The 9 biggest myths about ISIS

[pinto]

The 9 biggest myths about ISIS
BY ZACK BEAUCHAMP
AUG 23 2014, 9:42P

Myth #1: ISIS is crazy and irrational

If you want to understand the Islamic State, better known as ISIS, the first thing you have to know about them is that they are not crazy. Murderous adherents to a violent medieval ideology, sure. But not insane.

Look at the history of ISIS's rise in Iraq and Syria. From the mid-2000s through today, ISIS and its predecessor group, al-Qaeda in Iraq, have had one clear goal: to establish a caliphate governed by an extremist interpretation of Islamic law. ISIS developed strategies for accomplishing that goal — for instance, exploiting popular discontent among non-extremist Sunni Iraqis with their Shia-dominated government. Its tactics have evolved over the course of time in response to military defeats (as in 2008 in Iraq) and new opportunities (the Syrian civil war). As Yale political scientist Stathis Kalyvas explains, in pure strategic terms, ISIS is acting similarly to revolutionary militant groups around the world — not in an especially crazy or uniquely "Islamist" way.

http://www.vox.com/cards/isis-myths-iraq/crazy-irrational

Really good read. Found this posted in Foreign Affairs, by Depaysement

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1133&pid=6146

[riderinthestorm]

1. K&R! This is an excellent read

I am however dissatisfied with the section on ISIS and women

ISIS is dedicated to oppressing women, and uses rape as a weapon to terrify the population into submission in territory it controls. Somehow, perversely, it has managed to enlist large numbers of women to help in that awful effort.

Exactly how are they managing to enlist so many women to brutalize the populace? it voluntarily don burqas but assist in the rape of their sisters?

This article doesn't do a great job explaining that which is why we in the west are so confounded by the religious element of this. The article strives mightily to portray the ISIS movement as political, not religious when clearly it is.

[MoleyRusselsWart]

2. Great read with solid sourcing

[Amonester]

3. "Murderous adherents to a violent medieval ideology, sure. But not insane."

That alone reads to me as pure insanity.

How is becoming murderous adherents of any ideology not considered insane to begin with?

[Amonester]

4. Mith #0: ISIS is not crazy and perfectly legit. :p

UN rights chief: Crimes against humanity in Iraq: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014879316