A Study on the Role of the Media and its Effect on the Identity of Muslims (Part 22)
The Role of Propaganda in Psychological Warfare
Today, we live in the age of communication. An era whose distinct characteristic is the effort to increase and promote public beliefs. The era in which the distance and length between different parts of the planet has been diminished by the invention and expansion of satellite, computer, and internet networks. It is possible to go from one side of the globe to another by using the facilities of computer networks. For this reason, many superpowers have reached out to the media to achieve their political, cultural, and social goals, using the best means available to ignite the fire of psychological warfare to disturb the public mind.
In the Holy Quran, the methods of psychological warfare employed by the enemies of Islam against the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, are mentioned. Some of these methods include inciting uproar, repeating and promoting stories and myths, creating greed and division, spreading rumors, claiming that the Holy Prophet is an angel, and labeling him with unjustified accusations.
In psychological warfare, or what is called soft war today, the enemy targets spiritual strongholds to destroy their foundations. When the enemy is unable to take action in the physical realm, they initiate a psychological war to discourage the masses and attempt to disturb their peace of mind.
Psychological warfare, the invisible weapon effectively used by great powers both in the international arena (e.g., the Cold War) and in military battles, has been less discussed and investigated in third-world countries, and its nuances have not been fully revealed. While everyone agrees on the point that “psychological warfare is one of the effective means of consolidating and perpetuating power,” there are no clear and regular views on what this tool of power is and how it can be employed.
The most optimistic view considers psychological warfare as a magical tool that can replace physical warfare, whereas the most pessimistic view regards it as nothing more than a collection of meaningless movements and behaviors invented by officials and specialists in propaganda for their own entertainment.
Humanity has long been familiar with the impact of psychological warfare and its applications in various aspects of life, particularly in war and politics. Techniques such as chanting and using military strategies in warfare or deceiving rivals in politics appear in almost all historical and political texts.
The arrival of new means of mass communication—the ability to transmit political and military news through radio, television, and satellite to people worldwide—has contributed to the influential role of psychological warfare as one of the most important levers of national and military power. In the 21st century, perhaps the most accessible and least costly means of exercising power in the international arena is this channel of information and propaganda.
Definition of Propaganda
Propaganda has various definitions due to its wide range and different forms. Terrence Coulter states:
“Propaganda means a deliberate attempt by some people or groups using communication tools to control, shape, or change the attitudes of people in other groups. Their goal is to influence their reactions in a specific situation that is favorable to the advertiser.” (Halti KG, 1372).
Definition of Psychological Warfare
Many individuals who have written about this topic, or who even participated in designing psychological warfare, have not provided a precise definition. Some consider it exclusive to negative propaganda against the enemy during wartime, while others extend the concept to peacetime, introducing terms such as cold war and political war. However, it’s worth noting that political war or cold war occurs between governments, whereas psychological warfare is waged against nations; it can be viewed as a complement to military warfare in times of war and as strategic war or cultural invasion during peacetime.
From an Islamic perspective, all actions that involve moral and ethical prohibitions are considered reprehensible, and such methods should not be used in psychological warfare. Therefore, waging warfare using non-Islamic methods is not only disapproved of by Islam but is actively opposed, with efforts made to prevent such methods from being utilized in society. Western societies do not adhere to any ethics regarding psychological warfare, and employing such tactics is akin to hunting in a lawless forest.
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