From Pulpit to Pixel: Extremist Persuasion in the Digital Age

The specter of Islamic extremism continues to cast a long shadow over global security. This research is content analysis and delves into the potent persuasiveness of extremist discourse, focusing on the pronouncements of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, former leader of the Islamic State (ISIS). Through a detailed analysis of Baghdadi's speeches and letters, the study uncovers a potent cocktail of persuasive rhetoric and religious manipulation. His skillful weaving of Quranic verses into narratives of grandeur and utopian promises resonated deeply with a segment of Muslim youth. Despite ISIS's ultimate failure to establish a global caliphate, the allure of its ideology persists. 
To analyze Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's persuasive strategies effectively, i uosed a valuable framework is the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) developed by Petty and Cacioppo in 1986. ELM outlines two primary routes to persuasion:  Central Route wich relies on logical reasoning and evidence.And Peripheral Route wich leverages emotional appeals and simplistic narratives. Al-Baghdadi predominantly employs the peripheral route, utilizing vivid imagery, emotional language, and simplistic promises of grandeur to resonate with vulnerable individuals. By focusing on emotional appeals rather than logical argumentation, he effectively bypasses critical thinking, swaying his audience, especially those susceptible to extremist ideologies. Also, I applied Another valuable framework is the Construal Level Theory (CLT), proposed by Trope and Liberman in 2010. CLT centers on how psychological distance influences the level of abstraction in information processing. Al-Baghdadi exploits this theory by emphasizing abstract concepts like "jihad" and "caliphate," which distances his audience from the real-world implications of his words. This high-level and simplistic messaging hinders critical thinking, discouraging the audience from questioning the underlying motivations and consequences of his extremist ideologies. Baghdadi's speech strategically employed ELM and CLT principles to influence his audience. He succeeded in convincing thousands of people around the world who are still blowing themselves up under the banner of this terrorist organization, despite the killing of Al-Baghdadi years ago.