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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.
2. Myth #2: People support ISIS because they like its radical form of Islam
3. Myth #3: ISIS is part of al-Qaeda (Boko Haram recently pledged allegiance to ISIS)
4. Myth #4: ISIS is a Syrian rebel group
5. Myth #5: ISIS is only strong because of Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki
6. Myth #6: ISIS is afraid of female soldiers (Ya think? )
7. Myth #7: The US can destroy ISIS (but will we?)
8. Myth #8: ISIS will self-destruct on its own (unlikely but there will be in-fighting to be the supreme leader of ISIS)
9. Myth #9: ISIS is invincible (Nothing is invincible)
Understanding that ISIS is at least on some level rational is necessary to make any sense of the group's behavior. If all ISIS wanted to was kill infidels, why would they ally themselves with ex-Saddam Sunni secularist militias? If ISIS were totally crazy, how could they build a self-sustaining revenue stream from oil and organized crime rackets ? If ISIS only cared about forcing people to obey Islamic law, why would they have sponsored children's festivals and medical clinics in the Syrian territory they control? (To be clear, it is not out of their love for children, whom they are also happy to murder, but a calculated desire to establish control.)
From their essentially political position, the Kharijites developed extreme doctrines that further set them apart from both mainstream Sunni and Shiʿa Muslims. The Kharijites were particularly noted for adopting a radical approach to Takfir.
originally posted by: skunkape23
All I can say is they should kiss their goats and camels like it is the last time they will see them.
It may well be.
Well you can hide from the boogie man if you like. That's certainly your privilege.
originally posted by: sn0rch
originally posted by: Bilk22
ISIS is a made for TV movie. No myth.
It's all good to say from your bedroom.
The real world where you have to buy things, can be scary too.
And yeah, ISIS kill people to achieve their goal.
Just pray you never have to go get milk.