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Showing posts from September, 2025

Social Identity Theory (SIT) and the Construction of the In-and-Out Group Narrative in "The Alienation of Muslims in Al-Andalus"

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Authored by: Rene de Klerk and Cara Rau  Screenshot from  Al-ʿUqāb Magazine Bottom Line Up Front A new Islamic State-supportive media outlet, Al-Iman Media Centre has emerged in online chatrooms. At the time of writing (1 June 2026), the Centre has released the first issue of its magazine and has advertised the second issue in its chatrooms.  The magazine is called "Al-ʿUqāb", which means "The Punishment" and is a staggering 84 pages long. Issue 1 features numerous articles covering various themes such as the Sudan war, the Gaza conflict, and colonisation in Africa.  The magazine features an article titled "The Alienation of Muslims in Al-Andalus", providing what the magazine frames as the perspective of a Muslim in modern-day Spain.  The release of this magazine comes after the media outlet released the below poster apparently urging attacks against the Pope, who represents the wider Christian community, and the upcoming Soccer World Cup. Additionally, it...

Framing Conflict: The Sahel's Video Propaganda Game

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WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND CONTENT SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.                                                         The Sahel is a noteworthy case study in the use of videos for propaganda by armed groups. Certain parts of the region are information-poor and internet connectivity in many parts of the Sahel is limited or completely inaccessible. This means that any information coming from the region, such as for example from the deserts of Agadez in Niger, is enticing and usually grabs the viewer's attention simply for being somewhat unusual and interesting.  Video propaganda is therefore used by different kinds of players in the Sahel, such as armed political groups and terrorist organisations. Videos are highly effective for propaganda because vi...