SJS 3: ISIS and the Third Wave of Jihasism

SJS 3: “ISIS and the Third Wave of Jihadism”

Source: Gerges, Fawaz A. "ISIS and the Third Wave of Jihadism." Current History: The

    Middle East 113.767 (2014): 339-43. Print.

Author Credentials: Fawaz Gerges is an intelligent researcher who spent a lot of time studying in Middle Eastern countries. He focused his research on Arab and Muslim politics, jihadists, and the relationship between Muslims and the West. Gerges is also a writer who published multiple books about his research such as Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy. Given by the education Gerges has, a M.S and a Ph.D, and the amount of time he has set aside to understand the Middle Eastern countries, Gerges seems to be a very reliable author for this article about the Middle East.

Summary:

    “ISIS and the Third Wave of Jihadism” explains and describes the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, such as what caused this group to up rise, what actions they have done, and how they find new people to join their organization. The article starts off by describing the origins of ISIS. For instance, Gerges says that a cause of ISIS was “a rupture in an Iraqi society.” America destroyed some Iraqi institutions which gave ISIS an opportunity to enter the Iraqi political body. ISIS came from the issues in the Middle East, and this also includes the multiple civil wars that have taken place in Syria and Iraq. As for the harsh actions that ISIS has done against its enemies, there is a long list of examples. One example occurred in 1981 when Anwar Sadat, who was the Egyptian President was assassinated, and another is ISIS taking advantage of the Sunni-Shia divide when they are in a weak point during their time. Not only has ISIS brutally killed people, but they also have created divisions between ethnic groups. Some of the issues with the Kurds and the Shias can be blamed on ISIS for creating more bloody massacres. Finally, ISIS’s “recruiting tactics” which involves finding individuals who want to become apart of a community with identity. An example would be Western Muslims striving to be known. Ultimately, ISIS was an organization made from political flaws in Iraq and Syria which lead to massacres and terrorist attacks on other countries because of  the differences between societies and culture.  

Analysis:

    This journal is a very detailed interpretation of ISIS and this group’s impact on society today, while also only including the vital details and facts. The beginning of the article gives a concise explanation of what ISIS is and how it originated. Gerges says that ISIS started from the Syrian Civil War and issues in Iraq which led to society wanting to rid of those problems, so ISIS was created to attempt to solve those dilemmas. Gerges has his bias in the article about ISIS being a negative organization which allows the rest of his writing to be about what horrible actions it has done, and the ways to terminate it. The article also relates ISIS to the Jihadist movement, but his word choice makes it a little challenging to really understand how ISIS relates to Jihadism. This article relates back to the curriculum covered in class in terms of Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated by ISIS, the Sunni-Shia division, because it allowed ISIS to step in and cause more issues, and it gives another terrorist group, other than the Hamas, who seem to stir up trouble in the Middle East.