As in many cultures, weather phenomena are seen in Islam as an act of God. Their appearance in jihadi visual propaganda is used to evoke notions of divine power, wrath and justice, and remind the audience of God’s total inscrutability prior to creation. By using such symbols, jihadi groups are able to represent themselves and their cause as instruments of divine will and power, as the symbols imply hope, calm and the salvation that will come after the storm. In addition, the symbols warn the enemy of the consequences of God’s wrath. Here, the black cloud/tornado is a sign of divine wrath. The caption reads: “jami‘ al-i‘sar al-islami al-qadim min ard alrafidayn” (“JAMI [Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance] is the Islamic storm that is coming from Iraq”).
