- Published: November 17, 2021
- Updated: November 17, 2021
- University / College: Cornell University
- Level: Doctor of Philosophy
- Language: English
- Downloads: 25
Inside the walls of ISIS: The making of a radical. In a year that has seen many young Muslims becoming swept up into joining violent extremism, concern that remains to be addressed is why these cases are on the rise. This article explores some of the forces that draw these young people.
Although Isis propaganda, many times suggests youths will have an active role when they join the group, in reality they are heavily controlled immediately they arrive. For while now, battles over individual identity have been one of the main reasons that have persuaded some young Muslim to pledge to the utopian objectives of radical Islamists such as Isis. According to FBI reports, ISIS preys on youth who are disillusioned or lack no sense of purpose and belonging. Evidence from a slew of many former radical recruiters has shown that many pursue to free their victims from being caught between the traditionalist systems their parents or guardians impose and the more unconventional liberal expectations of their colleagues at school. A study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue released last month indicated that young women too are not safe from these trap of the extremist group.
In the contemporary world where terrorism has thrived, Isis has used the internet to its advantage to draw youths and women into extremism. The Internet has been a double-edged sword, applied by government to track down Isis group and funny enough the terrorist groups also use the same channel to target the youth from around the world. And according to Olsen Mathew, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, various terrorist groups such as Isis now conducts the most socialite propaganda tool of any terrorist group, as he informed CNN in a new piece on ISIS enrollment. Social media has been a may drive and an instrument that in draws the youth and women around the world in joining this extremist group.
For a group of radical Muslim extremists, ISIS has been successful in luring youths into its ranks. Especially those youth waging jihad, fighting as ISIS recruit is an achievement, and this has been a significant force. The United States Justice Department and FBI have for a while now indicated in their reports that the only way that the group would be effectively eliminated would be through the religious appeal it preaches to the young Muslims. Nevertheless, ISIS continues to appeal to the youth a misguided sense of religious responsibility.
Through critical analysis, the recent increase in youths joining the ISIS can partly be blamed on various governments around the world for not being vigilant enough and failing to act on the intelligence in time. There is still more that may be done because the cases of youth and women recruits happen on a daily basis and Muslim families amongst us.
Despite the blame that one can put on the government, the society at large should also be vigilant. Issues of youth Muslims joining extremists groups such as ISIS is a threat to the national security and should be a concern of every citizen. It is upon everyone to be wary of those around them at all times.
Work cited
Ismail Finashe, Jihadi John and London’s culture of gang violence, Prospect. March 13, 2015