Re-presentation of Utopian Every Day Lives of Western Immigrants Women Recruited by ISIS in Social Media

Document Type : Scientific-Research Article

Authors

1 MA of Cultural Studies & Media of University of Tehran

2 Assistant Professor of Social Communication at Uinversity of Tehran

Abstract

The entire world was shocked by news was released in media at 2014: a semi state called Islamic State was founded by AbuBakr Al-Baghdadi who was reviving the golden age of Islamic Government, and asking men and women Muslims to swear allegiance to his state. This declaration caused western men and women to abandon family, education and bright future and migrate to Iraq and Syria. Although the state believes firmly in tradition of early Islam, it uses social media to impact on the people. Western Immigrants women recruit new members by means of narrating normal and Utopian aspects of ISIS. Everyday life theory and specifically Henri Lefebvre’s theory are used and developed from normal situations into abnormal and unaccustomed ones. This research explains narrations and re-presentations of 38 western immigrants (using ISIS-focused reports) released in social networks about western societies, ISIS territory and also its Utopian aspects. The findings on the narration of western women immigrants show that everyday life in western societies was apparently ideal before migration, but these societies couldn’t fulfill their spiritual needs. Based on their narrations, when they got closer to ISIS version of Islam, they assumed to found out the real meaning and the objectives of the life.

Keywords

فرهنگی، علی اکبر و حجت الله عباسی ( ١٣٩٧ ). طراحی مدل مقابله با چال شهای تروریسم رسان های در شبکه های
اجتماعی (مطالعه موردی: مطالعه گروه داعش در شبک ههای توییتر و فی سبوک)، دوفصلنامه دین و ارتباطات،
.١١٦ - سال ٢٥ ، ش اول پیاپی ( ٥٣ )، بهار و تابستان، صص ٨٧
بازنمود زندگی روزمره یوتوپیایی زنان غربی پیوسته به داعش در رسان ههای اجتماعی 273
١ ) . ت ح ل ی ل ث ا ن و ی ه ت ح ق ی ق ا ت م و ج و د د ر ب ا ر ه شبکه ٣ ٩ عدل ی پ و ر ، ص م د ، س ی د ا ح م د م ی ر ت ب ا ر و ب ه ج ت ی ز د خ و ا س ت ی ( ٤
( اجتماعی فیس بوک، جوانان ایرانی و نظم جامعه، دوفصلنامه دین و ارتباطات، سال ٢٢ ، ش دوم (پیاپی ٨٤
.٤٧ پاییز و زمستان، صص ٤٤١

COTTEE, S. (2016a). Tracking the Online Life of a Female ISIS Recruiter from the UK.
Access September 20, 2017 from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/umm-muthanna-albritania-
syria-828
COTTEE, S. (2016b). How a British College Student Became an ISIS Matchmaker. Access
September 20, 2017 from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/how-a-british-collegestudent-
became-an-isis-matchmaker
Diary-of-a-muhajirah. (2014). Access September 20, 2017 from
http://mannwasalwah.tumblr.com/post/97498993330/diary-of-a-muhajirah-i-would-liketo-
narrate
Diary-of-a-muhajirah. (2015). Jihadology. Access September 20, 2017 from
http://jihdology.tumblr.com/post/107688561362/diary-of-a-muhajirah-its-been-almost-9-
months
Felski, R. (1999). The invention of everyday life. new formations. 39. 13-31.
Gardiner, M. (1992). Bakhtin's Carnival: Utopia as Critique. Utopian Studies, 3, 2, 21-49.
Gardiner, M. (1995). Utopia and Everyday Life in French Social Thought. Utopian Studies,6,
2, 90-123.
Gardiner, M. (2000). Critiques of Everyday Life. London: Routledge.
Gardiner, M. (2004). Everyday utopianism: Lefebvre and his critics, Cultural Studies, 18, 2-3,
228-254, DOI: 10.1080/0950238042000203048
Gardiner, M. (2012). Henri Lefebvre and the ‘Sociology of Boredom’. Theory, Culture &
Society. 29, 2, 37-62. DOI: 10.1177/0263276411417460
Gardiner, M. (2013). Weak messianism: essays in everyday utopianism. Oxford: Peter Lang.
Hall, E. (2014a). Inside The Chilling Online World of the Women of ISIS. Access September
20, 2017 from https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/inside-the-online-world-of-thewomen-
of-isis?utm_term=.lnx8landA#.fsk7L92qb
Hall, E. (2014b). An ISIS Love Story: "Till Martyrdom Do Us Part". Access September 20,
2017 from https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/an-isis-love-story-till-martyrdom-do-uspart?
utm_term=.loeOn2rrz#.ig0LlvVV3
Hall, E. (2015a). Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS. Access September 20,
2017 from https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-anamerican-
in-isis?utm_term=.fiQMmQZjM#.ohK3jeVG3
Hall, E. (2015b). Inside The Lives of The Wives And Widows of ISIS. Access September 20,
2017 from https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/inside-the-lives-of-the-wives-andwidows-
of-isis?utm_term=.vrW5bAWL5#.bk7kW05Gk
Highmore, B. (2002 a). Everyday life and cultural theory: an introduction. London:
Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
Highmore, B. (2002 b). The everyday life reader. London: Routledge.
Hoyle, C. & Bradford, A. & Frenett, R. (2015) Becoming Mulan? Female Western Migrants
to ISIS. Institute for Strategic Dialogue London.
Inside the life of a 20-year-old Scottish woman who ran away to become a hardline supporter
of ISIS. (2014). Access September 20, 2017 from http://nationalpost.com/news/inside-thelife-
of-a-20-year-old-scottish-woman-who-ran-away-become-a-hardline-supporter-of-isis
Jaffer, N. (2015). The secret world of Isis brides: 'U dnt hav 2 pay 4 ANYTHING if u r wife
of a martyr'. Access September 20, 2017 from
274 ، سال بیست و ششم، شمارة اول (پیاپی 55 )، بهار و تابستان 1398
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/isis-brides-secret-world-jihad-westernwomen-
syria
Kaur Naidoo, N. (n.d.). WOMEN AND THE ISLAMIC STATE. Access September 20, 2017
from http://www.artefactmagazine.com/2015/03/11/women-and-isis/
Kelley, K. (2016). “Picking a Side,” The Western Muhajirat of ISIS: What the Women Want,
What ISIS Wants with Them, and What Western Governments Can Do About It. Master’s
thesis. The Faculty of the Elliot School of International Affairs of The George
Washington University
Kneip, K. (2016). Female Jihad – Women in the ISIS. Politikon: IAPSS Political Science
Journal, 29, 88-106.
Michaelson, R. (2014). How the Wives of ISIS Are Attracting Western Women to Syria. Access
September 20, 2017 from http://www.vocativ.com/world/isis-2/wives-isis-attractingwestern-
women-syria/
Pooley, E. (2015). A New Sisterhood the Allure of ISIS in Syria For Young Muslim Women in
the UK. Master’s thesis. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY.
Roberts, N. (2014). The life of a jihadi wife: Why one Canadian woman joined ISIS's Islamic
state, Canadian married an ISIS fighter who later died. Access September 20, 2017 from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/the-life-of-a-jihadi-wife-why-one-canadian-womanjoined-
isis-s-islamic-state-1.2696385
Saltman, E. & Smith, M. (2015). Till Martyrdom Do Us Part': Gender and the ISIS
Phenomenon. International Center for the Studies of Radicalization, Institute for Strategic
Dialogue, London.
Speckhard, A., & Akhmedova, K. (2008). Black Widows and Beyond: Understanding the
Motivations and Life Trajectories of Chechen Female Terrorists. In C. Ness (Ed.), Female
Terrorism and Militancy: Agency, Utility and Organization: Agency, Utility and
Organization
Stern, J., & Berger, J. M. (2015). ISIS: The State of Terror. Harper Collins UK.
Zamora, L. (2016). Hijrah: Answering to The Call Of The Caliphate Analysis of European
Muslim women’s migration to Syria to join ISIS. Master’s thesis. Aalborg University.
Zavadski, K.(2014). Meet the Female Recruiters of ISIS. Access September 20, 2017 from
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/09/meet-the-female-recruiters-of-isis.html