The well-known terrorist group ISIS has been recruiting people from America, Canada, and parts of Europe to join their cause, and they have been fairly successful in doing so. Three young girls from Denver skipped a day of school to run away to ISIS, as well as a 19 year old nurse, and a teen living in Chicago suburbs. These three separate cases are among thousands of Westerners who have chosen to leave the comfort of their homes and families and join ISIS. The thought is baffling to many, which brings up the question of how is ISIS recruiting relatively normal, happy people to join their cause?
The answer falls under propaganda and the internet. ISIS has discovered that the best way to reach young teens who might be feeling a little lost is over the internet. They chat them over internet sites and talk about the sense of belonging that they will feel when they join ISIS. They also create propaganda videos which are found on their websites, YouTube, and other social media outlets.
The terrorist organization has started to include English speaking advocates and members of ISIS in their videos. This appeals directly to Westerners who watch the videos. By seeing English speaking members of ISIS Westerners feel that they too can belong to this organization, especially to Muslims living in Western countries who feel as if they don’t belong to their country or they feel isolated by their religion.
“It is really important to treat this as you would a deadly virus. If there was a deadly virus anywhere in the world it is threatening to all of humanity, so it needs to be treated as a virus that causes genocide,” Nadia Oweidat from the New American Foundation reported to CNN.
ISIS has launched a new propaganda campaign that specifically preys on young girls called “al-Zawa.” The campaign states that women need to know how to sew and cook if they want to join, but they will also learn software design and editing, and how to manage high machinery weapons. Many women and young girls leave for Syria with their Jihadist husbands, or leave with the intention of being married to one of the ISIS members once they arrive.
“I don’t think that these young girls realize what they are getting themselves into when the leave for ISIS,” NHS senior Caroline Chocolock said. “The propaganda gives them an altered perception of what life will be like for them when really they will most likely be abused.”
And that is the reality of the situation. These girls leave for ISIS expecting to become Jihadi brides, not realizing that the amount of abuse and rape that they will be forced to succumb to is high. Many are sold into sex slavery or forced into marriages that they do not want. For example two Austrian teen girls joined ISIS, only once they arrived to send messages home begging to be saved.
The recruitment of ISIS also focuses on religion as one of its main points. It targets Muslims around the world to come and fight for their God and gives them the sense that they will be fulfilling their duty to God if they fight for the cause.
Overall what makes ISIS successful in their recruitment is their heavy use of propaganda towards young Muslims who are searching for a purpose in their life. What is really important is that ISIS is seen for what they are, a genocidal terrorist group, and that all this propaganda is not reality.
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