A misinfographic detailing supposed types of jihad spread from a conspiratorial Facebook page critical of Islam to the social and open web and eventually into the mainstream media when a major outlet aired a segment that included a version of the chart. Based on the evidence and pattern of activity, the amplification of the Islamophobic misinfographic was likely not an intentional campaign planned and executed by a single group, but rather the result of the media cycle, prejudice, and political adoption.
STAGE 1: Manipulation Campaign Planning and Origins
On July 31, 2015, an image entitled “Jihad: The Holy war to spread Islam,” was posted in English as a public post on a Facebook conspiracy page ostensibly focused on Indian audiences called “Boycott Halal in India.” The misinfographic exploited existing anti-Muslim prejudice (a minority identity group in India) with a conspiratorial graph categorizing different types of jihad: “soft jihad,” “secularism,” “media jihad,” “hard jihad,” “history jihad” and “economic jihad.” Each classification was accompanied by a corresponding definition: “media jihad,” for example, was defined as “[using] paid media to speak in favor of Islam.” The image carried a watermark from a now-deleted Facebook page, “Secularism ki Topi,” but little else is known about its origins.
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Source: Misinfographic: The Spread of “Jihad Chart” in India | Media Manipulation Casebook