Jihad satire
Encyclopedia
A Jihad satire falls within the tradition of political satire
and can refer to a work of art that satirizes the idea of violent jihad
. It can also refer to the theory that satirizing violent jihadis with the objective of making them figures of ridicule can be an effective means of defusing jihad.
and the film Four Lions
are works of art that satirize jihadis. The Australian
describes Four Lions as "a satire on Islamic jihadism and its murderous ambitions." The satirical Jihad! The Musical featured a hero who cheerfully sang, "I wanna be like Osama, I wanna bomb a path to fame across the Earth. People may abhor me but by God, they won't ignore me, When the CIA determines what I'm worth."
Comedian Jeff Dunham
's puppet character "Achmed the dead terrorist" is a popular example of jihad satire in the United States. Achmed is a puppet who shouts, "Silence, I kill you!" whenever the audience laughs at something that offends his sensibilities. Dunham explains that he portrays Achmed as incompetent so that when the audience realise that the character is "a bumbling idiot with problems in life", they appreciate that he is human.
has written, "If there were a bit of humor in the Middle East, I think that there might not be so much fanaticism. Humor can be a counter to the environment that breeds fanaticism and terrorism."
According to Psychology Today
, humor is the most powerful tool to prevent individuals from becoming Islamic suicide bombers, however, to be effective, the humor has to come from within the Muslim community and it has to be “aimed at the culture's sacred values.” According to psychologist Molly Castelloe Fong, “Humor has the potential to gradually, over time, alter what it means to be a heroic martyr in the mind of extremist groups.”
Agence France-Presse
has reported that “Satire and ridicule can help win the fight against Al-Qaeda by stripping it of its glamour and mystique.”
The Demos
group, a think tank in the United Kingdom, is among the academic institutions that have suggested that satire can be an effective tool in undermining support for violent jihad. According to some terrorism experts, successful recruitment for violent jihad depends upon convincing potential recruits that jihadis are "pious warriors of God." They postulate that by "highlighting their incompetence, their moral failings, and their embarrassing antics," it may be possible to "undermine" support for violent jihadi organizations including Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Researchers for Britain’s Demos think tank recommend satire as a means of undermining the popularity of violent jihad, noting that “satire has long been recognised as a powerful tool to undermine the popularity
of social movements: both the Ku Klux Klan and the British
Fascist party in the 1930s were seriously harmed by
sustained satire.”
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
and can refer to a work of art that satirizes the idea of violent jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
. It can also refer to the theory that satirizing violent jihadis with the objective of making them figures of ridicule can be an effective means of defusing jihad.
As art
The musical comedy Jihad! The MusicalJihad! The Musical
Jihad! The Musical is a musical comedy and jihad satire.The show premiered at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and had a London run at the Jermyn Street Theatre in January 2010.-External links:...
and the film Four Lions
Four Lions
Four Lions is a 2010 British satirical comedy film. It is the debut feature from director Chris Morris, written by Morris, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong. The film is a jihad satire following a group of homegrown Islamist terrorist jihadis from Sheffield, England.-Plot:A group of young Muslim men...
are works of art that satirize jihadis. The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
describes Four Lions as "a satire on Islamic jihadism and its murderous ambitions." The satirical Jihad! The Musical featured a hero who cheerfully sang, "I wanna be like Osama, I wanna bomb a path to fame across the Earth. People may abhor me but by God, they won't ignore me, When the CIA determines what I'm worth."
Comedian Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham
Jeff Dunham is an American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Comedy Central Presents, The Tonight Show and Sonny With a Chance...
's puppet character "Achmed the dead terrorist" is a popular example of jihad satire in the United States. Achmed is a puppet who shouts, "Silence, I kill you!" whenever the audience laughs at something that offends his sensibilities. Dunham explains that he portrays Achmed as incompetent so that when the audience realise that the character is "a bumbling idiot with problems in life", they appreciate that he is human.
As healing
Mental health professionals argue that humor and satire can alleviate the mental health impact of terror attacks, helping to heal the survivors of terror attacks and rescue personnel suffering the consequences of exposure to the horrors of deliberate mass murder.As political strategy
Arab-American comedian Ray HananiaRay Hanania
Ray Hanania is an Arab-American Palestinian Christian journalist also known for his stand-up comedy. Hanania writes a syndicated column with a particular focus on the Middle East, and after the September 11 attacks, created Comedians of Middle East conflict, a comedy act with the hope of defusing...
has written, "If there were a bit of humor in the Middle East, I think that there might not be so much fanaticism. Humor can be a counter to the environment that breeds fanaticism and terrorism."
According to Psychology Today
Psychology Today
Psychology Today is a bi-monthly magazine published in the United States. It is a psychology-based magazine about relationships, health, and related topics written for a mass audience of non-psychologists. Psychology Today was founded in 1967 and features articles on such topics as love,...
, humor is the most powerful tool to prevent individuals from becoming Islamic suicide bombers, however, to be effective, the humor has to come from within the Muslim community and it has to be “aimed at the culture's sacred values.” According to psychologist Molly Castelloe Fong, “Humor has the potential to gradually, over time, alter what it means to be a heroic martyr in the mind of extremist groups.”
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
has reported that “Satire and ridicule can help win the fight against Al-Qaeda by stripping it of its glamour and mystique.”
The Demos
Demos (UK think tank)
- History :Demos was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques, and Geoff Mulgan, who became its first director. It was formed in response to what Mulgan, Jacques and others saw as a crisis in politics in Britain, with voter engagement in decline and political institutions...
group, a think tank in the United Kingdom, is among the academic institutions that have suggested that satire can be an effective tool in undermining support for violent jihad. According to some terrorism experts, successful recruitment for violent jihad depends upon convincing potential recruits that jihadis are "pious warriors of God." They postulate that by "highlighting their incompetence, their moral failings, and their embarrassing antics," it may be possible to "undermine" support for violent jihadi organizations including Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Researchers for Britain’s Demos think tank recommend satire as a means of undermining the popularity of violent jihad, noting that “satire has long been recognised as a powerful tool to undermine the popularity
of social movements: both the Ku Klux Klan and the British
Fascist party in the 1930s were seriously harmed by
sustained satire.”