Analysis of “ISIS Discourse” in “The Bird Tattoo” Novel Based on Laclau and Mouffe’s Theory of Critical Discourse Analysis

Ansari, Narges; Sadegh Naghdeali, Leila

doi:10.22059/jalit.2022.346172.612567

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jalit.2022.346172.612567

Abstract

It has been about a decade that the apparently Islamic government of Iraq and Syria known as “ISIS” has played a role in Iraq. By forming a government, ISIS has tried to reconstruct the society and promote its own special discourse. Since the rise of any movement and phenomenon is manifested in literary realism, which represents social truth and life, the effect of ISIS on literary fiction in Iraq, the target point of this movement’s activism, is considerable. The main purpose of this study is to identify the discourse elements of ISIS, define Nodal point, floating signifier, empty signifier, foregrounding and marginalization and determine the articulation of its discourse in “the Bird Tattoo” novel by “Dunya Mikhail” based on analytical-descriptive method and with reference to discourse analysis model by Laclau and Mouffe. This method has an immense capacity to define social-political phenomena. The results show that ISIS political basis which grounds in accepting “self” (foregrounding) and rejecting “other” (marginalizing Christians, Jews and Iraqi Yazidis) marginalizes every person, group or organization which is not in line with its ideology and accuses them of disobeying and rioting. ISIS is an ideological organization based on Takfiri thought and beliefs, and to fight this organization, besides face-to-face war, it’s thought system should be confronted. To realize central signifier of ISIS discourse, which is establishing “Islamic Caliphate”, floating signifier (Jihad, Takfir of “other”, Sharia and Hejira) helps its articulation so that the empty signifier of this discourse (establishing justice and equality, building dignity and dominating the world), which is also its metaphoric and mythicizing aspect, realizes

Keywords

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Analysis of “ISIS Discourse” in “The Bird Tattoo” Novel Based on Laclau and Mouffe’s Theory of Critical Discourse Analysis

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Volume 16, Issue 1 - Serial Number 39March 2024Pages 1-22

Volume 16, Issue 1 - Serial Number 39
March 2024
Pages 1-22