What is ISIS? The Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria. To be politically correct, let’s say that is a
Jihadist militant group, which wants strict Sharia law, with strong influence
on society in Iraq and Syria. Recently they have gained control over a large
tract in both countries. They have been committing acts of violence and
terrorism. ISIS members are mainly Sunni Arabs, who are the majority on usurped
lands. ISIS seems to be the most successful Jihadist group we have observed. Their
goal is to create the Islamic State and they are still on a good track. They control
oil infrastructures, collect taxes, trade, basically run the country as rich as
European ones. On the lands controlled by ISIS there are implemented strict
Sharia regulations, which especially affect women. We can see a glimpse of life
in such a city thanks to the brave woman who secretly created a video record.
At the end of the film we can see the French woman, who is talking
with her family ensuring that she won’t change her decision about following the
ISIS strategy. This is not a single example. There are many proved examples of
women joining ISIS or supporting it. Personally I cannot understand it, as this
organization is extremely brutal and inhuman towards women. Recently there has been a video spread on
the Internet showing what value women have to ISIS men...
How can women be so blind
not to notice it? Why despite such anti-women culture are European and American
women still eager to join ISIS? It looks like ISIS marketing campaign works as
planned. ISIS is active in social media and regularly releases recruiting
videos showing a new created utopian society. However, it still does not convince
me, as on the other hand, there are many other videos showing women’s rights in
ISIS or in fact the lack of these rights. There is also the aspect of LOVE.
There are online sites where western women can meet ISIS soldiers. Later on they
become brides and follow their husbands’ beliefs. Some experts also say that
the reason to join ISIS is adventure! Really?! What kind of adventure is this...?
Apparently war, military
training, travelling to an unstable country in the middle of war attracts
women. It is supposed to give them a sense of power. There is one more aspect,
which I heard about. Some Muslim women brought up in the Western culture believe
that this way they help to protect their religion and their way of life, which
is often disesteemed in the West.
We do not know exactly what
is going on with ISIS women, however there is the evidence of sex slavery, rape
and unfair death sentences etc. Women are forced to follow the rules against
their freedom and their basic rights are limited (for example the freedom of
speech or education). Still hundreds of Europeans and Americans not only agree
to it, but also decide to travel across the world to fully support and follow
these beliefs.
Sources:
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-enticement-why-are-some-americans-prone-radicalization-n233601
Comments
That's really disturbing my perception of the word, because, somehow we're all supporting ISIS. Mainly because we're buying gasoline and as we already know that ISIS took control over almost all Syria's oilfields...
It's time to buy a bike...
On the other hand you all probably heard about Charles Manson. He is a criminal and is responsible for deaths of many people. He began a cult and most of his followers where women. They've killed because he told them to, they've shaved their heads and I can't comprehend how but he was just able to attract women and to do whatever he wanted with them. I don't understand it, actually I don't think anyone could but I feel that the case with ISIS seems kind of similar. Even now when this guy is in prison (and is 79 years old) somehow was able to make a girl fell in love with him and marry him. She is 25 years old. I shouldn't have to mention that this man will never leave prison. Who can explain how a man in prison, convicted for several murders who is 79 and will die in prison is somehow a good husband material for a young girl.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/charles-manson-79-marry-girlfriend-star-25-article-1.1526791
Let's go a little bit further. It's not always like that, women are poor creatures who are ofended and have to hide under that awful clothes. Its completely different kind of culture and thinking. I've even heard opinion of one of Islamic feminist, that for us - western people - niqab is kind slavery to man, but for them slavery is a bikini. And tell me, isn't it true ?
We just can't judge islamic culture by our standards...
And why can't we judge another culture? Why shouldn't we judge countries like South Korea? People there would definitely tell you that they are happy and that their leader is the greatest and they truly believe it even though people are getting killed there every day. They don't know the truth and other life, maybe if someone showed them a different way of life they would be able to objectively decide which is better. In Russia and some parts of Africa you can get killed for being gay. Romani people marry girls that are 13 years old, wouldn't you say that this is pedophilia? It's a part of their culture, it's normal for a young girl to marry and older guy and give him children, but I still think it's wrong even though it's part of their "culture", same as I don't agree with some of the European or United States policies I don't agree with abusing tradition just because people are just used to it. People should always be able to make their choice (and yes even the one that others may not be comfortable with but it should be their decision).
I think that women don't really feel like they are treated badly, in the youtube movie you can clearly see that for some reasons they want to stay there.
I only wonder if it's true what the girls says - about the media exaggerating the problem. I know that is quite common praxis but still I cannot imagine where the border of reality and exaggerating is.
I have been a few times in Islamic countries and I saw modern style of this religion. I have seen and talked with young girls, who were proud to wear their traditional outfit. However I am also aware that there are many, who are forced by men to follow strict rules and that is the problem. Not Islam its self, but these people, who do not understand that women and men are equal.
If I hear that young women's from paris or london join to such as terrorist organizations, I ask myself for what? Why such as people live between us?
Do not want to go out on a racist, but falling in love whim Arabs never ends good. Everybody knows many stories where women are intimidated, invite to their countries, and later mistreated. Standard string of events.
You wrote:
" And why can't we judge another culture? Why shouldn't we judge countries like South Korea? People there would definitely tell you that they are happy and that their leader is the greatest and they truly believe it even though people are getting killed there every day."
I don't care that much about doing typos or grammar correctness, but this kind of errors are unacceptable. Please read before posting :D
In my opinion there is no point discussing about women who join ISIS, it's their choice to live in misery.
And yes we can judge them by our standarts if they want to live in our countries.
Islam evolved on the same base as Judaism and Christianity and if the changes in the world have gone in a different direction, some Old Testament parts could be interpreted in a way as harmful as Quran.
The image of a woman in Old Testament and Quran is one: she is shameless by nature, always the first to sin and to lead a man astray. Therefore they should be always apologetic, obedient and humble - and this is just what is in 100% executed in ISIS (Caliphate), Saudi Arabia(Wahhabism) and other countries where men are taking advantage of what someone wrote in a book thousands of years ago.
In our environment it's different thanks to many historical and cultural differences, starting from Jesus of Nazareth with his feminist attempts to make men and women equal, the Enlightenment era, modern feminism and many other similar movements.
We can't do much about the current events in the world, because the big decisions are made only by world superpowers. All we can do is to focus on our local environment and be the good change we want to see in the world.
I have B(e) negative :P
We do not measure it only looking at ISIS but also looking at Al'Kaida and Saddam Husain.
Not all Muslims are bad but... "The peaceful majority is irrelevant".
I love this answer by Brigitte Gabriel to Muslim woman claiming all Muslims are portrayed badly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry3NzkAOo3s
As for ISIS, this group I am afraid of and this faction should be dealt with, because they are a serious threat. American and European women join ISIS for various reasons, the most common being the fact that the standards imposed by the West are overwhelming and people feel so lost and alone that they seek the sense of community anywhere that they can find it. Being so vulnerable is a perfect condition for lets call it 'ISIS brainwash'. But please do not confuse ISIS and the religion itself because they are not even close to being synonyms.
The strange wish of women to be part of ISIS, to be involved in to such type of organization could be devided in to two different points of view:
First one - those women have some real mental problems that are expressed in some sadistic love of violence and life inside the society which lives by the rules of the realist international relations theory. This subtype of society should be explained and could be described by refferencing Thomas Hobbes and his work 'Leviaphan', ISIS is one of the brilliant examples of the realist aproach on different levels of life. If to take things preciselly it could be seen that there is no rule of shariat, however there is rule of brutal force, animal violence and constant demonstration of the masculine nature. It expressed in demonstrative beheadings of the people on camera, mass-murders and etc., so such wish of some women to live in those types of societies could be expressed by some psychological trauma that makes them more affected by such kind of pre-historic societies.
Second point of view could be seen as brainwashing with the help of power influences. It is not a secret that ISIS uses tortures against its hostages there and there is no any doubts that under psychological and physical pressure some of the hostages are ready to agree with ideas of the organization not only to save theirs life, but also just because they are broken mentaly and physically.
Here is an example of ISIS brainwahsing:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2670487/ISIS-kidnaps-140-Kurdish-schoolboys-brainwashing-suicide-bombers.html