Part III: Explaining the Islamic State Phenomenon

If you are having trouble viewing this message, view it in your browser. Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Part III: Explaining the Islamic State Phenomenon   This third and final part of our “Islamic State Phenomenon” series digs deeper into the end-goal of the IS and how North Africa plays a role in their global plan of destruction and ultimate takeover. The first two parts of the series, highlighted how this barbaric group was created and how they viewed their place in the world.  This final part brings it all together. The Islamic State is but one jihadist group with death and destruction as its target goal.  At this time it is the most dangerous one, but others will certainly take its place in the future.  The common theme to understanding these barbaric groups is that they “drink their Islam straight”, meaning that they directly follow the teachings of the Koran.  Understanding this point is so important that I devote an entire chapter to it, in my New York Times Best Seller, “They Must Be Stopped”. Many Americans may not fully comprehend the reasoning or growth of this terrorist group, but we must have a better understanding of their “bigger picture” plan of jihad against all who oppose them. Part III: Explaining the Islamic State Phenomenon Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Multiple Motives for North African Jihadists Why are so many North Africans keen to join the Jihadist effort? What stands behind this massive mobilization and readiness of young people to leave everything behind, cut their ties with family, disappear from their milieu without any announcement, smuggle themselves to the Syrian or Iraqi arenas (at great risk from their respective countries and under the constant watch of the security and intelligence agencies that monitor movements to and from the Middle East), and of course ready to sacrifice their lives in Syria, Iraq or in Europe for a cause fought thousands of kilometers away from their native North African country? The explanation may be found in the following: 1.     North Africans have always wanted to be close to the “core” of the Middle East, feeling marginalized by historical events taking place in the Arab-Israeli conflict away from their region. North African states sent expeditionary troops to the Middle East after the 1967 Six-Day War to take part in the battle against Israel. Morocco sent two brigades (one was deployed in the Syrian Golan Heights and one in Egypt) while Algeria sent a brigade to Egypt. Those troops were actively engaged in combat during the Yom Kippur 1973 war against Israel and suffered heavy losses. 2.     North Africa is the setting for developing jihadist movements partly inspired by the war in Afghanistan and by the Khomeini revolution in Iran. But the unsatisfied needs of young, mostly unemployed people, left behind by the process of modernization and westernization and an unwillingness to accept the reality of power also plays a role. The disintegration of Libya after Qaddafi and the takeover of the country by jihadist militias have served as a contagious example to North African jihadists, meaning that what has been achieved in nearby Libya by jihadists could be repeated in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. 3.     The North Africa states have been exposed for a long time to Wahhabi proselytism that is opposed to the “moderate” Sufi Islam practiced in North Africa. Morocco and Tunisia were tolerant to the Wahhabi theological invasion while Algeria chose to fight it by all means. Identification with the Wahhabi ideology is only one step from joining soul mates to fight the “heretics” leading “heretic” regimes. Oddly enough, northern Morocco, which seems to be the area that has drawn the most jihadists to the Islamic State, is a region were strict Salafi sheiks dominate the religious scene and do identify openly with the ideology of the Islamic State and its targets. 4.     There is also an economic factor one cannot ignore. Most of the Moroccans who have joined the Islamic State come from the north of the country that has been neglected by former King Hassan II. The northern region of Morocco is hit by severe unemployment and subsequent radicalization. The fact that the Islamic State pays salaries that cannot even be imagined in Morocco is a factor in the enrollment of jihadists by the Islamic State. 5.     Finally, one cannot under-estimate the geographic factor: North Africa is very close to southern Europe and the jihadist network existing there, which makes coordination and recruitment easier. Those networks appeared first during the second Iraqi war (2003) when people thought it acceptable to travel to Iraq and join the fight against the “American aggressor.” Read Part III in its entirety here. If you missed it, be sure to read Part I here and Part II here. ACT for America accepts no funding from any governmental agency, any foreign influence peddlers, or political institutions. Your support of ACT for America is critical in winning a battle we cannot afford to lose. All donations are tax-deductible. Click here to donate. ACT for America education is a 501(c)3 organization. actforamerica.org   Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Share Tweet Share Forward