ISIS- Who The Hell Are They? (In Layman's Terms)
Who and what is ISIS?
ISIS is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. You will hear President Obama and other politicians refer to ISIS as ISIL- which is the same. ISIL stands for The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
ISIS is an extreme terrorist group as we all know. The have control in parts of Iraq, Syria, Libya and Nigeria. They have renamed themselves 'The Islam State' but all Muslim groups refuse to acknowledge the name. There is a very good reason, as ISIS or 'The Islam State' claims all control- military/political/religious- of every Muslim in the world. At this time the UN has labeled them a Terrorist Organization and they are indirectly or directly involved in war with over sixty countries.
ISIS has an extreme leader called a 'Caliph' which is supposed to be the direct successor to Mohammed.
ISIS follows a very extreme version of Islam which promotes religious violence. Those who do not agree with their precise interpretation of Islam are considered infidels. They are represented by a flag with the symbol of the Seal of Mohammed in a White Circle and it has a phrase above it that says 'There is no God but Allah.' They seek the purification of the Islamic Nation, which includes fighting other countries and killing all infidels who don't agree with their agenda.
ISIS Militants Marching With Their Flag
Damage Done By ISIS So Far to People, Ancient Historical Monuments/Sacred Places
Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria are at war with the region's cultural heritage, attacking archaeological sites with bulldozers and explosives. ISIS now controls large stretches of northern and western Iraq, and there's little to stop its militants from ruining sites in a region known as the 'Cradle of Civilization.'
This year in February, ISIS released a video that showed them destroying the Muslim Museum. Militants were shown going through and destroying every precious memorabilia, including statues that were over 1000 years old.
Recently, the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that members of ISIS had damaged the ruins of ancient cities dating back thousands of years, including a trio of Assyrian cities and the Roman-era metropolis of Hatra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In Syria, the civil war has wreaked havoc, as it's killed at least 200,000 people and millions more are starving and homeless. ISIS is fighting for control of the country, and it encourages looting for their funding.
We don't know exactly how much damage has been done because there has only been one video from ISIS destroying the Mosel Museum. We have been warned though, that the damage is extensive.
In the Mosul Museum video, ISIS says that the destruction was motivated by religion because their prophet ordered them to take down the relics and idols and destroy them. They don't want them worshiping false gods or idols, but just Allah.
Thousands of other precious and rare artifacts, some dating 4000-5000 years old have also been destroyed in the name of Allah by ISIS, as they believe the prophet wants them to do this to keep his name sacred. It's very sad, sickening, but it continues to happen daily.
Map of ISIS' Damage In Middle East
How Many Innocent People Have ISIS Killed?
ISIS has killed thousands of innocents. They have gone door to door killing people, and just killing masses of people by execution. They have no regard for life- just the 72 Virgins that they will meet when they die as 'heros.' The believe they have the license to murder infidels (non Muslims) because their prophet told them to. They are ruthless, cruel and have no regard for precious life.
The Islamic State awaits the army of “Rome,” whose defeat at Dabiq, Syria, will initiate the countdown to the apocalypse. Many argue that they provoke the US and allies or 'infidels' to attack them so the apocalypse will begin. Most recently, the attacks in Paris show the meticulous planning the group is capable of. As ISIS numbers continue to strengthen, there will be more and more attacks promoting their agenda. Westerners should not be fooled, this isn't just a small group of radicals. This is a large population who's taken control of several cities- and they have money and means to fight.
Obama and ISIS
Do you think it's time for Obama to focus on ground troops instead of Air Strikes to get rid of ISIS?
My Thoughts on ISIS Recruits
Everything that ISIS does recruiting wise is focused on finding younger men who are basically angry, disenfranchised, and the sexually deprived. These are men that don't fit into society, who probably live in a fantasy world and more than like have never had sex. They may have been picked on, or bullied, or felt like 'a nobody.' This is how ISIS recruits all over the world.
They are them promised a world that will be built around them and that they will be heroes and all of their sexual fantasies will be fulfilled. All of these wonderful things will happen if they choose to be a part of a terrorist group and agree to murder whomever they tell you to. It makes them feel special, it makes them fit in, and most of these men are in the perfect position to be brainwashed. Women aren't allowed to hold weapons or go to war- they have to serve their men.
These people who fight for ISIS on the ground are not just the very religious Islamic. ISIS would rather have converts who have been seduced and sold to all of the extremist selling points, and are vulnerable to such things as ego stroking- and once they've been trained they have no pre-existing morals that might get in the way of their mission to rape and kill and execute.
Here is an excellent link courtesy of CNN that has a very good article and a video showing what ISIS does to recruit young boys all over the world, including the United States: http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/isis-recruitment-combi/index.html
ISIS Complains About Drop In Recruiting
Should We Do More Than Air Strike ISIS?
I'm afraid I have to agree with those who disagree with the President- we need to do something as ISIS is completely out of control.
In all seriousness, when discussing terms of what can be done humanitarian wise, not a thing can be done until the ground is secured. ISIS in it's evil nature, targets humanitarian workers. Unfortunately the people who really need the help are trapped behind the lines and no one is safe to go there and provide relief.
I hate to seem crass and uncaring, but I truly believe that in this day and age to me the only good ISIS member is a dead ISIS member.
Their recruits (Including American Recruits) that are over there are broken, miserable losers. They're willing to actually sell their humanity to become a monster. At this point, there's no way that you can fix that person once they've gone that far over the line and found that they like it. Remember if a recruit believes he's made a big mistake and no longer wants to be part of the terrorist organization, ISIS executes them in front of the others as a form of encouragement- or discouragement- however you look at it.
I am honestly not a fan of putting the so called boots on the ground, There are too many American and Canadian lives at stake. However, I am convinced that the air strikes are going to fail and the Iraqi and Syrian troops aren't good enough, or in fact, ruthless enough to fight this war. We are talking about a bunch of people without consciences- people who don't care if they die because they will die with honour and have 72 virgins at their disposal. It's tough to fight people who aren't afraid of death.
At some point ground is going to have to be taken. The Oil Fields are going to have to be taken to cut off funds- which is where they get their money. Strategic road ways and towns are going to have to be taken to slow down the advancing terrorists.
ISIS has learned to deal with the airstrikes, and for those who worry about civilians dying there- we are killing civilians by the hundreds with our airstrikes and I shudder to think how many more will be killed if the UN doesn't get involved on the ground.
Sources
www.msnbc.com
www.cnn.com
www.foxnews.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.calgarypuck.com