Militant Imagery Project

The use of propaganda and imagery by terrorist groups has long been an understudied dimension of the broader field of political violence. This project explores the use of imagery and visual themes by militant groups, focusing largely on jihadist media production. Jihadist organizations and individuals inspired by their message are prolific producers and distributors of visual propaganda, and their efforts have expanded exponentially online. However, these images frequently utilize themes which can be inscrutable to those not familiar with the sub-culture. It is our hope that this project will provide academics, practitioners, and students with a basic contextual understanding of the ideas these images convey before they turn to the larger questions of why they are employed, how they work, and what responses they may elicit.

The First Edition of this project was completed in 2006. The second phase (2010-2013) included indexing the project’s initial images, expanding and incorporating new images, and putting all of the images online in a searchable format. Particular attention was given to groups who use images to further financial, material, and ideological support for violence. The imagery dataset provides not just a textual analysis, but also full translation, if texts are part of the image, and a search engine for those interested in specific visual motifs. While by no means an exhaustive list, we feel it provides a sample of the most influential and prominent images and themes. We hope it will serve as a useful tool for practitioners, academics and the general public. Contingent upon funding and interest, we hope to update the dataset to highlight visual themes of additional militant groups in the future.

Video Capture from Series on Battle of Fallujah
The image’s caption reads: “al-isdar al-khamis” (“the fifth production/installment”). This image points to a video file featuring the bloody fight...
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Nawa-i-Afghan Jihad Cover (July 2010)
The image is the cover of the July 2010 issue of the magazine Nawa-i-Afghan Jihad. It features a map of...
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Nawa-i-Afghan Jihad Cover (February 2011)
The image is the cover of the February 2011 issue of the magazine Nawa-i-Afghan Jihad. The horse and rider motif...
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Cover of Jihadist Translation of “FBI” Documents
The image is the cover of a file translated from English into Arabic. The title reads: “Tips on personal security...
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Image of AQAP Leaders
The image was taken from a video recording of a strategy meeting held by the leaders of al-Qa’ida in the...
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Image Extolling Taliban
The dominant feature of the image is the face of the warrior, which is accompanied by the caption: “al-taliban-wajh wahid”...
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Image Commemorating Salim Muhammad Abu Zubayda
While participating in jihad gives a jihadist important religious credibility, death in battle provides immortality, as the deceased is ranked...
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Image Commemorating Mahmud Fayiq Abu al-Haj
While participating in jihad gives a jihadist important religious credibility, death in battle provides immortality, as the deceased is ranked...
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