September 11th memes

A new generation of Salafi-jihadists who use memes to celebrate the 9/11 attacks

The article highlights how Salafi-jihadist networks on social media have actively used memes to celebrate the 9/11 attacks and mock the United States. It also describes how the aesthetics of these networks have changed over time and how counter-terrorism efforts are challenged by the sophisticated use of digital platforms by extremist groups.

The 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks has become a rite of passage for Salafi-jihadist networks on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Telegram. These online networks dedicated to sharing content related to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have turned the anniversary of the largest terrorist attack in the United States into a spectacle on social media. Shared 9/11 memes have allowed for mocking of the United States, its military and intelligence establishment, as well as Muslims who condemned the attacks.

Salafi-jihadist communities, particularly those supporting al-Qaeda, use 9/11 as a fundamental element in their online propaganda within the extremist ecosystem. However, there have been significant changes in the behavior, aesthetics, and tactics of these communities to communicate the importance of the event. Although online Islamic State groups similarly venerate the attacks, their focus is typically more attenuated compared to the discussion of the growth of the so-called "caliphate." Ultimately, 9/11 is important for both groups, but the priorities and objectives of the two communities are different.

Salafi-jihadist networks, both supporters of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, have actively changed the way they venerate the 9/11 attacks. Today, these networks use multilingual memes built on characters made famous in '‘chan‘ culture, combining the use of official al-Qaeda and Islamic State content with the international far-right aesthetics.

Keywords: “Happy11/09”

The type of content that falls under this group typically Gigachad video-memes of the World Trade Center towers, Soy Boy Face video-memes of the World Trade Center, and fashwave and “Dark Foreigner” aesthetics to celebrate ideologues and the ideology of the attacks.

Patrick Gordon MacDonald, the Canadian graphic designer affiliated with the neo-Nazi accelerationist group Atomwaffen Division,, popularized the dark design known as "Dark Foreigner." However, MacDonald was arrested and charged with terrorism in July 2023.

In summary, the use of multilingual memes and aesthetics from the international far-right to celebrate the 9/11 attacks represents a significant shift in Salafi-jihadist networks' the approach towards 9/11 commemorations.

Official networks and their outreach strategies, linked to a range of Salafi-jihadist groups, have often commemorated the attacks as an integral part of their strategies, consistently using the anniversary as a reference point. However, like everything on the internet, this content and its main message have also merged with other digital communities engaged not only in supporting Salafi-jihadist causes, but also in other online subcultures.

Based on monitoring of the network supporting al-Qaeda on Facebook, EIA has detected the development of a meme contest on 9/11, which included undisclosed prizes for the most shared meme. Facebook groups and public pages, which are linked to both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, have actively shared many of these memes. One example is “The Clanging of the Memes”, which inspired the Islamic State's video series “The Clanging of the Swords“.

Ultimately, the efforts of anti-terrorism organizations to counter Salafi-jihadist propaganda on social media continue to be challenged by the increasingly sophisticated use of digital platforms by extremist groups. While anti-terrorism organizations work to identify and remove extremist content from social media, these extremist groups continue to find ways to adapt and spread their propaganda online.

A broader community of online actors

By monitoring the content related to 9/11 published by Salafi-jihadist communities on Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram, a distinction is evident between accounts that promote official content and those that incorporate a variety of aesthetics from different internet subcultures. This change can be attributed to several factors, but mainly to the growth of a younger generation of online supporters who feel comfortable using trolling content from different platforms and online communities, as well as official content from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The new generation of Salafi-jihadist supporters, growing up in a world where the events of 9/11 were a turning point, has led to a noticeable change in the aesthetics, context, and composition of their content. These supporters are able to break away from the traditional content of their predecessors, enriching them with the continuous development of web counter-culture content. In this way, they are able to create a more convincing impact and distinguish themselves from previous models.

Massimo Cozzolino