Semiotic Codes in Filasṭīn Bilādī by Humood Alkhudher: A John Fiske Analysis of Resistance, National Identity, and Ideology
Kode-Kode Semiotik dalam Lagu Filasṭīn Bilādī karya Humood Alkhudher: Analisis John Fiske atas Representasi Perlawanan, Identitas Nasional, dan Ideologi
Abstract
Purpose - This study analyzes semiotic codes in the music video Filasṭīn Bilādī by Humood Alkhudher, examining how visual and lyrical elements construct Palestinian national identity, political resistance, and ideological meaning across multiple layers.
Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative media text analysis grounded in John Fiske's three-level semiotic framework of reality, representation, and ideology. The primary data source is the official music video of Filasṭīn Bilādī by Humood Alkhudher (YouTube channel: Ḥumūd, duration: 3:45, accessed January 2025). Eleven scenes were purposively selected based on four criteria: (1) symbolic density, (2) ideological relevance, (3) multimodal richness, and (4) direct connection to Palestinian identity and resistance. Data were collected through repeated observation, scene capture, lyric transcription, and systematical categorization into three analytical levels.
Findings/results – At the reality level, social codes including the kūfiyyah, Palestinian flag, a large key, protest posters, and destroyed urban spaces, encode the Palestinian political and cultural experience. At the representation level, cinematic choices—eye-level angles, bird's-eye views, low-angle shots, back shots, and contrasting lighting—intensify emotional and ideological readings. At the ideology level, the music video frames Palestinian identity as layered and multidimensional, encompassing anti-colonial resistance, collective memory, intergenerational solidarity, and, in specific visual sequences, Islamic faith as one ideological strand among several.
Originality/value - Unlike prior semiotic studies that focused on violence or social emotion in media, this research positions Filasṭīn Bilādī as a multidimensional political text that integrates the national, cultural, and religious dimensions of Palestinian identity. The analysis shows how popular music can function as a medium of symbolic resistance and counter-hegemonic identity construction within a settler-colonial context, contributing to semiotic media and Palestinian cultural studies.
Paper type – Research Article
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Copyright (c) 2026 Adinda Zahwa Amalia, Zulkhairi Sofyan, Anshar Zulhelmi, Hayyi Alawiyah Munidzar, Hasyim Asy’ari (Author)
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