Hijrah: Answering To The Call Of The Caliphate: Analysis of European Muslim women’s migration to Syria to join ISIS

Sabater Zamora, Laura

4. term

Development and International Relations, Master

2016

2016-08-03

83

Denne afhandling undersøger, hvorfor nogle europæiske muslimske kvinder forlod deres hjemlande for at slutte sig til ISIS i Syrien og Irak, og hvordan de blev radikaliseret, før de besluttede at foretage hijrah (migration). Feltet er underbelyst, og studiet opbygger derfor en sammenhængende ramme, der kombinerer Frame Theory inden for Social Movement Theory (hvordan fortællinger indrammer problemer og motiverer handling), det sociologiske begreb om dobbelt kulturel alteritet (at stå mellem to kulturer og føle sig som “den anden”), samt push- og pull-faktorer (kræfter der skubber væk, og tiltrækninger der trækker til). Denne ramme understøtter en både kvantitativ og kvalitativ indholdsanalyse af opslag fra europæiske muslimske kvinder, der bor i Syrien, med fokus på deres begrundelser for migration og den måde, de henvender sig til andre muslimer. Resultaterne viser, at kvinderne ofte angiver rejsen som en religiøs pligt og en mulighed for at leve under shariabaseret styre. De nævner også andre incitamenter, som det såkaldte kalifat tilbød, herunder økonomisk sikkerhed og følelsen af at høre til i et fællesskab. Klager over Vesten, såsom diskrimination eller forfølgelse af muslimer, blev nævnt sjældnere. Selvom opslagene ikke kun handlede om migration, var mange af dem, der gjorde, rettet mod at rekruttere andre kvinder, og de pegede på et uformelt rekrutteringsnetværk, hvor nogle kvinder tilbød information og hjælp. Samlet set tyder studiet på, at disse kvinder gennemgik en proces med voldelig radikalisering i sociale miljøer—højst sandsynligt via sociale medier—inden de rejste. Denne proces førte dem til at tro, at det var obligatorisk at tage til Syrien som den eneste måde at praktisere “ægte” islam og opnå frelse.

This thesis explores why some European Muslim women left their home countries to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and how they were radicalized before deciding to make hijrah (migration). Addressing an under-researched field, the study builds a coherent framework that combines Frame Theory within Social Movement Theory (how narratives define problems and motivate action), the sociological idea of dual cultural alterity (being positioned between two cultures), and push–pull factors (pressures that push people away and attractions that pull them elsewhere). This framework guided a mixed content analysis—both quantitative and qualitative—of posts written by European Muslim women living in Syria, focusing on their stated motives and how they addressed other Muslim audiences. The analysis found that many women claimed they went because it was a religious obligation and an opportunity to live under Sharia-based governance. They also cited other incentives the so-called Caliphate offered, such as financial security and a sense of community. Grievances about the West, including discrimination or persecution of Muslims, appeared less often. Although the posts covered more than migration, many migration-related posts sought to recruit other women and pointed to an informal recruitment network where some women provided information and help. Overall, the study indicates that these women underwent a process of violent radicalization in social settings—most likely through social media—before leaving. This process led them to believe that going to Syria was mandatory and the only way to practice “real” Islam and attain salvation.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

ISIS ; Islamic State ; Migration ; Female Muslims

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Sabater Zamora, Laura:

• Hijrah: Answering To The Call Of The Caliphate: Analysis of European Muslim women’s migration to Syria to join ISIS (2016)