Transnational Semiotics of Peace: Youth Negotiating Christian–Muslim Identities in the Digital Age

چکیده

In an increasingly interconnected digital world, Christian and Muslim youth are actively negotiating their religious identities through transnational semiotic practices that promote peace amid persistent interfaith tensions. This qualitative metasynthesis examines how young people aged 15–30 from diverse global contexts utilize social media platforms—including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook—to construct hybrid identities and foster narratives of coexistence. Grounded in social semiotics (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006) and transnationalism theory (Appadurai, 1996; Levitt & Schiller, 2004), the study conceptualizes “transnational semiotics of peace” as the deliberate deployment of multimodal signs, symbols, memes, visual grammars, digital rituals, and narrative frames that transcend religious and national binaries while signaling shared humanity and dialogic engagement. The metasynthesis integrates findings from 14 peer-reviewed qualitative studies (2015–2025) employing interviews, digital ethnographies, and content analyses across Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Three core themes emerge: (1) hybrid identity performances through creative symbol blending (e.g., hijabs paired with Christian crosses, Arabic calligraphy alongside biblical motifs, or fusion aesthetics in selfies and short videos); (2) digital peacebuilding strategies such as interfaith challenges, live-streamed dialogues, collaborative storytelling, and counter-narratives against hate speech and polarization; and (3) the enabling yet constraining role of transnational digital flows, where youth draw on global religious resources while navigating local contexts of Islamophobia, Christian nationalism, algorithmic biases, and surveillance. Youth participants demonstrate sophisticated semiotic agency, often prioritizing relational harmony and everyday coexistence over strict doctrinal purity. However, tensions persist regarding authenticity versus audience curation, performative activism, and platform-driven echo chambers. The findings highlight both the transformative potential of digital spaces for grassroots interfaith peace and their inherent risks. This study advances interdisciplinary scholarship in religious studies, media theory, semiotics, and peacebuilding by positioning youth as active agents reimagining Christian–Muslim relations beyond conflict-oriented paradigms. Implications include enhanced digital literacy programs, youth-centered interfaith initiatives, and platform policies supportive of constructive dialogue. Limitations involve sample biases toward urban, educated youth and the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Future research should adopt longitudinal and more inclusive methodological approaches.