ISIS. The extremist group called the Islamic State or ISIS has shaken the world into terror. To comprehend the true meaning of the movement behind what is going on in the industrialized West has to be the most difficult and heart-wrenching things any human can do. These extremists have not only posed a grave threat in the Middle East but to the whole world. The Islamic State goal is to expand the Jihadism and radical political Islam, many questioned with this reasoning is ISIS considered a state?
Globalization has contributed to the enlargement of terrorism from a regional singularity into a global one. The relationship between terrorism and globalization is difficult to describe base on each phenomenon have been complicated and defies characterization. But, to completely assume that globalization is the main reason for terrorism would be actual. Tracing back to many wars early European and American, weapons and curiosity have been the center of many rivalries. Globalizations opened doors to the exploited technologies associated with terrorism. “. I swear to God, who is the only God, that sharia can only be established with weapons” (Vice, The Islamic State) Such technologies and weapons have increased the ability of terrorist groups to work amongst each other, exchange information and reach out to the vulnerable audiences.
Is ISIS a state? ISIS is a terrorist organization that formatting on a malicious intention using religion to be the key and root to all actions. “They are seeking to be a state by using guerrilla and terrorist warfare”(Local Futures). Ultimately, the state wants to achieve political change for the purpose of obtaining power in order to right a perceived wrong.
According to the reading Terrorism and Globalization by James Kiras, the Iranian ‘Islamic Revolution of 1979 was a watershed event in transnational terrorism. I believe that this opened the doors to the current state. During this time Israeli interests remained first for the attack, but due to the growth of sympathy for Palestinian cause a number of groups began to target citizens and other symbols in the west just like today. The decade (1980-90) include incidents similar like today includes bombings, hijackings and increasing amount suicide attacks.
Assumptions are that ISIS is a descendant of a group that Iraq, the US and their partners once fought Al-Qaida in Iraq. The violent Islamic extremism drew huge media attention around the globe. This movement threaten western civilization causing big refugee migrations contain Christians, or any outside identifies that have not pledge the Islamic state.
In the Vice Video, you can recall the bombings of mosques, churches and accused buildings in success to take over the streets and overall land. I do believe in the video that there is meaning behind Islam, which can be perceiving to be well especially with making sure adultery and crime is not a common thing, and passing down wealth from the rich to the poor . It’s the aggregation of fulfilling militant Islamic beliefs violently. Their intentions seem too radical, referring to the man who was caught with drugs he was violently killed instead of putting in a program, but on the contradictory, they may have achieved that to stop the spread on the streets.
Culture can be one explanation to understand why violent Islamic extremism call for armed technologies to be successful in underdeveloped countries. “it may appear that violence is the only method preserving traditions and values against a cultural tsunami of western products and materialism” (Kiras,Terrorism and Globalization). The global jihad is seen as a call to the perceived oppression of Muslims globally and the spiritual bankruptcy of the west. Muslims fill that they have no choice to accept these new beliefs to better integrate or preserve their spiritually purity by join the rebellion. Such countries as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or Iraq have had to compromise their values in the pursuit and maintenance of the state power.
Terrorism represents the extreme views of a minority of the global population. Globalization has changed the view and procedures of terrorism but not the nature. Success for these groups can be limited thru the psychological or physical collapse of their state-based adversary. The challenge to impact and has a safe environment throughout the west and the world is to utilize its advantages to win the war of ideologies that motivates and sustains those held responsible for the current violence through terrorism.
References
- https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/what-isis-caliphate-most-violent-jihadist-group-history-28712
- https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designations-and-state-sponsors-of-terrorism/
- https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-significance-of-taliban-exclusion-from-united-nations-general-assembly-meeting-169760