Recruiting for Jihad: The Allure of ISIS

[BootinUp]

The Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute (MEI) and the Conflict Management Program at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) were pleased to host Charles Lister, Ahmet Sait Yayla, and Anne Speckhard in a discussion about why people take up arms with the Islamic State (ISIS).

Its declaration of a caliphate and its glorification of violence in pursuit of its aims have drawn adherents across the socioeconomic spectrum, from the United States and Europe to the Islamic world. Who are the people being recruited as ISIS militants, and why do they join? This expert panel examined the allure of ISIS in Europe, Turkey, and the Arab world and effective strategies to stem its growth.
http://www.mei.edu/events/recruiting-jihad-allure-isis
Event Details
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Johns Hopkins SAIS- Rome Auditorium

[passiveporcupine]

1. Thanks, watching it now.

we should Work more broadly to reduce civil conflict in the middle eastern and Islamic regions of the world. I can't emphasize enough how important instability is to an organization like Isis. You take away from instability, you take away sectarianism, you take away sub-state social tensions, and you're literally pulling the rug from under Isis's feet...and other Jihadi organizations.

We should encourage on an international and regional level, more dialogue and mediation and engagement between states who are currently fixed within a kind of detrimental sectarian dynamic, as hard as that might be.

Finally, we need to encourage, and this might be slightly controversial, we need to encourage a safe space within the middle easter region, but arguablly also in the west. We need to encourage a safer space for a healthy dynamic debate on sensitive issues. And by that, I/m kind of trying to imply that Islam as itself, or maybe even moderate forms of Islamism, could be a viable alternative to violent Islamism.

[passiveporcupine]

2. Another very interesting point from the Turkish speaker

3rd kind of recruit from Turkey and the advantaged youth. These are the people who used to play video games, who really like the adventure out there, but they like the adventure too much that playing the video game does not cut (affect) them any more. So, they really want the real thing. Fighting in a game isn't enough for them any more. So, we have a considerable amount of youth, or people, like even 40 year old people, who went to Syria to wage a real fight. In stead of shooting in the games, shooting real Kalashnikov's in the field.

[BootinUp]

3. The woman on the panel is quite intelligent. nt