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Introduction
ISIS believes that it is their religious duty to establish a caliphate, a fundamentalist Islamic state – where Shariah law is enforced. They are as well committed to purifying Islam by killing apostates and removing all traces of heresy. Both Wood and Dagli have presented their ideologies in brilliant ways, outlining some of the differences and similarities in Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) studies (Cottee, 2017). Some of these differences are observed in different areas such as Islamic religious seriousness, ISIS and Islam representation, and ISIS fighters’ motivation.
Comparison of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Studies
Muslims take their devotions seriously because they believe that their actions in this life have a direct impact on their afterlife. The article describes how ISIS’s twisted interpretation of the Quran motivates its followers to commit horrific acts in the name of Allah (Wood, 2015). In comparison, it is true that Muslims as a whole may not be as obsessive about their religion as some other groups. However, this fact does not mean that they lack a deep devotion to their faith.
In fact, Muslims have a rich spiritual tradition that can be just as fulfilling as other religious traditions. Wood (2015) claims that “There is an assiduous, obsessive seriousness that Muslims do not normally have” (p. 7). On the other hand, Dagli reinforces Wood’s argument that there is no question that the Muslim community lacks obsessive seriousness when it comes to its religious beliefs and practices. However, this does not mean that Muslims are not devout or sincere in their faith (Cottee, 2017). Islam is a religion of peace and compassion, and its followers strive to meet these values. Muslims take their faith seriously and want to please Allah in all that they do. However, they also recognize that life is meant to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest. This balance between seriousness and joy is what makes Islam such a beautiful religion.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, is a Sunni Islamist extremist group that operates in Iraq and Syria. The group’s goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region. Wood and Dagli both believe that Islam is a religion of peace; however, they have different views on ISIS. Wood believes that ISIS represents a fringe movement within Islam and does not reflect the true teachings of the religion (Oosterveld et al., 2017). He believes so because of its extremist ideology and violent tactics. While there are Muslims who support ISIS’ goals, the majority of Muslims do not condone its methods. Therefore, Wood sees ISIS as a small but dangerous minority within the Islamic community.
Dagli, in contrast, believes that ISIS does represent Islam and that the group’s actions are justified by the Quran. He holds that ISIS does, in fact, represent aspects of Islam. However, he also perceives that the group’s interpretation of Islamic texts is warped and distorted and that their practices are not in line with the true spirit of Islam. According to Dagli, the Islamic faith is based on five principles: submission to God, ritual prayer, fasting during Ramadan, charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca. These principles represent the “core values” of Islam and are meant to promote peace and mercy in the world (Cottee, 2017). ISIS militants completely ignore these values in favor of violence and bloodshed.
Dagli believes that the media has formulated a caricature of ISIS fighters, portraying them as crazed barbarians who are motivated by nothing other than religious zealotry. While this may be true for some ISIS fighters, he maintains that it is not an accurate description for all of them. He argues that many of these fighters are moderately rational and are only driven by a desire to fight for what they believe is right. According to Wood, there are a number of factors that motivated ISIS fighters (Nordland, 2017). First and foremost, among these was the desire to establish an Islamic state governed by sharia law. Other motivating factors included the mistreatment of Muslims around the world, feelings of isolation and disenfranchisement, and a sense of adventure (Spencer, 2018). Of course, not all ISIS fighters were motivated by the same things, and some may have had more personal reasons for joining the group. However, these factors likely played a role in motivating many people to take up arms with ISIS.
There are a few key ways in which Graeme Wood and Dagli differ when it comes to their beliefs about the apocalypse. For one, Wood is far more optimistic about humanity’s chances of surviving the end times, whereas Dagli believes that Muslims were essentially doomed. Additionally, Wood sees the apocalypse as a natural process that will ultimately lead to a better world, while Dagli views it as an apocalyptic event that will bring about great suffering (Dagli, 2015). Finally, while both scholars believe that Islam will play a major role in the end times, Wood sees this as a positive development, while Dagli believes that it portends disaster for humanity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Wood and Dagli had few differences and similarities in ISIS viewpoints. In terms of ISIS and Islamic representation, Wood believed that ISIS represented a fringe movement within Islam that does not reflect the religious teachings. On the contrary, Dagli held that ISIS represented Islam and Quran verified its teachings. Conversely, Dagli believed that ISIS fighters were motivated by religious zealotry, while Wood held that they were driven by the urge to deliver Muslims from mistreatments and isolation all over the world. The shared similarities were that both Wood and Dagli perceived Islam as a peaceful religion. Similarly, they both maintained that in terms of religious practices, Muslims lacked obsessive seriousness but still had a deep devotion to their faith.
References
Cottee, S. (2017). “What ISIS Really Wants” Revisited: Religion matters in jihadist violence, but how? Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 40(6), 439-454. Web.
Dagli, C. K. (2015). The Phony Islam of ISIS. The Atlantic, 27. Web.
Nordland, R. (2017). ISIS fighters, having pledged to fight or die, surrender en Masse. New York Times. Web.
Oosterveld, W. T., Bloem, W., Farnham, N., Kayaoğlu, B., & Sweijs, T. (2017). The rise and fall of ISIS: From evitability to inevitability. The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. Web.
Spencer, R. (2018). The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS. Bombardier Books.
Wood, G. (2015). What ISIS really wants. The Atlantic, 315(2), 78-94. Web.
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