Addressing the schizophrenia of global Jihad

Abstract

This paper deploys Deleuze and Guattari's AntiOedipus to critique discourses on radicalisation that call for a ‘public diplomacy’ to challenge a Jihadi meta-narrative or core identity. It argues that the Global Jihad should be reconceptualised as schizophrenic inasmuch as it is made up of a multiplicity of groups, aims, values, rationales and identities. The paper seeks to develop the utility of Deleuze and Guattari's philosophy for bridging critical and traditional terrorism studies by arguing that their schizoanalysis is a helpful aid to reassessing dominant identitarian conceptual frameworks for Jihad, and offers directions for reformulating our responses to radicalisation.

Keywords:

• radicalisation
• public diplomacy
• mass mobilisation
• Jihad
• Schizoanalysis
• schizophrenia
• complexity
• radicals
• radicalism
• Deleuze and Guattari
• AntiOedipus
• identity

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are due to Julian Reid for his advice on early versions of this paper, and to the three anonymous reviewers. The article and any errors contained therein remain the author's responsibility alone.