We have reached a point of connectivity and information sharing unprecedented in human history, undoubtedly influencing all spheres of society. Since the introduction of the web 2.0 and with it the rise of social media platforms, human connectivity has steadily continued increasing.
This connectivity also promotes news and statements from different religions. Mathias Hörlesberger explores how social media and alternative Salafi networks on Twitter challenge the notion of Jihad within a global religious context.
Hörlesberger examines online group behaviour, and particularly religious group behaviour. He contributes to the lacking debate on religion and Network Society and New Media Communication. By analyzing Twitter content of three Muslim scholars and juxtaposing their content with the ways ISIS uses its Twitter accounts, Hörlesberger adds to the ongoing debate of netwar.
In this book:
- ISIS;
- jihad;
- Muslim;
- Islam;
- web 2.0
Table of Contents
Introduction: Around the world in 3,74 degrees
1 Chapter one
1.1 Structure
1.2 Methodology
2 Chapter two
2.1 One Community of Believers—One Islam?
2.2 One Source, many Meanings - who is right?
2.3 A Game of Revelations
3 Chapter three
3.1 The Advent of a New Society
3.2 Entering the Network Society
3.3 Virtual Islam 2.0
3.4 Re-thinking the Network Society?
4 Chapter four
4.1 Salafism [+] Wahhabism [=] ISIS?
4.2 A Movement of the many Faces
4.3 Lesser or Greater?
4.4 An Ephemeral Movement?
4.5 Jihad, quo vadis?
5 Chapter five
5.1 Looking behind the Wall—Manual Twitter Content Analysis
5.2 Categorization of Tweets
5.3 Approaching a first Content Analysis
5.4 Applied Tools?
5.5 How engagement is avoided
6 Chapter six
6.1 Visualization of a Network Analysis
7 Conclusion & Final Remarks
8 Future Work
Research Objectives & Topics
This thesis examines the role of social media in shaping religious discourse, specifically focusing on how Muslim preachers and radical groups like ISIS utilize Twitter to influence their followers and engage with modern digital networks. The central research question investigates whether the usage of these platforms by various actors represents a continuation of 21st-century jihadi doctrines or alternative forms of engagement.
- Analysis of the impact of the Network Society on religious communities.
- Juxtaposition of ISIS's social media strategy with that of contemporary Muslim scholars.
- Exploration of how digital tools, such as hashtags and cross-platform linking, facilitate religious identity formation.
- Investigation into the effectiveness of "jihad by tongue" as a form of non-combative online engagement.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Virtual Islam 2.0
The advent of the Internet gave Muslim believers and non-believers alike the possibility to access information, while at the same time avoiding traditional channels of information distribution. Particularly in the beginning of mainstream internet use, a young, mostly educated audience was targeted with millions of pages, documentation, news, analysis, images and much more. Islam is reshaped as the Internet and in particular the World Wide Web offers various applications to the community of believers accessing and distributing information. These advancements especially combined with websites, multimedia, chat rooms, email listings, and applications with different degrees of interactivity inevitably led to a “conjunction with shifting frameworks associated with religious authority, including concepts associated with decentralization from the traditional locations of ,ulama‘ power.” Already before the introduction of the internet, other forms of media caused a shift in the nature of religious authority, such as satellite television, as they provided access to a broader scope of information.
With the rise of the cyberspace new grounds for distributing interpretations of various Muslim doctrines alike have opened up. The Internet gives believers a space where they can interpret and reinterpret sources by gaining access to information. Formerly marginalized groups, for instance Muslim women have now the possibility to more easily access and engage in discussions and find themselves with tools expressing themselves. “There is a realization that the benefits can enhance religious identity, community cohesion, and the promotion of specific lifestyle choices.”
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Around the world in 3,74 degrees: This chapter introduces the state of global hyper-connectivity through social media and frames the thesis within the context of the modern "Network Society."
1 Chapter one: This chapter outlines the structural approach of the thesis and details the methodological framework, specifically discourse analysis and the study of Internet-based religious content.
2 Chapter two: This chapter examines the historical and theological foundations of Muslim authority, focusing on the sectarian divisions and the role of jurist-theologians in interpreting Islamic law.
3 Chapter three: This chapter applies Manuel Castells' theory of the "Network Society" to religious groups, arguing that religious communities are no longer static but are actively shaping digital spaces.
4 Chapter four: This chapter explores the ideology of Salafism and its diverse branches, specifically focusing on how groups like ISIS reinterpret the concept of "jihad."
5 Chapter five: This chapter provides a manual content analysis of the Twitter activity of three selected Muslim scholars, categorizing their engagement and use of digital tools.
6 Chapter six: This chapter presents a visualization of network analyses for the selected preachers, mapping their hashtags and interaction patterns to illustrate their influence.
7 Conclusion & Final Remarks: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, highlighting the shift from traditional authority to digital "jihad by tongue."
8 Future Work: This chapter proposes potential paths for future research, including larger datasets and cross-linguistic analysis of religious online discourse.
Keywords
Social Media, Twitter, Network Society, Islam, Jihad, Salafism, ISIS, Digital Religion, Content Analysis, Online Authority, Network Analysis, Religious Communication, Hashtags, Religious Identity, Information Flow
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work focuses on how social media platforms, specifically Twitter, are used by Muslim scholars and radical groups to exert influence, disseminate information, and form virtual religious communities.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The primary themes include the intersection of religion and technology, the evolution of religious authority in a networked society, the ideology of Salafism, and the different interpretations of "jihad" in the digital age.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The objective is to understand how social media usage by Muslim preachers and ISIS challenges or continues traditional religious doctrines, particularly regarding their methods of engaging with a global, online audience.
Which scientific methodologies are employed?
The thesis utilizes discourse analysis, manual content analysis of Twitter feeds, social network analysis (SNA), and the study of the "social shaping of technology" (SST) as established by scholars like Heidi Campbell.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical background of the Network Society, a deep dive into Salafi ideology, a manual categorization of tweets from three specific preachers, and a visualization of their Twitter networks.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Social Media, Network Society, Jihad, Salafism, ISIS, Digital Religion, and Religious Authority.
How does the author characterize "jihad by tongue"?
The author uses this term to describe the non-combative, missionary use of social media by preachers, contrasting it with the "jihad by sword" advocated by radical militant groups.
How does the author view the exclusion of religion from Castells' Network Society theory?
The author considers this exclusion a fallacy, arguing that religious communities are deeply embedded in digital networks and that technology, by nature, is not secular but adapted by religious actors to fit their own goals.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Mathias Hörlesberger (Autor:in), 2019, Islam Tweets. Changing Power Structures due to Social Media, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/462567
