Islamophobia in Al-Qa'ida's and IS' English-language magazines

This chapter presents an analysis of themes related to Islamophobia in Inspire and Dabiq—two prominent English-language e-zines produced by Al-Qa’ida in the Arabia Peninsula (AQAP) and the self-proclaimed ‘Islamic State’ (IS). Both organizations used e-zines to promote their cause, celebrate their successes and inspire violence by radicalized individuals. A thematic network analysis is adopted to present the themes contained in the first fourteen issues of Inspire and the first thirteen issues of Dabiq. While both groups do reference Islamophobia in their propaganda, they do so sparingly and usually in relation to a collection of differing related themes. Both e-zines assert narratives of Muslim victimhood not by highlighting Islamophobia experienced by Muslims in the West, but by focusing on the mistreatment of Muslims globally. This does not preclude experiences of Islamophobia from contributing to the ways that individuals consume and perhaps become receptive to extremist materials.