Youth and Islamic State (IS)

The rise of ISIS and particularly the question of why young Muslims from all over the world join this entity have once again ignited a polarized and familiar debate. In one camp, there are those who believe ideology, culture and religion are the main drivers. Radical Islam, jihadism and the clash of civilizations are all integral parts of this camp’s narrative. The view that the real clash should be within Islam — between radicals and moderates — represents a more nuanced version of the same argument prioritizing ideological factors.
In the opposing camp, social and economic factors trump ideology and religion. Lack of EDUCATION, UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY AND ABSENCE OF UPWARD MOBILITY cause a growing sense of frustration and radicalization. According to this camp, the absence of socioeconomic opportunities matters much more than the clash of civilizations or the war of ideologies. 

Both camps make valid points with major implications for policy makers but the key in understanding who joins ISIS is to go beyond simple socioeconomic factors or pure ideology. Instead, the concept of relative deprivation deserves more attention. Unlike absolute deprivation, relative deprivation is all about growing aspirations and expectations. The two camps can find common ground if they agree that ideology becomes much more important when socioeconomic aspirations are on the rise but somehow remain unfulfilled. The growing gap between expectations and opportunities leads to ideological radicalization…

Roots of IS appeal to Youths

THE Islamic State (IS) is arguably the most ruthless terrorist organi­sation in modem history. Its recent trail of destruction has caused chills to run down the col­lective spines of countries as pow­erful as the US, France and Britain.

In Malaysia, many of those detained by the law enforcement authorities allegedly due to their ties with IS are young people. Evidence indicates that IS is a movement of misguided young people who think a utopian “Islamic” state can be carved out of a trail of wanton death and destruction. So how can we begin to untangle the enigma of IS attraction to youths in a manner that pushes beyond stereotypical and over-simplistic explanations?

Drawing on anecdotal reports from captured IS members, research on gangs and other radi­cal movements, and input from youth sociologists, a rough sketch can be made on how a phenome­non like IS might attract young followers. We refer to it as the 5Ds - deviance, disconnectedness, dis-empowerment, desperation, and disillusionment.

Deviance: IS recruits are with­out question influenced by devi­ant religious teachings and doctrine. Much of what IS calls Islam goes against centuries of main­stream, traditional Islamic think­ing and legal rulings. The recent­ly-published fatwa by the erudite Syrian scholar Sheikh Muhammad al-Yaqubi titled Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal of Its Religious and Ideological Foundations provides an authori­tative refutation of IS’ beliefs and crimes. Heterodox religious beliefs and practices may not be the primary factor influencing all young Muslims to join IS. Nevertheless, IS’ arbitrary, decon- textualised use of Koranic verses and hadith provide enough sanc­tions for unknowing youth to carry out heinous acts of violence and destruction in the name of God.

Disconnectedness: Young peo­ple in modem society are often disconnected from their own fam­ilies, caring adults, teachers and pro-social networks. Disconnectedness results in hav­ing little constructive contact with family and fellow citizens, includ­ing those from other races and religions. A lack of social capital and sense of community can fuel feelings of disempowerment, loneliness, intolerance and even hatred towards others. When young people are socially disconnected, they become isolated and easily influenced by what they read on the Internet. Disconnected youths lack the nec­essary social buffers to offset anti-social Internet-based content and, like the lone sheep that leaves the flock, they can easily fall prey to the hungry wolves.

Disempowerment: When young people are politically dis­connected, lack voice within insti­tutions and feel disempowered, they will often seek alternative ways to feel valued, important and useful. Fully aware of the large numbers of disempowered, disconnected and desperate Muslim youths out there, IS has grown adept at selling its “cause” to those who feel left out of main­stream society. Those who feel like they have no real stake in anything and no sense of purpose are most likely to respond to calls of a higher purpose and mission, regardless of how misguided these might be.

Desperation: It is often said that desperation leads to desper­ate measures. For some Muslim youths, desperation is the result of a combination of extreme frus­tration (often with what is hap­pening to Muslims in other parts of the world), an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, and disillusionment with political processes and mainstream institutions. Sensing injustice occurring all around them, frustration easily grows into desperation when they feel they do not have access to sanctioned channels of reform. When young people feel desper­ate enough about a situation, they are often willing to go to great lengths to achieve change.

Disillusionment: Many young people - not only Muslims - are disillusioned with the modem world, corruption of leaders, destruction of the planet, injustic­es carried out on whole peoples, racism, inequality, and the list goes on. When combined with the other Ds, disillusionment can drive people to extreme measures in an attempt to create wholesale change overnight. Like many rad­ical groups, IS calls on its follow­ers to turn the existing political and social order on its head. This is appealing to young people who are disillusioned with the current state of affairs and who have an overly romanticised view of his­torical religious movements.

When viewed holistically, the 5Ds can help us begin to under­stand the unique yet deeply inter­connected factors associated with youths’ attraction to IS. Two recent case studies of Malaysian youths illustrate this. In the first, a young man approached a local NGO leader about his desire to go to Syria. After being queried about his intention to join IS, the young man replied despondently that he felt his sins were so great that salvation was only possible by joining IS. In a second case, another young man told a coun­sellor that frustration stemming from problems with his in-laws caused him to want to leave his family and join IS. In both cases, erroneous beliefs, disconnected­ness from loved ones and people of knowledge, and a sense of des­peration made IS a legitimate option for dealing with their over­powering feelings.

Using the SDs as a starting point can help researchers to identify sources of risk for joining IS. Official religious “re-programming” efforts based on simplistic assumptions that fail to account for the often complex mix of internal and external stressors facing young people will be insuf­ficient in stemming the IS tide. To solve a problem, we must first understand it.

Views - Steven Krauss @ Abd Lateef,

PhD Research Fellow Institute for Social Science Studies
Adapted from The Star/Views/Monday, 8 August 2016

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