The Resurgent Jihadist Threat: A Thematic Analysis of Contemporary Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) Propaganda

Abstract

The study seeks to analyse and explain major themes present in contemporary Al-Qaeda propaganda focusing on Pakistan. Despite challenges by rival Jihadist outfits in the region, Al-Qaeda has been successful in maintaining a significant ground presence and has undergone a resurgence, primarily due to international counter terrorism efforts focused on its direct rival, ISIS. As part of this revival, Al-Qaeda announced the creation of its subcontinent affiliate, ‘Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent’ (AQIS), in 2014. Since then, AQIS has emerged as a major security threat in South Asia, with the scope of its ambitions outlined in its widely circulated online propaganda magazines. AQIS’s most recent propaganda venture, titled ‘Nawai Ghazwa-e-Hind’, is an Urdu language publication aimed at fostering local support for Al-Qaeda’s regional and global objectives. By examining how the
Pakistani state is depicted in the Nawai Ghazwa-e-Hind publication, the research argues that Al-Qaeda considers the present democratic Pakistani state to be an obstacle for its radical goals in the region. Lastly, the study outlines steps which can be
taken by concerned security departments to counter the dissemination of online jihadist propaganda.