The specifics of the representation of Islamic movements in modern media: between religious content and political agenda.

The subject of the research is the media communication analysis of representations of various branches of Islam – Sunni, Salafism, Kharijitism, Shiism, and Islamic modernism – in the contemporary Russian and international media. The work focuses on how the media and digital platforms shape stable symbolic images of Islamic trends, often relying on binary oppositions such as "traditional / radical," "moderate / extremist," and "acceptable / threatening." The analysis centers on both correct and distorted interpretations of theological content that arise from the blending of concepts and a lack of theological expertise in the media. Examples are analyzed from secular, religious, and analytical sources, including Russian Islamic websites, Western news resources, and social media publications. This discursive mixing dilutes fundamental doctrinal and historical differences among these traditions, leading the audience to have a distorted perception of their theological nature and relationships within the Islamic ummah. The study views the media not only as conveyors of information but also as active constructors of religious images that shape public perception of Islam. The methodological framework includes an author's adaptation of discourse analysis, a media semiotic approach, comparative analysis, and content analysis. These methods have been applied to study textual, visual, and symbolic codes in the media and digital platforms, revealing the characteristics of framing Islamic trends in the political and informational context. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development of a typology of media representations of Islamic movements, taking into account political-ideological contexts, clarifying the status of Sufism as an object of media interpretation, and differentiating the concepts of "Sunni," "Salafism," and "Kharijitism." The importance of distinguishing between orthodox Sunni Islam and Kharijitism is particularly emphasized, as they are often conflated in media discourse, leading to a distortion of the theological picture of Islam. A comprehensive media communication analysis is proposed for the first time, combining religious studies and political-semiotic approaches. The findings of the study show that the media not only transmit religious themes but also construct images of Islamic movements, often distorting their dogmatic content, which contributes to the politicization of religious discourse. The necessity of media literacy and theological expertise for the correct interpretation of Islamic teachings in the public space is emphasized.

Islam, Sunnism, Kharijism, Salafism, Wahhabism, Sufism, Islamic modernism, Shiism, Wilayat al-Faqih, politicization of religion.