More Jews have joined Islamic State, French official says

[Jefferson23]

A handful of Jews, some converts to Islam, among 1,000 French citizens who have joined jihad, Channel 2 reports.

By Haaretz | Oct. 14, 2014 |


There are a number of Jews among the more than 1,000 French citizens who have joined the Islamic State, a French government official told Israel's Channel 2 news.

Citing figures compiled by the French Interior Ministry, the official on Monday said intelligence shows there are people "of Jewish extraction," some of whom converted to Islam, among those who joined the jihadist group.

The official emphasized that there are only a small handful of Jews among the IS recruits – not enough to consider it a trend.

The revelation comes just days after reports surfaced that a French Jewish teenager was among the approximately 100 young women who have left France to join jihad in Syria during the past year and a half.

http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.620751

[merrily]

1. I didn't see that coming.

Rec is for visibility only.

[Jefferson23]

2. It is something we should all be trying our best to understand, no matter the group who joins.

It appears there are desperate, young, disillusioned and bitter people looking to fill a void..tragic really.

[King_David]

3. That's suicide the minute they find out they Jewish

Kind of like a Gay dude joining Hamas.

[Jefferson23]

4. You have no confirmation about that on this OP. n/t

[Igel]

5. Not if they're converts.

A reasonable percentage of the Levantine population was Xian and converted, and a fair number of Jews in Palestine probably coverted over the centuries since the Islamic Conquest.

Some for love, some for money, some to avoid persecution and prosecution. And some just because they thought it a good idea for some other reason.

[Scootaloo]

6. Maybe, maybe not

Remember Dave: this isn't a cartoon.

[King_David]

7. Not sure what you mean

Explain...

[Scootaloo]

8. I mean exactly what I said; "maybe, maybe not"

Last I heard, Is actually had representative judges for christians and jews in Raqqa. Apparently the expectation from these guys is that non-Muslims will pay the jizya, and basically be your typical second-class citizens (beyond those two religions though... yeeeeaaaah...). At least as the "official" position. And if these guys are converts, well, that changes their status. And even if they're not - if these are actual Jewish dudes fighting on the side of IS (which I find unlikely, tell you the truth) then I imagine that practicality will kick in - Not only would such dudes be another soldier in the fight, but would also serve PR purposes.