We’ve gotten very adept, in this world, at breaking down old systems and structures that no longer serve us. How well will we do in creating new systems and structures that serve us?
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The allure of extremism is clear and evident. Thousands of young men (and plenty of young women as well) are taking the terrifying journey to a world of deplorable living conditions, savage brutality, and imminent death. These adventurers come from nearby locales in the Middle East and faraway spots in Europe, North America, and Australia.
These intrepid characters are suspicious to everyone—local authorities, transportation officials, and battlefront commanders. From making contact online or in person with a recruiter to reporting for duty, the whole enterprise could come crashing down, leading to a loss of freedom or life. It’s risky business.
So, why would anyone—especially someone living in a relatively safe and developed Western country—risk life and limb dozens of times just for the honor of dying on a battlefield? Why would anyone who claims to be religiously pious and devout sign up for a campaign of slaughter and genocide?
According to a captivating article recently run on the site foreignpolicy.com (The Metamorphosis Of An Islamic State Warrior), the answer is: PURPOSE.
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The brief article chronicles the experience of Abdelaziz Kuwan, a 16 year-old ethnic Syrian living in Bahrain from a young age. Abdelaziz felt deep concern about the Syrian regime’s behavior during the uprising in 2011. He managed to make contact with a key member of the resistance, slip past his parents and border guards, and enter Syria. He fought for a short time with a group of moderate rebels, but eventually he determined that they were too inept and corrupt as an organization. He shopped around for a new group, found an Al Qaeda affiliate, engaged in more battle, and then grew weary of the whole thing and went home. His parents promptly confiscated his passport.
Shockingly, then, after months of reintegration, he grew bored. He communicated via Skype with battlefield Jihadists in Syria, which only increased his longing for a return to action. Abdelaziz then managed to convince his parents to return his passport, which he promptly used to leave the country and return to Syria. In Syria he joined ISIS and partook in the heinous acts that have dominated the news of the region for the past 12 months, including keeping a sex slave. He even remarked in an interview that if he ever encountered his father on the opposing side of the battlefield, he’d kill him without a second thought.
Chilling comments.
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Abdelaziz lost his life on the battlefield in late 2014. His story ended the way that he wished. He died in battle fighting an infidel enemy.
Shockingly, Abdelaziz came from what seems to be a good family. His parents moved to Bahrain in the late 1980s in order to create a better life. And by most accounts, they did. He was raised in a good home and offered chances for education. His parents instructed him to avoid extremist activities.
So, what happened? He went from feeling angry about a conflict in Syria to committing war crimes on a battlefield in short order.
What struck me reading the article was how badly Abdelaziz wanted to stand for something, how much he wanted his life to have meaning and consequence. He was compelled to do something important. He saw the war and battlefield as the best forum for engaging this part of himself.
While the outcome is sad, it doesn’t surprise me much at all. My study of masculinity and the men’s movement has taught me that most boys and men yearn to be part of something bigger and live according to a mission. This drive is clearly not exclusively the province of men, but it shows up quite strongly in adolescent and young-adult men. These men tend to have bodies in a state of rapid change and are actively looking for ways of channeling all this energy.
And, as plenty of studies show, if they don’t have a readily available outlet for this energy, they’ll create one. American inner cities and prisons have dealt for decades with the dark side of men’s need for affiliation and purpose. Gangs offer the solution for many men in this area, even though they commit illegal activities and present a mortal danger to their members.
These men aren’t making decisions based on logic and reason. They aren’t weighing the options and making a prudent choice. Rather, they are following their instincts.
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ISIS is a kind of gang. It provides its members with a clear (if warped) worldview, affiliation with other members, and a reason to act. It has a clear mission. And the more brutally it acts, the clearer its mission becomes.
It’s attracting lost souls.
We can’t reason our way out extremism. It is, by definition, an unreasonable choice. I can just imagine a susceptible young man making a T-Chart of the pluses and minuses of joining ISIS… Pluses—commit barbaric acts of murder; live on the run, constantly fleeing coalition air strikes; die on the battlefield. And these are the pluses!
Our boys and men need opportunities to live lives of purpose. They need organizations and communities informed by thoughtful wisdom and universal values. As many of the world’s traditional structures breakdown due to globalization and modernization, something else must emerge to take their place.
Affluence isn’t enough. Having money doesn’t necessarily lead to contentment or constructive decision-making. Rich people need purpose, too.
Peter Senge is famous for saying, “Today’s problems often come from yesterday’s solutions.” We’ve gotten very adept, in this world, at breaking down old systems and structures that no longer serve us. How well will we do in creating new systems and structures that serve us?
Our boys need us.
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Photo credit: Flickr/Davidlohr Bueso
Did ya ever think that maybe some of the guys that are hooking up with ISIS are doing so because they believe in the cause? They believe in what they are fighting for? Gangs … Where do I start? I’ve worked with gang members for 15 years and I can tell you stories that would make you throw up. There are so many variables that it’s hard to even come close to simplifying the reasons or even narrowing them down to just a few. Purpose? Yes, in some cases it gives them purpose and a feeling of belonging but a… Read more »
Tom, thanks for chiming in. I hear what you’re saying about the complexities of gang involvement. It’s a tricky issue. I certainly do agree that many of the men and women joining ISIS do believe in the stated mission of the organization; yet I refuse to believe that the civilized world can accept and condone this choice.
No David.
I do not think it is mens INSTINCTS the cause some to become criminal gang members or join Islamofacism,
Silke, thanks for your comment. I’m interested in hearing more about your opinion. My belief is that men have an instinctual drive to join groups that offer affiliation, purpose, and focus. Criminal gangs and ISIS offer one version of this. Tell more, if you’re open to sharing.
It’s not just men. Humans are social animals with a developed disposition to form groups for the purpose of cohesion / building knowledge to increase survival. This is typically a good thing. The unintended consequence of such a favorable disposition is that it forms the root cause of in group / out group / racism and prejudice, and is also prone to the formation of groups that worsen the human condition. Men may be more vulnerable due to their lessened human networks.
Elissa, thanks for sharing your perspective.
David this is such an important question, who persons from all over the world travel jihad and join the Islamic state. I am not read up on the analyses of all the different groups of men that make this choice. But we are wrong if we think they are all social misfits,or marginalized men. There are some good analyses out there. A friend of mine in US ,well qualfied scholar once said to me,Europe opens up for Facism because the welfare state protects the state and not the individual. ISIL is a variant of facism. And it aslo has to… Read more »
Silke, thanks so much for adding more comments. I agree that it’s one the most important questions of our time. I look forward to more online conversation. I agree that there are many factors. We all must work to make a good change.
David
The whole thing is unbeliveable !
The wages they offer warriors are also unbeliveable high.
Money is part of it, And sex.
Female sex slaves as young as 9 years old.
The 9 year old girls are the most popular,…….
And they are now only 20-30 miles from Europe borders, and are spread out all around Europe , ready to start terrorist attacks.
(I do not see Turkey as a part of Europe)
David
Here is an interesting article about who join the Islamic state .
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/11/tunisian-jihadis-profile-fighting-syria.html#ixzz3UkwkyhRD.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and comments, Silke.