Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Affairs
The Names of Jihad
A Guide to ISIS' Noms de Guerre
The situation was solemn, but hidden smiles played behind the eyes of those listening in. An Islamic State (ISIS) fighter was yelling for his brother-in-arms over an unscrambled radio channel. His fellow fighter didn't answer and was most likely dead. But that didn't keep the broadcaster from repeatedly yelling the fallen fighter's nom de guerre, "Abu Jihad! Abu Jihad! Abu Jihad!" This translates as "the father of a struggle against the enemies of Islam," and for the foreigners listening in, it provided a source of grim amusement. Such is the case when soldiers give themselves names—sometimes ridiculous, sometimes religious, and sometimes political names—in the current war in Syria....
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For more information on this publication:
Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation:
Mironova, Vera and Karam Alhamad.“The Names of Jihad.” Foreign Affairs, July 14, 2017.
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The situation was solemn, but hidden smiles played behind the eyes of those listening in. An Islamic State (ISIS) fighter was yelling for his brother-in-arms over an unscrambled radio channel. His fellow fighter didn't answer and was most likely dead. But that didn't keep the broadcaster from repeatedly yelling the fallen fighter's nom de guerre, "Abu Jihad! Abu Jihad! Abu Jihad!" This translates as "the father of a struggle against the enemies of Islam," and for the foreigners listening in, it provided a source of grim amusement. Such is the case when soldiers give themselves names—sometimes ridiculous, sometimes religious, and sometimes political names—in the current war in Syria....
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