Do Songs and Videos Play an Important Role in Recruiting and Radicalization?
Published on June 14, 2012 by Anthony F. Lemieux, Ph.D. in Dangerous Minds
Music and music videos have a remarkable and growing presence in the online context of the radicalization process and terrorist recruiting. In fact, music has been used in recruiting by both domestic and international groups, including Al Qaeda affiliates, Hizb ut Tahrir, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia along with numerous domestic terrorist and White supremacist groups. Are they on to something?
Let’s start by considering how the music is being used. By listening to a pretty wide range of songs, I’ve noticed a number of common themes:
First, music is used to label and dehumanize. By labeling others as ‘enemies’, music can be used to support taking action against them. This can take many forms including calls to protest, up to and including the justification of violence.
Second, music commemorates heroes, key dates, and events. Through the creation of songs that lionize key figures, a skilled propagandist can develop a spirit of admiration, and a desire to rally around them to honor or preserve their legacy.
Third, music is effectively used to air grievances. Through words and images, a listener can be informed about the problems in ways that attribute causality to an enemy and reinforce a sense of shared struggle.
Fourth, music can establish and reinforce intergroup boundaries, social norms, and foster a sense of shared identity.
There is almost no empirical, peer-reviewed literature on music in terrorism to date. However, there is plenty of research examining the influence of music on attitudes and behaviors from other contexts. Though the research comes from a fairly wide range of disciplines and perspectives, we have a pretty strong sense that music has the potential to elicit strong emotional responses, influence attitudes, social norms, and potentially behavior, especially among adolescents who are also more susceptible to peer pressure. Music with violent lyrics has the potential to increase the amount of aggressive thoughts and feelings, which can lead to subsequent violent behaviors. Overall, music has empirically demonstrated potential to serve as a catalyst for attitude and behavior change.
So by using music, jihadi propagandists open another avenue of reaching new audiences. However, the influence of music varies significantly from person to person, due to variations in individual preferences as well as situational factors. But a skilled propagandist can leverage music to communicate in was that both create and facilitate deeper levels of social engagement and involvement. For instance, when music ‘hooks’ its listener with a melody, the underlying message can be repeated and rehearsed. To the extent that such messages connect with their intended audience, they can widely shared through social networks. Therefore, in the context of radicalization and recruiting, music may be especially valuable to the extent that messages that can be repeated, remembered, and realized.
Some recent examples of music being used in the context of recruiting and radicalization include the rap videos created by Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, (Omar Hammami) an American jihadist based in Somalia who is affiliated with Al-Shabaab. Another example that indirectly links to terrorist groups and that garnered a significant amount of media attention (including a guest appearance in Bill Maher’s movie “Religulous”) was Fun-Da-Mental, a British act fronted by Aki Nawaz. The All is War album included songs that discussed bomb construction and suicide bombers (“Cookbook”).
Some light at the end of the tunnel
We need to harness the potential of countervailing messages that speak unequivocally against violence and intolerance as exemplified by Salman Ahmad who advocates for the use of rock and roll as way to counter violent jihadis. Music can also serve as a basis for reconciliation and conflict reduction through furthering intergroup dialogue. In fact, common musical preferences and participatory activities is a promising method of fostering positive intergroup exchanges.
The available evidence suggests that music is being used to recruit young jihadis, mobilize supporters, and inspire greater involvement in the global jihadist movement. However, the extent or effectiveness of music in this capacity is not well understood. But because music serves a potentially important role on the radicalization and recruitment side of terrorism, it may provide a point for leverage in efforts to counter violent extremism going forward.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dangerous-minds/201206/the-music-terrorism
