Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth
This paper examines the phenomenon of digital content creation triggering sectarianism, polarization and framing of radical narratives on social media. The radicals twist mainstream Islamic constructs through skewed interpretations to spread hatred and violence. The extremist and exclusivist narratives built on Takfeeri and Khawariji footprints, are stepping stone of an ideological pyramid leading to terrorism, attracting backlash and endangering sovereignty. The paper answers the question that how radical narratives are formed and calibrated with audience sentiments and circumstances, through specialized communication skills, deploying religious symbolism, charisma, oratory, semantics, jargons, and logic, engulfed in deceptive interpretive techniques to influence. AI(Algorithms) works as catalyst in creating a strange ecosystem of digital terrorism fueling violence, threatening harmony and stability. The tailored conceptual model, apply mixed methods, discourse and narrative analysis to discern themes, hypothesize and find correlation between variables in suggesting measures to curb virtual radicalization in chaotic-socio and geo-political environment.
-
Radicalization, Extremism, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Terrorism, Cyber Indoctrination, Narrative Building, Sectarianism, Psychological warfare
-
(1) M. Yunas Khan
Ph.D (Peace and Conflict Studies), Center for International Peace and Stability (CIPS), National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan. Criminologist, Public Sector Organization, Pakistan.
(2) Mubasshar Hassan Jafri
Ph.D (Peace and Conflict Studies), Peace and Conflict Studies, Center for International Peace and Stability (CIPS), National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Cite this article
-
APA : Khan, M. Y., & Jafri, M. H. (2025). Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth. Global Political Review, X(I), 119-137. https://doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2025(X-I).10
-
CHICAGO : Khan, M. Yunas, and Mubasshar Hassan Jafri. 2025. "Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth." Global Political Review, X (I): 119-137 doi: 10.31703/gpr.2025(X-I).10
-
HARVARD : KHAN, M. Y. & JAFRI, M. H. 2025. Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth. Global Political Review, X, 119-137.
-
MHRA : Khan, M. Yunas, and Mubasshar Hassan Jafri. 2025. "Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth." Global Political Review, X: 119-137
-
MLA : Khan, M. Yunas, and Mubasshar Hassan Jafri. "Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth." Global Political Review, X.I (2025): 119-137 Print.
-
OXFORD : Khan, M. Yunas and Jafri, Mubasshar Hassan (2025), "Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth", Global Political Review, X (I), 119-137
-
TURABIAN : Khan, M. Yunas, and Mubasshar Hassan Jafri. "Analysis of Online Religious Narratives and the Role of Social Media in Radicalization of Pakistan's Youth." Global Political Review X, no. I (2025): 119-137. https://doi.org/10.31703/gpr.2025(X-I).10