1. There is an increasing pop-culture, and Chan-culture, vibe to the memes of Arabic-speaking supporters of Salafi-jihadist groups like #ISIS, blending Arab pop-culture, Wojacks, Marvel superheroes, Tom and Jerry, with Caliphate tropes. "Memeing the state," a thread.
2. Most of the discussion around #ISIS memes has revolved around campaigns run by fighters posing with cats and jars of Nutella from years ago. But like any sub-culture, #ISIS and Salafi-jihadist memes are ever-evolving, and now intersect with Chan-culture as much as pop-culture.
3. As of late, dedicated channels, pages and profiles just for the sharing of #ISIS memes have appeared on primary platforms. A Chan undercurrent, popularized by 4Chan and 8Chan, run through the latest nihilistic memes. Below calling for the end to God's law leads to a beheading.
4. In the ambit of these #ISIS memes are, for instance, Spongebob Squarepants advocating for a prophetic Caliphate, and Tom from Tom and Jerry, acting as a bomb defuser being blown to bits on the first try by the mines of "Daesh."
5. Supporting these are meme-videos, such as this Marvel meme knock-off, a #ISIS recruitment video for hackers to fight back against Europe and America, represented by Thanos, and Ironman, aka"Muslim youth," challenging "Europe and America" who claim they are "inevitable."
6. Salafi-jihadist meme culture will sometimes speak to a more mainstream Arab audience, such as the below using Adel Imam, the famed Egyptian actor, from his movie "The Terrorist," posing as how we see Muslims versus Christians.
7. Or use other popular Arab films and imagery to slander and mock Aymenn al-Zawahiri. Here he is being told not to prop himself as a ruler because he is more like a falafel.
8. Jihadist meme culture is evolving, just as any meme-culture is, and its irreverent, nihilistic and in more than one way an extension of the fringe internet and the mainstream. Like this John Cantile #ISIS meme, "everyone looks the same here, and the 'community' is very nice."
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