ISIS has brought terrorist propaganda to a new level, targeting its main audiences in nearly two dozen
languages with up to 90,000 tweets every day. Governments have generally been at a loss as how to
counter the ISIS narrative with persuasive counter-arguments to reduce its attraction for rebellious
Muslim youths in Western diasporas and Muslim-majority countries. At the core of ISIS’ narrative are
themes familiar to most Muslims. ISIS has appropriated and instrumentalised them for its main purpose:
to expand the Caliphate proclaimed in mid-2014. In this Research Paper, Dr. Alex Schmid identifies a
dozen narrative themes of ISIS and discusses them from theological, historical and other angles in an
attempt to show vulnerabilities and point the way towards developing convincing counter-arguments.
While the potential of this approach is demonstrated, Dr. Schmid argues that a concerted and systematic
approach, based on synergetic, inter-disciplinary teamwork, is required to develop successful counternarratives
and that these need to be tested on audiences with a cultural affinity to ISIS main target
groups before being utilised by credible Muslim voices who wish to engage terrorist ideologues and their
potential followers with rational and faith-based arguments. The Research Paper concludes with the
observation that developing counter-narratives, while necessary, is not enough. It is even more necessary
to develop credible alternative narratives – narratives that can give a new sense of purpose, meaning and
hope to those who feel that they have no future in their and our societies.