Why Do People Join ISIS?

Why do people join ISIS?

This is a question that requires multiple answers, but the objective here is to argue and identify reasons why someone who is either not affiliated with the ideologies of the organization, or the radicalized religion that the organization has claimed at all, would decide to assume membership and operate under ISIS control.

First, let’s examine those who live in regions currently controlled by ISIS. Within these regions there is a complete regime (consisting of both society and government) change. A terrorist organization has overthrown any previously established rule and has given citizens two options: (1) join the organization in order to save your life and provide for your family; (2) Die. When economic opportunities disappear and the survival of your entire family is dependent on some solution coming through, ISIS steps in and become the solution.

Second, why do people who do not live anywhere near ISIS territory join the group? Imagine that you are a minority in any (or every) aspect. You are discriminated against, attacked, segregated, alienated, and have no comfort within your borders. ISIS specifically targets these people. They are vulnerable and easily manipulated. Just like with any religious cult, the organization monopolizes on those who are looking for a quick solution. Weak minded people who are low on spirits are the easiest to manipulate, and ISIS takes advantage of that.

How do we combat ISIS as civilians?

1. ISIS is successful only because of fear and targeted manipulation. If they can scare you enough to alter the way you live (where you travel to, how you act, what you worship, etc) then they have found success. Do not live in fear of the organization, because that is what it thrives on. Once people begin living in fear and halting their normal lifestyles, they become submissive and lose the ability to stop the organization.
2. Do not feed into their recruits. Classifying all Muslims as ISIS members only further alienates the Muslim people…which in turn can easily lead to them finding refuge in the organization. It is excruciatingly important to recognize that there is a difference between Islam and the radicalized version of Islam that ISIS members follow. Just as there are radicalized versions of EVERY religion (yes, even Christianity..*cough*Westboro*cough*). ISIS recruiting goes beyond Muslims as well. There has been a segment of their propaganda aimed directly at African-Americans, because they have been the subject of alienation and oppression too.

Ultimately, it is important to not fall victim to fear. It will be a long and complicated battle with ISIS, and the best way civilians can help fight against them is to love one another and to not allow them to gain power over you with scare tactics.
    

Which Came First: The Gangster, the Rap?

There is no denying that hip hop has played an essential role in politics since its big debut. Hip hop artists have started organizations, movements, and used the genre as a vehicle to supply a voice to a marginalized community. Regardless of the successes or political attributes in hip hop, there is another argument that plagues the industry; hip hop is the force that leads youth to participate in negative/harmful activities such as crime, sex, and drugs.  In a study, delivered by James Montgomery, he makes this connection reporting that:

“The results [of the study] found that almost 70 percent of the students who listened to music ‘daily or almost daily’ listened to rap and hip-hop, and when that data was compared with the students’ answers about alcohol, drugs and violence, the survey found that ‘substance use and aggressive behaviors among young people were significantly associated to certain genres of popular music,’ mainly rap” (Montgomery, 2006).

This study concludes that there is a high correlation between those who listen to hip hop music, and those who therefore are susceptible to crime or particular behaviors. More simply stated, hip hop is what causes people to participate in “gangster activity” or crimes. I would like to argue on behalf of the opposite viewpoint. In order to do so, it is important to understand the roots of the genre. Hip hop originated within the inner-cities that were predominantly populated with blacks (specifically males) who faced several obstacles including: unemployment, high theft rates, police brutality, and a plethora of other injustices within the legal system. These inner-cities became home to the blacks due to the availability of factory jobs that offered opportunity to them. The problems arose when jobs started to vanish, crime began climbing as a way to provide for one’s self and family, and police tactics completely changed to deal with the population. The race became oppressed and marginalized, with no tools to fight against the systems that prevailed. Hip hop became the voice for those who previously did not have one.

 

The genre began with honest intentions, though it may have portrayed this message in an aggressive light. As with all things, the genre did evolve and for a very simple reason: economic advantage. Hip hop artists and emcees rapped about their lifestyles and the things that they had to do to survive their circumstances. These things often included petty crime. When police brutality was on a rise, many artists took to gangsta rap and voiced their hatred in aggressive songs against officers that displayed their lack of respect for the unjust law enforcement agency. The songs that displayed these instances attracted listeners of all races, whether it be because of the bizarre content that seems like a foreign fantasy or one’s ability to relate. Ultimately, the white majority did and does control the media, which is an essential branch in reaping monetary benefit from musical masterpieces. Once it was apparent that gangsta rap was successful in drawing audiences, it was promoted religiously. It also helped create this stigma on black culture that constructed the stereotypes of blacks. This being said, hip hop could help create the “gangster,” but hip hop did not create the crimes. The gangster that hip hop helped create is just an image. It is a hollywood, media-constructed creature that embodies the stereotypes that have been forced onto the black-male culture. Hip hop in its authentic form did not cause the crimes that it portrays, it was simply the land-line call to give the oppressed a voice. It is a vehicle that has now been abused and manipulated by a majority-controlled media. Hip hop was not meant to be a celebration of crime, rather an opportunity to gain support and positive-change in the face of oppression.