The Epistemic Modes of Muqtada al-Sadr’s Charisma Production on Hybrid Media

What is it about?

Muqtada al-Sadr is a powerful religious populist leader in Iraq who can motivate his followers into different forms of political action through a call to action. At the heart of this power is his charisma._x000D_ _x000D_ This article looks at how we can come to understand his charisma and its make-up. It also explores how such charisma is produced on hybrid media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube by videos posted by himself and even his own followers. _x000D_ _x000D_ To do this, the article puts forward an understanding of Muqtada al-Sadr's charisma as an affective bond between himself and his followers, premised upon the latter's recognition of him as a symbol of legitimacy, hope, and authenticity. When his followers recognise him as embodying these perceptions, they start to invest 'absolute trust' in his leadership. Such trust then grants Muqtada with the charismatic status that helps him bring millions of Iraqis onto the streets through his calls to action. _x000D_ _x000D_ By engaging in this research's aims, the affective bond renders visible how everyday online communicative and interpretive practices transform Sadri hybrid media into a space whereby performance, culture, stories, narratives, structural circumstances, and religio-populist identity, intersect to produce Muqtada’s charisma through audiovisual materials. _x000D_

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