The 9 biggest myths about ISIS

I wanted to share with ATS this very interesting article about ISIS.
I thought it had good info about the mysterious group, lots of times we're being fed by the MSM propaganda and it's easy to get lost in it all.

Fell free to share your opinion in a civilized manner please.




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.

Myth #2: People support ISIS because they like its radical form of Islam

You have probably heard that ISIS has a degree of popular support among some Iraqi and Syrian Sunni Muslims. That's true: without it, the group would collapse. People sometimes assume that this says something about Islam itself: that the religion is intrinsically violent, or that Sunnis would support the group because they accept ISIS's radical interpretation of the Koran.

That's all wrong, and misses one of the most crucial points about ISIS: the foundation of its power comes from politics, not religion.

Myth #3: ISIS is part of al-Qaeda

The key thing to understand about ISIS and al-Qaeda is that they are competitors, not allies, and certainly not part of the same larger group.

ISIS used to be al-Qaeda in Iraq. But the group split apart from al-Qaeda in February 2014 because it wouldn't listen to al-Qaeda HQ's commands, including orders to curtail its violence against civilians. (That's right: it was too violent for al-Qaeda.) This ISIS-AQ divorce is a key reason why ISIS is so unremittingly violent, yet many people still lump the two groups together.

Myth #4: ISIS is a Syrian rebel group

It is true that ISIS opposes Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria, and the two constantly fight one another in Syria. But calling ISIS a "Syrian rebel group" misses two critical facts about ISIS. First, it's a transnational organization, not rooted in any one country, with lots of fighters who come from outside the country and are motivated by global jihadist aims as well as the Syrian war specifically. Second, Assad and ISIS are not-so-secretly helping each other out in some crucial ways, even as they fight. ISIS and Assad are frenemies, not full-on opponents.

Myth #5: ISIS is only strong because of Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki

There's a theory that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is solely, or mainly, responsible for ISIS's resurgence in 2014. It's true that Maliki's policies enabled ISIS's rise. But blaming him alone misses the real drivers of sectarianism in Iraq — and the complicated, multi-faceted sources of support ISIS enjoys.

Myth #6: ISIS is afraid of female soldiers

What we actually know about ISIS's approach to women, however, paints a rather different picture. ISIS has all-female battalions, called "al-Khansaa" and "Umm al-Rayan," that operate in Syria. ISIS female fighters wear full burqas and carry rifles; they exist to force other women to comply with ISIS's vision of sharia law. "ISIS created [them] to terrorize women," Abu al-Hamza, a local, media activist, said in an interview with Syria Deeply.

Myth #7: The US can destroy ISIS

The truth is even more disappointing: There is no magic American bullet that could fix the ISIS problem. Even an intensive, decades-long American ground effort — something that is politically not on the table, anyways — might only make the problem worse. The reason is that ISIS's presence in Iraq and Syria is fundamentally a political problem, not a military one.

Myth #8: ISIS will self-destruct on its own

You occasionally hear, especially from supporters of the Obama administration's cautious policy, that ISIS will eventually destroy itself. ISIS's view of Islamic law is so harsh that no population would want to live under it for long, so a Sunni revolt against ISIS is inevitable. And ISIS will overreach: its desire to expand to new territory exceeds its actual military power, meaning that a devastating counterattack is inevitable.

Myth #9: ISIS is invincible

Reading the news of ISIS's conquests in Iraq and Syria, and even its recent foray into Lebanon, you might get the sense that ISIS is unstoppable. That it'll sweep Iraq, and really, truly, establish an extremist Islamic state in Iraq and eastern Syria.

This isn't true. ISIS is smarter and more effective than it used to be, and it's too strong to collapse on its own, but it's still quite vulnerable. The Iraqi government, with Kurdish and American help, really could make major inroads against ISIS.

The 9 biggest myths about ISIS

a reply to: samsamm9

Sorry but the first myth is truth. Maniacs to a man!!

a reply to: samsamm9

I have to disagree with this one.

Myth #4: ISIS is a Syrian rebel group

As it claims.

But calling ISIS a "Syrian rebel group" misses two critical facts about ISIS. First, it's a transnational organization, not rooted in any one country, with lots of fighters who come from outside the country and are motivated by global jihadist aims as well as the Syrian war specifically. Second, Assad and ISIS are not-so-secretly helping each other out in some crucial ways, even as they fight. ISIS and Assad are frenemies, not full-on opponents.

Generally speaking before 2014,2013 there was not a single mention of ISIS until the FSA rebel groups started attacking alwite, Kurd, Christian towns in Northern Syria it seems that the ISIS also started after several FSA groups joined forces with other Islamist fighters in Syria.


Second, Assad and ISIS are not-so-secretly helping each other out in some crucial ways,
LOL Really? Asasd and ISIS are secretly helping each other? can these turd interventionists even prove this claim of there's?

it's a transnational organization, not rooted in any one country, with lots of fighters who come from outside the country

Does it matter? the majority of the FSA fighters are generally from the outside and are influenced by Saudi/Qatar leadership.

Include former KLA fighters and war lords are within the FSA leadership yet dont expect to hear that from the news media.

a reply to: samsamm9

Will the nations of ISLAM stop this or will the west SLAUGHTER all over again to swat a small animal? WE HAVE NO BUSINESS in this FIGHT. YES we destabilized it when we took out Saddam but these guys are also radicalized against the MODERATE aren't they?


I never thought terrorists were any reps of true ISLAM anyway,if they WERE they would have disrupted the flow of MONEY and confronted the TRUE villains not just America. THEY would NOT behave like SAILORS before they die and wouldn't see it as GLORIOUS but the tragedy it truly is.. They aren't effective killers like the west so they use tactics as we see.HOW GREAT is it,we can all talk to eventually bring this CHARADE down one day?
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK UNITE we should be fighting out real enemies not each other.

a reply to: samsamm9

Islam is inherently political. The Muslim calendar didn't officially begin until Mehemet founded his army. It should be noted that if they follow the decrees of their prophet to the letter, Christians and Jews should be allowed to live in their territory in peace, but Atheists and pagans are screwed.

originally posted by: helldiver
a reply to: samsamm9

Sorry but the first myth is truth. Maniacs to a man!!

I agree.
I think that if a person beheads a child and puts their head on a stick in public.... there is something wrong with them upstairs.
Personally, I think that anyone that cuts the head off an adult human that has their hands tied behind their back and then celebrates it, well, they have some mental problems.

By keeping religion and government separate from each others is why Western World has thrived, mix them together and you get maniacs !

a reply to: dollukka

Really in the USA we have some Americans that want to form there own theocracy similar to ISIS only under the banner of Christianity.

Already some people like Ted Cruz's father are now calling for Religion to play a role in the US government.

I had not really heard these 'popular myths'.

popular with who?

originally posted by: Nechash
a reply to: samsamm9

Islam is inherently political. The Muslim calendar didn't officially begin until Mehemet founded his army. It should be noted that if they follow the decrees of their prophet to the letter, Christians and Jews should be allowed to live in their territory in peace, but Atheists and pagans are screwed.

That is true, even though Islam has its roots in paganism moon worship.

originally posted by: Daavid
That is true, even though Islam has its roots in paganism moon worship.

That is False.. Actually, that is something that is debunked very easily with a verse or two from the Qu'ran itself. Who told you that Islam has it's roots in Moon worship? Was it Walid Shoebat, Robert Morey or Answering Islam? All three are not credible btw if they were.

Star wars is Israel said
"Really in the USA we have some Americans that want to form there own theocracy similar to ISIS only under the banner of Christianity.

Already some people like Ted Cruz's father are now calling for Religion to play a role in the US government."





I am a Christian and I have a right to vote, I vote sometimes for Christians.
Sounds like you want to deny me that right.
You sound more like ISIS than me.

And comparing ISIS to Christianity, seriously, you want to explain that.
Do Christians have shariah law, behead kids on the street.

That is sensationalist sillyness

a reply to: borntowatch
Agreed.
We have schools where children have to watch what they include in their writing assignments, as not to offend another faith.

Picture a Sharia school.... no girls (wouldn't want them learning anything) and imagine what would happen if you didn't kneel when the call to prayer came... OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!

a reply to: borntowatch

Um okay we have Bush and company declaring Holy War when the war in Iraq started. Doesn't that sound like Isis to you does it?



Apologies for off topic statement. And correction my name is Star Wars is Real. Not Israel.

originally posted by: starwarsisreal
a reply to: borntowatch

Um okay we have Bush and company declaring Holy War when the war in Iraq started. Doesn't that sound like Isis to you does it?

Apologies for off topic statement. And correction my name is Star Wars is Real. Not Israel.

Well let me first apologise for getting your name wrong, it was unintentional.

Does Bush sound like ISIS to me? No.
He was a president who went to war against his enemy based on, well who knows.
I think the US soldiers were better behaved.

ISIS is a group, not an individual