ISSN 1712-8358[Print] ISSN 1923-6700[Online] www.cscanada.net www.cscanada.org Cross-Cultural Communication Vol. 12, No. 2, 2016, pp. 18-24 DOI:10.3968/8183 18 Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture Dai’Shi (ISIS) Discourse in Arab Societies and the Emigration of Eastern Christians Jamal Al Shalabi [a],* ; Ali Al-Shra [b] [a] Professor of Political Science, Program of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan. [b] Associate Professor of Political Science, Bayt Al-Hikma for Political Science, Al Albayt University, Mafraq, Jordan. * Corresponding author. Received 16 November 2015; accepted 10 January 2016 Published online 26 February 2016 Abstract Arab societies are suffering, since the events of the so- called “Arab Spring” 2011, a condition of conflict, terrorism, and instability. All the foregoing has produced a state of extremism towards the Christians of the Arab East as an essential component of Arab societies, thereby causing their exodus outside their countries, whether Iraq or Syria. The question presents itself: Are the events of the Arab Spring responsible for the exodus of the Christians of the East? Or is the matter related to the religious discourse and the school curricula which inculcate in the minds of students and youth what makes them reach this state of violence and extremism towards the other? The study has concluded that extremism and violence are a direct consequence of the official discourse, whether in the mosque, or school, alongside encouragement or at least a tacit acceptance by the Arab political regimes of those forms of conduct which may be utilized as a “religious card” to obtain internal political legitimacy on the one hand, while highlighting their role as a “protector” of religious and ethnic minorities on the other. Key words: Da’ishi discourse; Arab societies; Emigration; Eastern Christians; Political violence Al Shalabi, J., & Al-Shra, A. (2016). Dai’Shi (ISIS) Discourse in Arab Societies and the Emigration of Eastern Christians. Cross-Cultural Communication, 12 (2), 18-24. Available from: http//www.cscanada.net/index.php/ccc/article/view/8183 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/8183 INTRODUCTION “Terrorism can only exist in a propitious climate” Mohammad Hassanein Heykal Unfortunately, the states of the Middle East in the shadow of what is termed the “Arab Spring” in 2011 have deteriorated from being weak and fragile states into failed states; that is they changed from being states that are incapable of effectively mustering their geopolitical and social realities into states in which minorities are in conflict with the majorities on ethnic, religious and linguistic bases. In reality, it is sufficient to consider what happened- and is happening- in Syria, Libya and Yemen, and shortly before that in Iraq and Sudan to substantiate this hypothesis or assumption. It appears that the elements most gravely affected by this difficult and painful reality are the Christians of the East, particularly in Iraq and Syria, who have begun to be exposed to a rampant wave of violence, terrorism and displacement which the Arab east has not witnessed since long centuries ago, especially in the wake of the advent of the so called Da’ish Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in 2013 (ISIS); in effect the Christians have been victim as a result of the actions of this organization and others to all forms of terrorism such as decapitation, sale of women and children, payment of the jizya poll tax, forcible displacement and otherwise. The questions that may present themselves, presently, are: why has the Arab World reached this unprecedented stage where the discourse of extremism and terrorism prevails “Da’ishization”? And what is the role of education- as a paradigm- in augmenting “Da’ishization” in the Arab World? Moreover, what is the “price” being paid by Christian minorities in the Arab East in consequence of the Dai’shization discourse in the Middle East?