Plebeian Jihadism in Denmark: An Individualisation and Popularization Predating the Growth of the Islamic State

Already before the Islamic State’s conquests in Syria and Iraq, a plebeian version of jihadism was developing in Denmark. This version resonates particularly well with the Islamic State’s version, in some ways resembling it, indicating that the group is not so much creating something new as it is capturing a Zeitgeist, channelling already existing energies in its direction. This perspective allows us to view the group’s mobilization in Denmark in a new light, which has implications for how to best respond to it, and it reminds us that a military defeat of the Islamic State is unlikely to end all contemporary challenges posed by jihadism.