Open AccessYou Have Atomic Bombs, We Have the Martyrdom-Seekers: Ayman Al-Zawahiri’s Narrative Arc of the Martyr
Author(s) -
Tim Huffman
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
peace and conflict studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.116
H-Index - 6
ISSN - 1082-7307
DOI - 10.46743/1082-7307/2016.1299
Subject(s) - martyr , rhetoric , narrative , rhetorical question , archetype , literature , ideology , history , sociology , media studies , art , political science , law , philosophy , theology , archaeology , politics
Martyrdom has an undeniable rhetorical dimension, and part of a martyr’s voice is the manner of his or her death. However, martyrdom does not stand alone. It is contextualized and constructed by the voice of ideologues. This project looks at the spoken and written rhetoric of Ayman Al-Zawahiri, leader of al-Qaeda, and seeks to understand his descriptions, attributions, and stories about martyrs and martyrdom. An analysis of 93 statements by Zawahiri was performed to identify his overarching martyr narrative and archetype. Major findings include a taxonomy of martyr attributes and a narrative trajectory of martyrdom. While pro-USA rhetoric constructs al-Qaeda’s martyrs as radical terrorists, Zawahiri tells a tale of stalwart, pious, and simple men.