analysering av framträdande diskurser i textmaterialet. Undersökningens kritiska ambitioner ligger i ett synliggörande av medias maktposition i samhället med fokus på diskursen om Islam och muslimer. Media tenderar att presentera en bild av IS och tillhörande diskurser utifrån ett västerländskt perspektiv, vilket ger upphov till ett skillnadskapande av ‘vi och dom‘. Västvärlden, i synnerhet Europa och Sverige intar en dominant ställning i textmaterialet och blir på så vis en västerländsk norm. Genom att tilldela aktörer och händelser diverse negativa attribut kan media på så vis ge en orättvis bild av Islam och muslimer, språket är på så vis ett maktredskap. Det är därför viktigt att föra en kritisk diskussion i skolan om hur media påverkar människors förståelse av samhället och religiösa yttringar.  Därav är en undersökning som denna viktig för utbildningsväsendet, för att lyfta hur diskurser har makten att påverka människan och dennes syn på verkligheten och omvärlden.

Cette thèse tente de vérifier La légitimité et la possibilité de concrétiser un futur gouvernement ou État islamique, par le moyen de mettre en évidence les perceptions des partisans islamistes qui appartiennent aux deux groupes politico-religieux différents, l'un est approuvé par l'Etat tandis que l'autre n’est pas approuvé. Dans le cadre général du socio-cognition et de l'anthropologie, et à la lumière de la présence d'une croyance inévitable et absolu détenu par les partisans islamistes sur l'état islamique, cette thèse étudie la compatibilité des perceptions de ces islamistes avec les concepts largement reconnu comme moderne , incarnés, par exemple, dans la démocratie, la séparation des pouvoirs et les élections. La pertinence de cette étude réside dans l'anticipation de la présence d'un état futur basé sur la loi islamique, et la présence actuelle de certains gouvernements islamiques ou gouvernements dirigés par des islamistes dans le monde arabe se présente comme une preuve d'une telle anticipation. La thèse, par conséquent, adopte une approche pluridisciplinaire fondée, d'abord, sur une partie anthropologique à travers laquelle l'observation des partisans des deux groupes politico-religieux est destinée à retracer la manière dont l'État islamique comme croyance peut être transformée en un projet d'avenir. Deuxièmement, une étude sociocognitive basée sur un questionnaire et des interviews a pour but de mettre en évidence statistique les possibilités de réalisation d'un futur État islamique avec un système constitutionnel moderne où les libertés individuelles et les droits des minorités sont respectés et acceptés. Les deux approches sont utilisés d’une façon complémentaire pour répondre à la question: Est-il possible de concrétiser un futur Etat islamique avec un système constitutionnel moderne généralement fondé sur l'acceptation des droits de l'homme et des libertés, compte tenu de la présence d'une croyance inévitable et absolue à un tel état, adoptée par les partisans de ces mouvements politico-religieux? Les conclusions tirées de cette thèse, qui servent comme une réponse à la question, confirment, à travers les données anthropologiques et statistiques, qu'un Etat islamique moderne est possible dans l'avenir, surtout avec la présence des partisans islamistes qui sont prêts à subir un changement conceptuel en ce qui concerne une partie de leurs croyances. En conséquence, la thèse recommande, surtout par rapport aux groupes politico-religieux non approuvés, de lancer une discussion ouverte et sincère, de la part de l'Etat, en présence des perceptions modérées d'un Etat islamique moderne, détenus par un certain nombre de partisans non-approuvés. / The legitimacy and the possibility of concretizing a future Islamic state or government is what this thesis is trying to investigate by means of highlighting perceptions of Islamist partisans belonging to two different politico-religious groups; one is approved by the state whereas the other is not. Within the general framework of socio-cognition and anthropology, and in the light of the presence of an inevitable and absolute belief held by Islamist partisans about the Islamic state, this thesis studies the compatibility of these Islamists’ perceptions with the concepts widely acknowledged as modern, as embodied, for instance, in democracy, separation of powers, elections, partisan multiplicity…The relevance of this study lies in its anticipating the presence of a future state to be based on Islamic law, and the current presence of some Islamic governments or governments led by Islamists, in the Arab world, stand as an evidence to such an anticipation. The thesis, hence, adopts a multidisciplinary approach based on starting, first, with an anthropological ground through which observation of partisans from the two politico-religious groups is meant to trace how the Islamic state as a belief can be transformed into a future project. Second, a socio-cognitive study based on a questionnaire, which is in its turn in the form of an interview, is meant to statically highlight the possibilities of achieving a future Islamic state with a modern constitutional system where individual freedoms and minorities’ rights are respected and accepted. The two approaches are complimentary in the sense of their hunting for an answer to the question: Is it possible to concretize a future Islamic state with a modern constitutional system generally based on acceptance of human rights and freedoms in the light of the presence of an inevitable and absolute belief in such a state, adopted by partisans of these politico-religious movements? The conclusions drawn from this thesis, which serve as an answer to the question, confirm, through the anthropological and statistical data, that a modern Islamic state is possible in the future, especially with the presence of Islamist partisans who are ready to undergo a conceptual change regarding some of their believed-to-be non-modern thoughts. Accordingly, the thesis recommends, especially proportionate to the non-approved politico-religious group, to start an open and sincere discussion, from the part of the state, in the presence of moderate perceptions of a modern Islamic state, held by a number of non-approved partisans.

While previous research on foreign recruitment has investigated how rebels manage to recruit from abroad, little attention has been given to the factors that regulate demand from the rebel point of view. This thesis suggests that the organizational complexity of a rebel group affects its range of personnel needs and capability of rendering recruits into military assets. By conducting a comparative case analysis of Al Qaeda in Iraq (2004-2008) and The Islamic State (2012-2016), the study finds that the variety in foreign recruits experienced by the groups in part can be explained by varying degrees of demand. While organizational complexity cannot be established as determiner for the theoretically suggested mechanisms, it does appear to be a strong predictor for both the needs and capabilities of rebels who recruit from abroad.

Submitted by Elesbão Santiago Neto (neto10uepb@cche.uepb.edu.br) on 2018-05-16T19:15:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Igor Henriques Sabino de Farias.pdf: 43642403 bytes, checksum: 74f590c3743109c75d9820a458b64f7d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-16T19:15:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Igor Henriques Sabino de Farias.pdf: 43642403 bytes, checksum: 74f590c3743109c75d9820a458b64f7d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-26 / CAPES / This dissertation discusses the influence of religion on International Relations (IR). Its general objective is to emphasize the importance of religion as one of the explanatory variables of contemporary international politics. In order to do so, it uses concepts from the English School to analyze the increase in the number of internally displaced persons due to religious persecution in Iraq after the rise of the terrorist group Islamic State between 2006 and 2014. It is therefore argued that there is a relation between the two facts. In order to verify this assumption and achieve the general objective of the research, the main religious elements that can influence international relations are classified, emphasizing the concepts of non-state religious actor and transnational religious issues. It then discusses how these elements can be understood in the light of the main theories of IR, such as Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism and English School, but emphasizes the latter. It is also conceptualizes terms such as internal displacement and religious persecution, with reference to the main sources of international law. Finally, it is demonstrated, through analysis of the official propaganda of the Islamic State, how Islamic religious elements were used by the group in order to persecute Christians and Yazidis in Iraq. This fact caused a large number of internally displaced persons due to religious persecution in the country. It is concluded, therefore, that, although religion is still an explanatory variable of IR neglected in the academic world, it is increasingly present in events of international politics, especially after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. / Esta dissertação discute a influência da religião nas Relações Internacionais (RI) e tem como objetivo geral ressaltar a importância da religião enquanto uma das variáveis explicativas da política internacional contemporânea. Para isso, utiliza-se de conceitos da Escola Inglesa para analisar o aumento do número de deslocados internos por perseguição religiosa no Iraque após a ascensão do grupo terrorista Estado Islâmico, entre 2006 e 2014. Defende-se, portanto, que existe uma relação entre os dois fatos. A fim de verificar esse pressuposto e alcançar o objetivo geral da pesquisa, classifica-se os principais elementos religiosos que podem influenciar as relações internacionais, dando ênfase aos conceitos de ator religioso não estatal e questões religiosas transnacionais. Em seguida, discute como esses elementos podem ser compreendidos à luz das principais teorias de RI, como Realismo, Liberalismo, Construtivismo e Escola Inglesa, ressaltando, porém, essa última. Conceitua-se também termos como deslocado interno e perseguição religiosa, tendo como referente as principais fontes de Direito Internacional. Por fim, é demonstrado, por meio da análise da propaganda oficial do Estado Islâmico, como elementos religiosos islâmicos foram instrumentalizados pelo grupo a fim de perseguir cristãos e yazidis no Iraque. Fato que ocasionou um grande número de deslocados internos por perseguição religiosa no país. Conclui-se, portanto, que, embora a religião ainda seja uma variável explicativa das RI negligenciada no meio acadêmico, está cada vez mais presente em eventos da política internacional, sobretudo após os atentados terroristas do 11 de setembro de 2001.

The Islamic State continuously, and successfully, recruits new members from all over the world. Although portrayed by the media as poverty-stricken, ranging in lonely individuals lacking education, these members are individuals who often lead normal lives with good economic and social standing as well as a high level of education. This thesis take us on a new recruits journey from conscription to warfare. Trying to discern the core reasons behind why someone joins, conforms and fights for a modern day Caliphate produce the concept of a typical Islamic State recruit. Among the findings is the revelation that the recruits, self-perceived socio-economic status, is a major factor when combined with the possibility of great social rewards and a sense of importance and belonging. An individual who has been recruited, then, chose to stay in the organisation based on loyalty, dependence and conformity. Finally; the thesis uncover the reasons why the incumbents take up arms to defend the prescribed ideological beliefs. Beliefs that rests on a solid religious foundation. The member feels his or her ideology to be under attack — and anew — will take up arms to defend that what is believed to be true. Based on the study we can conclude that the final stage of the individual members journey is based on a kind of nationalistic view of the Caliphate and the importance of Islamic supremacy.

Cette thèse porte sur la visibilité de groupes qualifiés d’extrémistes sur internet. Si plusieurs études ont décrit les différents usages des technologies numériques par des groupes radicaux et la manière dont internet serait un catalyseur de radicalisation, peu d’études ont cherché à analyser la relation constitutive entre un dispositif technique et des militants extrémistes. L’objectif de la thèse est de renouveler le modèle de la visibilité médiatisée de groupuscules qualifiés d’extrémistes, en tenant compte des reconfigurations mutuelles entre les plateformes numériques et le groupe militant. Sur le plan théorique, cette recherche se situe à l’intersection de la théorie de l’acteur-réseau, des software studies et des travaux de Lucy Suchman (2007) sur les dynamiques de reconfigurations mutuelles et permanentes des relations entre humains et machines. Basée sur l’étude du cas de l’État islamique, l’analyse s’ancre dans des données provenant d’un terrain de recherche de type ethnographique, collectées sur un an et demi. L’enquête est composée d’une observation non participante menée sur plusieurs plateformes numériques exploitées par le groupe jihadiste, de l’archivage et l’analyse des traces en ligne, ainsi que d’un corpus documentaire. Nos résultats contribuent premièrement à une meilleure compréhension de la visibilité des groupes qualifiés d’extrémiste sur les plateformes numériques, en démontrant qu’elle est relationnelle, technicisée et conflictuelle. Notre étude fait tout d’abord ressortir qu’on assiste à une complexification du tableau de la visibilité. La visibilité en ligne de l’État islamique nécessite un vaste réseau d’acteurs, tels que spécialistes des médias, militants, spécialistes en cybersécurité et botnets. La visibilité mêle ainsi des procédés hors-ligne et en ligne, décentralisés et centralisés. L’analyse des pratiques quotidiennes de visibilité montre que le travail d’apparence des militants de l’État islamique suit un objectif d’amplification et d’abondance de leur flux informationnel. Le but est d’inonder les plateformes de réseaux sociaux de contenus pro État islamique, afin de mener une « guerre médiatique ». Par ailleurs, les résultats suggèrent que la visibilité est complexe en raison des séries de contraintes et de forces ennemies qui contrecarrent le projet en ligne de l’État islamique, tel que la modération de leurs contenus. Parallèlement, notre étude montre que la présence de ces usagers a redessiné la régulation de ces technologies en les rendant plus contraignantes. Enfin, nos résultats dévoilent que les militants de l’État islamique refusent l’assujettissement face aux suspensions répétées dont ils font l’objet. Pour limiter les effets négatifs de la modération, le collectif travaille activement à mettre en place des tactiques de résistance. Dans un second temps, la thèse s’intéresse aux formes de visibilité que cette médiation technique entre les militants et les plateformes numériques configure. Nous proposons le concept de visibilité technicisée pour rendre compte de la visibilité en ligne des opinions politiques. Ce type de visibilité se fonde sur l’incessant déploiement d’une raison technique. En cela, la visibilité devient une activité spécialisée qui exploite les dimensions techniques et automatisées des technologies numériques, avec leurs normativités propres. Si la visibilité technicisée confère aux utilisateurs du pouvoir pour assurer leur visibilité, la thèse émet certaines réserves quant à la valeur réelle de ce faire-voir. Elle montre que, dans la quête d’efficacité et d’abondance qui la caractérise, ce type de visibilité technicisée généralise un ensemble de comportements nuisibles et de procédures trompeuses pour exprimer une opinion politique. Révélatrices de nouvelles formes de domination et d’asymétrie, nous plaidons qu’elle pourrait à terme contraindre le jeu démocratique. / This thesis focuses on the visibility of extremist groups on the internet. While several studies have focused on describing the different uses of digital technologies by radical groups and the way the internet would operate as a catalyst for radicalization, few studies have sought to analyze the constitutive relationship between the technical apparatus and the militant extremist. The objective of the thesis is to renew the visibility model of groups classified as extremists, taking into account the mutual reconfigurations between digital platforms and the militant groups. At a theoretical level, our study is situated at the intersection of actor-network theory (ANT), software studies and Lucy Suchman’s work (2007) on the dynamic reconfiguration of mutual and permanent relationships between humans and machines. Based on the case study of the Islamic State, this analysis, lasting one and a half years, was anchored in data from an ethnographic research field. The survey consists of non-participant observation of several digital platforms exploited by the jihadist group, online archiving and analysis of online traces, as well as a documentary corpus. Our results contribute to better understanding how groups qualified as extremist develop their visibility on digital platforms, by emphasizing that it is relational, technical and conflictual. First of all, our study demonstrates the evolution to a more complex development of the resources used to obtain visibility. The online visibility of the Islamic state requires a vast network of actors, such as media specialists, activists, cybersecurity specialists and botnets. For this reason, offline and online, decentralized and centralized processes are combined. The analysis of their daily practices shows that the work of Islamic state militants to obtain visibility strive at amplification and abundance of their information flow. Their goal is to inundate social media platforms with their contents, conducting a “media war”. Furthermore, the results obtained suggest that developing visibility is complex due to a series of constraints and enemy forces that thwart the Islamic State project, such as moderation of contents as an example. At the same time, our study shows that the presence of this type of users has resulted in the redesign of the regulation of these technologies, making them more restrictive. Finally, the results reveal that the Islamic state militants are actively working to put in place resistance tactics in order to limit the negative effects of that moderation. In a second step, the thesis focuses on the forms of visibility evolving from this technical mediation between activists and digital platforms. We suggest the concept of technical visibility to highlight the online visibility of political opinions. This type of visibility is based on the deployments of a technical rationality. Therein the creation of visibility becomes a specialized activity using the technical as well as mechanized dimensions of digital technologies, each with their own mode of normativity. If technical visibility gives users the possibility to develop their visibility, the thesis expresses certain reservations as to the real value of this “ faire-voir ”. It shows that this type of technical visibility, due to its characteristic quest for efficiency and abundance of information, generalizes bulk, aggressive, or deceptive activity. This results in new forms of domination and asymmetry. We therefore argue that it could jeopardize democracy.

The aim of this Master's thesis is to examine the securitization discourse used to construct the security threat coming from the veteran effect of the Islamic State's foreign fighters in Europe, and to see what kind of policies were adopted to counter it so far. The phenomenon of departing European citizens, who are becoming foreign fighters in the Syrian conflict, joining the ranks of the Islamic State, and then return back to their country of origin after having acquired combat experience or other training, has become a hot topic of discussion not only for academics, but also for politicians and ordinary citizens. To precise, this thesis is working with three main case studies, whose securitization discourse and security policies are analysed. These are: European Union, United Kingdom and France. The author was interested in finding out what similarities and differences can be found between the analysed countries, plus, whether there is some pattern of influence between the European Union and its member states in this area. The author of this thesis chose to use a comparative case study as a research design. It is useful to realize a contrast of contexts and therefore to discover specifics of the analysed cases. Two tables were created in order to clarify the operationalization of the analysed...

The diploma thesis is focused on the issue of radicalization of young people, who join terrorist organizations inspired by the ideology of Salafi Jihadism. Terrorist groups are one of the greatest global threats of the 21st century, and the recruitment of new fighters is their basic factor of success and growth. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is to compare the methods and techniques of recruitment used by Salafi Jihadist groups and to identify successful strategies of terrorist groups, leading to the radicalization of certain populations. The work deals with two concrete terrorist groups - the "Islamic State" and Al-Qaeda, because these groups operate globally, have sympathizers around the world, and attract different people to join them. The basis of the research is an application of different radicalization models that have been developed up to now on the observed methods and strategies of terrorist recruiters. The result of this research is a revealing of the most used methods of recruitment, the reasons of successful recruitment cases and a summarizing of the qualities of potential recruits and the factors facilitating radicalization of these persons.

My diploma thesis, called "The new religious movements and brainwashing", could be divided into two imaginary units. The first one is more general but technical. This part analyzes the term brainwashing as a whole, from a different point of views. The term brainwashing appears throughout the whole paper; from its formation, across the development, until its usage in everyday life. This contains the usage in media, advertising, and other spheres. This chapter should point out the importance of this topic, which is often forgotten. The second part of the thesis aims to contrast the book by Ted Patrick and Tom Dulack, which describes the term deprogramming. This term was allegedly invented for the new religious movement practices and brainwashing purposes. This chapter outlines the Ted's Patrick stances and gives an impartial reaction on it. The third part of the thesis is more of a narrative. It gives a fundamental explanation and typology of new religious movements, which connects the previous two parts. The following chapter clarifies the opposition theories. Nonetheless, it focuses on the anti-cult movements, but also the perception of media, the majority society, or a role of the state. This part of the thesis is vital in order to take a stand on the brainwashing itself. Its careless usage is an...

The awareness that the threat of terrorism is no longer linked only to the Middle East, but has home-grown nature and arisen from young people living on European soil, alarmed the public and subsequently provoked increased interest in radicalisation research. 9/11 or the European terrorist attacks in London or Madrid have led to the increasing media attention of the phenomenon of radicalisation occurring among young European Muslims. At the beginning of the new millennium, the threat stemming from terrorism embodied one of the most urgent security challenges, whether for politicians or scholars. The academic and political interest in research into factors that increase the risk of radicalisation to violent extremism has ended up in many efforts to grasp and properly define radicalisation, or to outline the expected pathways of radicalisation (Veldhuis, 2009: 1). In my thesis, I build on these efforts of prominent experts and I examine the effect of the factors contributing to violent radicalisation like social networks, dissatisfaction with current reality, moral outrage, family and individual characteristics including criminal backgrounds. I look at the impact of these factors in case studies of three Western European countries - Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. Except discussing specific...