TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Using culture and psychology to counter the Taliban's violent narratives
JO  - International review of psychiatry
A1  - Aggarwal, Neil Krishan
SP  - 313
EP  - 319
VL  - 29
IS  - 4
N2  - Scholars, politicians, and policy-makers have increasingly pointed to the role of narratives in recruiting militants and justifying violence, highlighting the need for counter-narratives that promote peace. However, few have offered concrete guidelines on how to construct counter-narratives. This exploratory study uses prototype theory from social psychology to analyse Taliban narratives written in Arabic on the historical figure Maḥmūd of Ghaznī (971-1030), who is portrayed as a figure worthy of emulation. Key themes emerge from the Taliban's narratives: potential ingroup members are defined as Sunni Muslims who are committed to jihad; deviant Muslims must become Sunnis; non-Muslims must be converted and humiliated; and Taliban leaders should emulate Maḥmūd of Ghaznī's attributes. Contrasting the Taliban's narratives of Maḥmūd of Ghaznī with the historical record reveals themes that are culled empirically around which counter-narratives could be constructed.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0954-0261
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2017.1343530
ID  - ref1
ER  -