Global Jihad Rising

The Islamic State has Become Much More Than a Regional Problem as Their Membership is Partially Swelled By Global Recruitment (Including the West). 

By: The National Bacon

The recent rise of the Islamic State (IS) and their so far highly successful campaign in the Middle East has captured media headlines throughout the Western world, often eclipsing even the conflict in the Ukraine.  So far many media outlets, pundits, and other individuals have found the dilemma of the IS both horrifying and perplexing.  One of the most mystifying aspects has been the willingness of many citizens of Western nations to volunteer to fight for the Islamic State’s jihad; a factor that has left some questioning why anyone would give up what are in many cases relatively comfortable lives to join a group that has become synonymous with wanton violence and sadism.

There have been many stories thus far about Westerners, either of a Islamic cultural background or recent converts, who have freely gone to fight for the IS.  Canadians are joining the IS (at this point well over 100 suspected to have done so), Americans have also been found to have done the same, and by far the most affected by IS recruitment have been the nations of Western Europe.  British intelligence services believe that there are possibly as many as 500 British subjects fighting for the IS, a figure which also includes many British women, some of who allegedly act as‘Sharia police.’  Belgium has also seen a great number of citizens leave to join the IS, estimates ranging from 250 –400 Belgian citizens.  And above all others is France, where it is believed as many as 1000 French citizens have joined with the IS.  France too has discovered that 1/6 of their population support the Islamic State’s actions and their rise in power.

Despite the uncomfortable numbers of Westerners supporting or involved in the IS, a significant portion of the discussion of what it all means fails to capture the issue; the Islamic State has gone global and the West is still trying to figure out what it all means. 

Some have chosen to write off the IS as a group of unsophisticated, cave dwelling savages, who are of little threat and will soon fade away.  This could not be further from the truth, as the group has show itself to be strategically and tactically sophisticated as well as capable of running advanced information operations with global reach.  The IS has also mastered the use of social media in order to recruit and spread their ideological concepts.

Others in the West have tried to argue that the Islamic State is indeed not Islamic at all, which of course ignores several realities in favour of political correctness.  The IS have applied a draconian view of Islam that though it may not be supported by the entirety of the global Muslim population, they are none the less heavily influenced by Islamic ideas. 

The rising numbers of Westerners, both of Islamic cultural origins and recent converts of European backgrounds, have created a crisis of ideas.  Many find it difficult to fathom why their fellow citizens would fight for and support the actions of brutality and barbarity perpetrated by the Islamic State.  Unfortunately there are no easy answers to this.  One thing is for certain however, the problem of the IS is transnational and not limited to the Middle East; Jihad has gone global.