Transcript ISIS - Sufi Therapy

The Young Muslim Members of
ISIS: Origins and Motives
The Unfinished Project of the Arab
Spring: Why “Middle East
Exceptionalism” is Still Wrong
September 25-27, 2015
University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Canada, Lister Centre
Faruk Arslan, PhD student
Human Relations Behaviour,
Psychotherapy and Spiritual
Care Counselling, Wilfrid Laurier
University (Waterloo Seminary)
Overview
What is the Islamic
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State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS)
Background. What is ISIS?
Militant Islamist Groups Allied with ISIS.
Foreign and Local Fighters in ISIS Ranks.
The Baathists and Salafi marriage in Iraq
Jihadism through social media.
ISIS strategy, propaganda and recruitment tools:
i. What is ISIS attractive to recruits?
ii. Wordily and other-worldly benefits.
iii.Transnational salafi identity offerings.
iv.Jihadi tactics and apocalyptic struggles.
v.The root causes and humanitarian concerns.
Major Questions
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Identify the young Muslim members of ISIS
Where they come from
What type of economic interests and values
are attractive
So what is the appeal of ISIS?
Who is encouraged to join ISIS?
How is violence justifiable in their
consciousness?
What is ISIS?
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A Jihadi Salafi catastrophe and a subculture of fundamentalism.
The most powerful, bloody and wealthy Islamist Militant Group.
A violent brand of Sunni Salafi-Baathist political Islamism.
A claimant to leadership of Global Jihad and the Caliphate.
The Baathists and Salafi
marriage in Iraq – A discourse
A Child of War.
Anger, hatred, humiliation in Iraq.
Performing Jihad against colonizers
and US-led occupation.
Pro-western local Arab puppets and
cruel dictatorships.
Countering neo-colonial local and
international oppressors.
Groups Allied with ISIS
Libya
Indonesia
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Ansar Al-Shariah
Islamic Youth Shura
Council
Nigeria
Boko Haram
Abu Bakar Bashir
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Salafai Taliban
ISIS
Uzbekistan
Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan (IMU)
Philippines
Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF)
•Jandullah
•Shahidulah Shahid Group
•Tehrik-e-Khilafat
•Jamia Hafsa Students
Egypt
•Gamah Islamiyah
•Ansar Bait-ulMaqdis
Foreign Fighters in ISIS Ranks
Jihadism through
social media
ISIS strategy,
propaganda and recruitment tools
What is ISIS attractive to recruits?
Transnational salafi offerings
A) Wordily benefits:
 Free Sex (polygamy), sex slaves
 Free land
 Easy money (monthly salary)
 Power and status
B) Other-wordily benefits:
- Guaranteed eternal life in heaven
- Helping brothers and sisters
- Martyrdom
C) Iraqization with its accompanying transnational Salafi
identity and ideology
-Intentionally publicize violence with populist jargons
- Apocalyptic imagery
- Selling utopian controversial Islamic concepts and myths
D) Economic, cultural and social interest for foreign fighters
- Romantic Jihadi Marriage
an-International life, travel and work experiences
-Arabic courses, trainings on social media
- Isolations and more humanitarian concerns
ng firing weapons
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Limitations and further study
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Dogmatic Salafism, political Islam, and local Salafi groups have
taken various paths in different countries in our own time, and
present-day.
Salafi movements should be seen as five phenomena that are
inherently different from one other.
Most ISIS members ended up in jails, dying in six months, but
now we do have some returnees who need to be studied.
Wahhabi system and the Salafi Jihadi ideology affiliated groups
& regimes will get a good lesson in the near future.
When religious freedom is denied, as it has been for decades in
parts of the Muslim world, faith grows in the shadows.
So what is the appeal of ISIS?
Findings and conclusion
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Violent extremism has no religion; there will always be people
who manipulate faith texts.
“Sexual holy war” puts all women and children at risk.
Root causes continue in Iraq and Syria.
Jihadi apocalyptic tactics and tools cause big catastrophe.
Networking with transnational salafi community as a carrier
Second and third generation Muslim youth are socially and
culturally isolated in the West and choose a new path.
Constructed fear or horror but instead of blaming the media, we
should find innovative ways to ensure our voices are heard.
A strong counter propaganda needs to be developed.
So what is our solution?
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Having suffered oppression is no excuse for causing it or for
failing to condemn terrorism. It is a great sin.
Muslims must publicly promote human rights—dignity, life,
liberty, equality, mutual respect, freedom and justice.
Promote a holistic understanding of Islam, as the flexibility to
accommodate diversity as a primary goal.
Help marginalize terrorists and prevent recruitment. Avoid
statements and actions that result in the alienation of Muslims.
Providing religious education to Muslims is critical.
Governments in the Muslim world must design school curricula
that nurture democratic values.
Civil society has a role in promoting respect and acceptance.
Questions and
Feedback