We are bombarded daily by imagery and visual representations. In a literate society, images form a reinforcement to the written word and illustrate concepts. However, in societies with low literacy or which employ foreign languages in concepts, images are paramount. This is the case with Islamic imagery.
Most Islamic followers do not speak Arabic, yet the Koran, Sira, Sura, and Hadiths are all written in a certain Arabic dialect. Translations are considered, by apologists and certain Islamic clerics, to take away from the Arabic “pureness” and are considered “inferior”. Many Islamic followers also hail from areas where literacy in general is low and literacy in Arabic is nonexistent. Thus, imagery flows through Islamic organizations as a means to identify and separate themselves.
The old axiom of “a picture tells a thousand words” is more meaningful here than almost anywhere else in the modern world.
The following is taken from a detailed report created by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. It is a research report titled “The Islamic Imagery Project“. All information taken is open sourced and free. Please look through the rest of the website for more information on various areas.
From the report’s Preface:
The study of Islamic imagery has heretofore been the exclusive domain of art historians and museum curators, with pre-modern art being the central area of interest. Thus, there is a palpable lack of information on modern imagery associated with political Islam, especially imagery that is produced by radical, and often violent, Muslim groups. Nowhere is the dearth of critical research more apparent than in the study of jihadi organizations. These organizations have had a brief but prolific history in the production and distribution of visual propaganda, and have arguably created their own distinct genre of Internet-based Islamic imagery. While the tragic events of September 11 highlighted the importance of understanding the ideology and methods of jihadi groups, the process of achieving this understanding is still at the early stages, and the remaining areas of ignorance are profound.
The current study on jihadi imagery, the first of its kind, is an important step in this process. Herein, visual propaganda is considered to be more than just a host for textual messages; rather it is treated as an expressive medium unto itself—one which communicates ideas just as effectively, and sometimes as explicitly, as the written word. We regard jihadi imagery to be a primary vehicle for the communication and diffusion of jihadi ideas, and an essential tool utilized by radical ideologues, terrorist organizations, and sympathetic propagandists, which plays to the particular religious and cultural experiences of their audience. Therefore, understanding how these images work, what ideas they convey, why they are employed, and what responses they may elicit, is vital to our struggle against the influence of jihadi organizations and the violence they create.
Crescents are VERY important in Islamic theoloical references as Islam evolved from a worship of moon dieties. The Moon is central to many Islamic images as it is a divine place. Some in Islam even call it the home of their god. A crescent moon or simply a crescent is described as follows:
The crescent moon is an important symbol of Islamic identity and may be used either as an abstract symbol or as a realistic representation of an actual moon. An abstracted moon is a more overt sign of Islamic identity than a photograph of a moon, as the abstraction evokes stronger notions of purity and religious piety.
The crescent moon can be used as an abstract symbol or as a representation of an actual moon. Both have similar meanings; however, the latter serves primarily as a symbol of Islamic identity, while also evoking notions of the divine and the afterlife. A more realistic image of the moon carries the same meaning, but it also evokes strong notions of purity and religious piety. The white crescent in the sky in the example provided below specifically alludes to the goal of martyrdom and the promise of heavenly paradise.
The green crescent, like the white crescent, carries the meaning of Islamic identity, purity, and religious piety as the white crescent; however, it is a more politicized reference to Islam. The green crescent evokes strong notions of the Prophet Muhammad, and thus further emphasizes the Islamic nature of the symbol. Because of this, the green crescent is viewed as a more overt, militantly Islamic and fundamentalist version of the crescent motif. It is an aggressively Islamic symbol, unlike the more passive white crescent.
The in-depth article goes into great detail on other imagery. I would urge those who do not understand why images are important to Islamics and the Islamofascists in particular to research the entire USMA website.