Robbie Greenshields
The conflict in Syria and Iraq is raging on and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. As the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are slaughtering innocent civilians in these war-torn countries, families flee to Europe via a perilous boat trip only to be turned back at the gate in many cases.
As with the financial crisis in Greece and the power struggle in Crimea, the British public are finally taking an interest in global issues and paying attention to the horrors endured by Syrian refugees, many urging the British government to take action. Yet relatively few people have an understanding of why ISIS are carrying out these atrocities, where they came from, and whether or not Britain is really under threat of ‘invasion’.
It is easy to hold Islam accountable for every murder, terrorist attack and war crime committed by the Islamic State, but this is simply not the case and holding such a narrow-minded viewpoint can blur the wider picture.
To understand the Islamic State, first we must understand where they came from and why they exist. During the Iraq War, the United States imprisoned many opposing soldiers and militants in Camp Bucca, a prison close to the border of Iraq and Kuwait. It is here that the leaders of ISIS met and organised their group. When the US eventually withdrew forces from Iraq, there was a sudden power vacuum (there was nobody in charge leaving a gap for a new authority). This gave ISIS the perfect opportunity to strike.
As I have previously mentioned, there is no one reason behind the actions of ISIS, but one very important motivator is usually overlooked; the funding. ISIS has many methods of making money, from drilling for oil to selling pillaged goods on the black market. This makes the Islamic State the richest militant group in the world at the moment – but before ISIS came to prominence they relied mostly on donations to get up and running. The majority of these donations came from wealthy individuals in the Gulf States. Donors from Qatar contributed the most funding, ahead of nearby countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
These countries are populated by a subset of Islam called Sunni Islam. Sunni Muslims are often in conflict with Shia Muslims (which comprise ISIS-occupied countries such as Iraq and Syria) so it is clear that ISIS attacking these countries offers a religious advantage to the Sunni Muslims of the Gulf States. Think of it in similar ways to the ongoing tensions between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland during the 20th century. Both share the central tenets of their belief system, but differ on key points.
However, these nations also share an aspiration for political advantage. Chaos in surrounding nations opens the gate for countries like Qatar to increase their influence and, indeed, these countries are gradually becoming powerhouses in the Middle East. Essentially, ISIS acts as a political weapon of some states in the area, not as a valid representation of Islamic faith.
It is also important to remember that the acts of a few Muslims do not reflect the attitudes of the many. Most Muslims are strongly against the slaughter of innocent civilians, and there is certainly no indication in the Qu’ran that this is the correct thing to do. In fact, among Muslims ISIS is known as DAESH – they don’t want their religion to be associated with the heinous war crimes of a terrorist group. We should remember to be humane and rational in judging the Muslim religion as a whole. In the same way that modern Christians frown upon the Crusades or the IRA, the vast majority of Muslims are appalled by the Islamic State’s insistence on using their religion – the basis of their morals – as an excuse.
