The American flag, or parts thereof (such as the stars and stripes), are widely used in jihadi propaganda to evoke negative sentiments towards U.S. foreign policy and military campaigns. The stars and stripes are also used to color other symbols in an image, thereby linking the symbols to U.S. foreign policy and military intervention in the Muslim world. The combination of the U.S. and Israeli flags here is a political protest against close cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, and an expression of oft-repeated anti-Semitic sentiments and conspiracy theories regarding Jewish world domination.
The slogan reads: “Allahumma, thabbit aqdamihim wa-saddid ramiyihim wa-farrij karbahum wa-hammahum, wa-zalzil al-ard min tahti aqdam a‘da’ihim” (“O God, make them steadfast and make straight their aim and resolve their grievances and concerns, and rumble the earth under the feet of their enemies”). This references a number of Qur’anic texts that deal with Judgment Day and divine justice (Q 2:214, 33:11, 99:1) and echoes the diction of a prayer. However, linking these verses to Israel and the U.S. distorts their meaning, as there is no reference in them or in the context of the Qur’anic chapter where they appear to Jews or Christians.
The warrior (Usama bin Ladin) in the image is dressed in a traditional white garb, clutching a weapon. Divine judgment and justice are signaled through the juxtaposition of the image of the warrior on one side and the burning flags of the enemies on the other.
