Jihadi exploitation of the Arabic poetic tradition - Dr Elisabeth Kendall

What drives militant jihadis to compose poetry? This talk seeks to reveal why and how Arabic poetry is deployed as a weapon by groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS.  

Osama bin Laden himself composed, copied, co-opted and contorted Arabic poetry. He famously recited an ode celebrating the suicide bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 at his son's wedding. This is not as surprising as it may at first seem. Throughout history, poetry has played a central role in Arab culture, punctuating a broad range of activities, from tribal occasions and political events through to the simple everyday get-togethers. The power of poetry to move Arab listeners and readers emotionally, to infiltrate the psyche and to create an aura of authenticity and legitimacy around the ideologies it enshrines, make it a perfect weapon for militant jihadi causes.  

Over the last four decades, Islamic extremist propaganda has regularly featured poetry extolling the virtues of, and rewards for, militant jihad. However, scholars and analysts alike have almost entirely neglected contemporary Arabic jihadi poetry, skipping over odes and ballads in favour of more direct statements and theological debates. Yet poetry can carry messages to a broader audience as it plugs naturally into a long tradition of oral transmission, particularly on the Arabian Peninsula, spreading ideas through repeated recitation and chanting and through conversion into anthems (anashid).  

Poetry reveals important clues about jihadist motivation, group dynamics and cultural concerns. In the quest to understand the hearts and minds of those who practise militant jihad, interrogating the poetry that speaks to both is fundamental.  

About the speaker

Elisabeth Kendall is the Mistress of Girton College at the University of Cambridge. Previously, she held positions at the Universities of Oxford, Edinburgh and Harvard, and served as Director of a UK government sponsored centre aimed at building Arabic-based research expertise. Her current work focuses on the cultural production of militant jihadist groups. She has lectured at government, military and scholarly institutions all around the world and is a frequent contributor to international television and print media. She has spent significant time in the field, especially in Yemen. She has authored and edited several works on Arabic and Islamic literature, language and culture and is currently working on a new book, Rock Stars of Jihad. Follow her on Twitter @Dr_E_Kendall