Jihadist Identity in Two Holy Defense Novels

In social and cultural studies, jihadist identity is considered a new concept and in the field of international and regional conflicts, it is one of the most used concepts. This identity has found place in literary matters, especially in novels, to the extent that in the last decades, it has been the theme of most Holy Defense novels. The important question is what achievements the culture of jihadist identity has transferred to the audience in this genre. Jihadist identity is one of the most essential needs of an independent society that if realized, attacking that country would be a fruitless effort. Using Ernesto Laclau’s discourse method, the present study seeks to achieve a content analysis of the characteristics of jihadist identity in the two novels ‘The Beheaded Palms’, and ‘The Burned Earth’. In this method, the reader is shown a solid link between components such as courage, resistance, sacrifice, and the spirit of martyrdom, which has been inspired by religious beliefs. Such a study, in addition to reflecting the non-wise beliefs of negative characters, can make the audience more familiar with the lifestyle and jihadist culture of the fighters. The findings of this research show that the achievements of the novels have been resistance against the Ba'ath party as our enemy, regaining occupied cities, and the establishment of security and independence of the country, considering the charisma and positive spirit of the character in the story that is against invasion. Therefore, such an identity has prepared the mind of the audience to defend the borders of Islamic Iran.