Islamiska Staten och ikonoklasm : En studie om IS motiv och måltavlor vid förstörelsen av historiska, religiösa och kulturella arv

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this essay has been to find an explanation for the destruction of different cultural and historical heritage sites and objects by the Islamic State. The study was made by applying theories of cosmic war and terrorism motivated with religious language on the Islamic State magazine Dabiq. The results from Dabiq showed that the Islamic State use a religious language to sanction their destruction. They claim that they are fighting for an Islamic identity, a divine struggle that can’t be lost. Their long term mission is to reinstate the historic caliphate of Islam. To do this they need to destroy all kinds of objects that defy their extreme form of Islam. These objects are seen as images of idolatry and an expression of nationalist agenda, which undermines Allah and the mission of the Islamic State.