The Strategic Manipulation of ISIS, the Caliphate, and Political Branding
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The Strategic Manipulation of ISIS, the Caliphate, and Political Branding
Bio: Lacin Idil Oztig (PhD) is a Professor at Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Türkiye. She is also a non-resident faculty associate at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Arizona, USA. She teaches Middle East politics and international organizations. Her research primarily focuses on the Middle East, religion-state relations, border politics, democratization, human rights, and populism. Her work has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, Government and Opposition, Territory, Politics, Governance, Third World Quarterly, European Policy Analysis, Public Health, Middle East Policy, Journal of Political Science Education, the Social Science Journal, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Central Asian Survey, Social Currents, European Policy Analysis, Critical Studies on Security, Contemporary Politics, Journal of Borderlands Studies, and Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies.
Abstract: The ISIS’s declaration of caliphate in 2014 sent shockwaves around the world. What objectives did ISIS leaders seek to achieve through their audacious attempt to resurrect such an archaic institution? This study scrutinizes Dabiq, the official transnational media outlet of ISIS published between 2014 and 2016, from the perspective of political marketing. It primarily argues that ISIS not only sells “a story” but also “a brand” in its pursuit of global influence and power. A close reading of Dabiq reveals that the organization strips the concept of the caliphate of its rich historical context and diverse interpretations and turns it into a “political brand” specifically tailored to further its political ambitions. In the magazine, while the caliphate is associated with the glorious age of Muslims, there is a deliberate attempt to obscure the existence of weak caliphal regimes, the caliphal titles used by Shia Muslims (under Fatimid rule) or the caliphal periods during which religious tolerance and generosity were exhibited toward non-Muslims. This caliphal brand is marketed through a highly simplified and distorted characterization of history, coupled with selective interpretations of hadiths and Qur’anic verses, as well as disturbing violent imaginary. This branding technique is used to outmaneuver the organization’s competitors in the radical Islamist market by presenting an appealing image that showcases the organization’ readiness and ability to unite all Sunni Muslims under a singular banner. By evoking themes of “unity,” “power,” and “action,” the caliphal brand is crafted to appear attractive to its target audience - Sunni Muslims- by manipulating the most fundamental human desires: the need for belonging, certainty, and empowerment.