Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS - The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held the 2830th Thesis Exam at the SPs Theater Room of UIN Jakarta on Thursday, July 30, 2026 with candidate Yahya Baidhowi.

Yahya is a student of the Master of Islamic Studies program with a concentration in Arabic Language and Literature. His thesis is entitled "The Ideology of Resistance in Abū 'Ubaydah's Speech (2023-2025): An Analysis of Teun A. van Dijk's Critical Discourse on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict". This thesis focuses on the dynamics of language and ideology in contemporary conflicts in the Middle East.

This thesis examines how public rhetoric is systematically designed. This literature research based on a qualitative approach aims to unravel how the ideology of resistance was effectively constructed in the speeches of the military spokesman during the conflict period of 2023 to 2025.

As the main study material, the primary data analyzed included Abu Ubaidah's three monumental speeches on October 8, 2023, October 7, 2024, and July 18, 2025. All speech samples were selected using purposive sampling  techniques through digital archives. The Arabic texts are then carefully transcribed and grouped based on the theme, topic, and context of the discourse that covers them to get a complete picture of the analysis.

The analytical knife used in this research is the Critical Discourse Analysis framework of the Teun A. van Dijk model. This multidimensional approach integrates three key elements at once: text structure, social cognition, and social structure. Through this combination, the text of speech is not only seen from the arrangement of the words, but also from the collective way of thinking and the power structure of the society that influences it.

The results of the study prove that Abu Ubaidah's speech is not just a battlefield report, but a political-ideological discourse practice designed to shape the mindset of a global audience. The structure of the text consistently carries the main themes of al-muqāwamah (resistance) and al-ṣumūd (constancy). The rhetorical pattern is neatly constructed, starting with a religious opening and ending with strong ideological expressions, and enriched with modalities, metaphors, repetitions, and intertextualization of Qur'anic verses.

At the level of social cognition, the formation of this resistance ideology is driven by the mental model of conflict, shared knowledge, collective memory, and group beliefs. Yahya finds the use  of a very obvious ideological square strategy  : framing one's own group with a positive image as a party of faith, patience, and courage, while the opposing side is negatively represented as invaders, restrictionists, and covenant breakers who depend on outside help.

Interestingly, the narrative that was built succeeded in recontextualizing the suffering of the people of Gaza into a symbol of moral fortitude. At the same time, the superiority of defense equipment and the military power of opponents are rhetorically devalued as a form of physical force that will never be able to produce a moral victory. This is effective in maintaining the psychological rhythm and fighting spirit of the community in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.

Overall, the research confirms that Abu Ubaidah utilizes discursive practices to represent Hamas' core ideology that combines Sunni Islam, Palestinian nationalism, and resistance orientation. Yahya's findings reinforce earlier studies such as Amaireh (2024) and Iqbal and Farukh (2025), which underline that religious discourse and historical symbols are used as instruments to build legitimacy while rallying Islamic political solidarity and the global world.

Yahya successfully defended his thesis under the guidance of Dr. Rizqi Handayani, MA, and was tested in front of a board of examiners consisting of Prof. Dr. Yusuf Rahman, MA, Dr. Rizqi Handayani, MA; Dr. Cahya Buana, MA, Dr. Makyun Subuki, M.Hum.

After paying attention to the thesis writing, the comments of the examiner team and the candidate's answers, the examiner team determined that Yahya graduated with the predicate of Very Satisfactory. Yahya Baidhowi is the 2830th Master in the field of Islamic Studies, in the Master's program of the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (Jay A)