Meming 9/11: A new generation of Salafi-jihadists terrorposting the September 11 attacks

The document analyzes a shift in Salafi-jihadist online propaganda, noting that while 'legacy' accounts continue to share official al-Qaeda and Islamic State media, a younger 'support' network is utilizing 'shitposting' and 'chan culture' aesthetics. These newer networks blend official terrorist content with international far-right imagery, 'gore' content, and internet trolling to mock the United States and its victims. The research identifies a 'meme pipeline' where content is developed on Telegram and distributed via Facebook and TikTok, often intersecting with neo-Nazi and accelerationist aesthetics.

• A distinction exists between 'legacy' accounts, which share official content from al-Qaeda and Islamic State outlets such as Osama bin Laden speeches and the One Ummah magazine, and 'support' accounts that aggregate non-official media and produce new content using pop culture references.
• Younger Salafi-jihadist networks have adopted 'chan culture' and international far-right aesthetics, including 'Gigachad' and 'Soy Boy Face' memes of the World Trade Center, as well as 'fashwave' and 'Dark Foreigner' designs associated with neo-Nazi accelerationism.
• The research identified a 'meme pipeline' where a Telegram channel with nearly 300 subscribers produced over 150 September 11 memes and videos, which were then linked in Facebook comments for other users to adopt.
• Salafi-jihadist support communities intersect with other violent online subcultures, such as 'gore posters' and neo-Nazis, with some Facebook groups sharing September 11 memes alongside footage of the Buffalo mass casualty attacker Payton Gendron and imagery of Adolf Hitler.

APA

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (2023). Meming 9/11: A new generation of Salafi-jihadists terrorposting the September 11 attacks. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/meming-9-11-a-new-generation-of-salafi-jihadists-terrorposting-the-september-11-attacks/

Chicago

Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Meming 9/11: A new generation of Salafi-jihadists terrorposting the September 11 attacks. 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/meming-9-11-a-new-generation-of-salafi-jihadists-terrorposting-the-september-11-attacks/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |title=Meming 9/11: A new generation of Salafi-jihadists terrorposting the September 11 attacks |date=12 September 2023 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/meming-9-11-a-new-generation-of-salafi-jihadists-terrorposting-the-september-11-attacks/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforstrategicdialogue2023meming, author = {{Institute for Strategic Dialogue}}, title = {{Meming 9/11: A new generation of Salafi-jihadists terrorposting the September 11 attacks}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/meming-9-11-a-new-generation-of-salafi-jihadists-terrorposting-the-september-11-attacks/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }