The Islamic state of Iraq and Syria is a phenomenon so shocking and terrible, it seems impossible. It controls an area the size of the United kingdom, commits mass atrocities, and launches terror attacks abroad.

To understand ISIS, it helps to tell the story of it's rise. That story begins far away and long before the group existed. In 1979 the Soviet union invades Afghanistan to defend a puppet dictator against rebels. Young men from the middle East flock in to join the rebels. Many see it as a religious struggle and developed Extremist views. Among them is a well educated young Saudi named Osama bin Laden.
Also in Afghanistan is a semi-literate, former street thug from Jordan named Abu Musa Zarqawi. They don't get along, never will, but will create the group's we today know as Al Qaeda and ISIS. The soviets withdraw in 1989, and the Arab fighters return home. Bin Laden grows Al Qaeda into a global network and continue the struggle against his enemies. Zarqawi firms his own group but it sizzles. Both men later return to Afghanistan, now ruled by the Taliban. On September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda attacks America from its base there. The US invades Afghanistan and Bin Laden flees to Pakistan. Zarqawi, still obscure, flees to a remote and lawless corner of Iraq. Two years later, the US makes a huge mistake and does something that will transform the Middle East and set the stage for ISIS: it invades Iraq. The Americans topple Saddam Hussein's secular, Sunni dictatorship and disbands the Iraqi army, thousands of Sunni Iraqi soldiers, angry and unemployed, join the insurgency(ISIS). Jihadist Groups, also Sunni, see this as a repeat of the Soviet union's invasion of Afghanistan, and again they flood in to fight. Zarqawi is among them. Zarqawi's group becomes Iraq's most ruthless. He especially attacks shia, Iraq's majority, deliberately sparking a civil war. By 2004 Zarqawi is a jihadist superstar. Al Qaeda, isolated and weakened, attempts to bolster its image by forming an alliance with Zarqawi's group, which becomes known as Al Qaeda in Iraq or AQI. But in 2006 Iraq Sunnis rise up against him and the us kills him in an airstrike. Over the next few years AQI is largely defeated. The Americans withdraw in 2011 from an Iraq that finally looked stable.

In 2011, the Arab spring spreads across the Middle East. In Syria dictator, Bashar Al-Assad cracks down violently against protesters, they eventually fire back leading to a civil war. Assad fears the world will intervene against him. So he releases jihadist in large numbers from Syrian prisons, tinging the rebels with extremism and making it harder for foreigners to back them. Back in Iraq, what little remains of Zarqawi's group is still allied with So Qaeda but now known as the Islamic state in Iraq. It's led by a bookish Scholar who calls himself Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. In early 2012 he send a top deputy to Syria to start a new Al Qaeda branch to fight along side the rebels: Jabat Al-Nusra. Baghdadi attacks a series of prisons in Iraq, freeing former jihadists and recruits new ones, growing stronger. In April 2013 Baghdadi announces he is taking control of all allied Al Qaeda forces in Syria and Iraq. His group expands into Syria becoming the Islamic state of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Al Qaeda rejects Baghdadi's power grab and formally exiles him. Two jihadist groups, long at odds, are now at war. ISIS grows powerful in Syria and part because Assad tolerates it's rise, which he does because it divides his enemies in Syria, and foreign powers are too focused on ISIS now to worry about Assad. By June 2014 ISIS has built an army in Syria and launches a military style invasion on Iraq. The Iraqi army weakened by corruption folds with little fight. Many Sunnis are tired of their shia dominated and increasingly authoritarian government, and tolerates ISIS arrival. And within days ISIS controls a third of Iraq and a big part if Syria. ISIS's goals are more audacious than that of Al Qaeda: to revive the ancient caliphate and expand it to encompass all Muslims. It earnestly believes it's war will then bring about the apocalypse as foretold in scripture. Thousands of Muslims mostly from the Middle East and Europe flock in to join the group. Some joined for religious reasons but a big majority of them are just disillusionment or angry, and feel that ISIS offers them answers and a purpose. ISIS quickly overreaches and that August it invades Kurdish territories in Iraq and Syria, sparking counter attacks from better organised Kurdish forces. It launches a jenocied againt iraqi yazidis and murders American journalist James Foley on camera, outraging the world and provoking an American led air campaign against it. ISIS can't withstand the onslaught and loses a fifth of its territory. in response it began launching increasingly spectacular terror attacks abroad. So called lone wolves inspired by ISIS propaganda also launched attacks, though they're often amateurish and less effective. ISIS will eventually lose its state. It's simply too weak, has no allied forces and outside funders, and is surrounded by enemies. But ISIS will respond by reverting to what it was before, as AQI: an insurgency and a terror group, still capable of horrifying violence. In that form it could be around for years.

WORDS BY: MAX FISHER

I see the writer carefully left out the salient part of OSAMA bin Laden being trained by the US CIA as a covert operative and insurrectionist (and how he used slush funds to set up and equip al Qaeda with weapons).

ISIS was birthed from the remnants of an al Qaeda splinter group. They believed al Qaeda was too..."soft" and not carrying out the will of their God and prophet to the letter. Funds were raised from al Qaeda caches , organ trade and the like.


Always get the "FACTS" right.

Only neutral parties/actors in the global community will say it as it is.

All I'm the name of Allah and their holy Quran.

Like this guy's does not have a mind of their own.

If imam say kills him, they follow suit without questions or protest

Na wah o

Allahu aka boom set of brain washed idiots

BigRocky:
All I'm the name of Allah and their holy Quran.

Like this guy's does not have a mind of their own.

If imam say kills him, they follow suit without questions or protest

Na wah o

Aboks:
Allahu aka boom set of brain washed idiots

didn't you read it? or are you just ignorant?

[quote author=Nova1988 post=111708260]




didn't you read it? or are you just ignorant?[/quote

Another mumu spotted,why does you guys always defend your tribesmen attrocities even at the expense of your brain?

Does Boko Haram, ISIS,al-alqaeda,talibans and Fulani bandit not kill in the name of Allah and Quran?
Do they have a mind of their own, apart from what was written in the Quran?
Does northerners in general question thier leaders? can't an imam incite violence within seconds,with is ever ready loyal-dogs?

Now,are all this stated fact not synonymous with the ISIS and other terrorist group?

BigRocky:
Another mumu spotted,why does you guys always defend your tribesmen attrocities even at the expense of your brain?



Does Boko Haram, ISIS,al-alqaeda,talibans and Fulani bandit not kill in the name of Allah and Quran?

Do they have a mind of their own, apart from what was written in the Quran?

Does northerners in general question thier leaders? can't an imam incite violence within seconds,with is ever ready loyal-dogs?



Now,are all this stated fact not synonymous with the ISIS and other terrorist group?

you should know that they are extremists and interpret the Qur'an in a wrong way.

Can you provide proof that all what those useless extremist terrorists are written in the Qur'an and that Allah asked them to do so?

I'll be waiting.......But in the main time let me show you the true beauty of the Qur'an.

Aboks:
Allahu aka boom set of brain washed idiots

Think for yourself man, don't let d media do ur thinking for u, hillary her self confirm that they funded isis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5c4QmCnXkM

Nova1988:


you should know that they are extremists and interpret the Qur'an in a wrong way.

Can you provide proof that all what those useless extremist terrorists are written in the Qur'an and that Allah asked them to do so?

I'll be waiting.......But in the main time let me show you the true beauty of the Qur'an.

Here u go.

BigRocky:


Here u go.

I knew it. lol.

have you read the Qur'an? you only went to the internet to get cherry picked verses without back story or context? why didn't you show me the verse before and the verse after?

this is the verse before and after the verse in which Allah said if the people you are with war with present a treaty, then you should respect it because Allah loves the righteous. And if any of them seek your protection then you should protect him, because they are people who do not know.


you hypocrite! Read the Qur'an before you come at me with rubbish.

He said Assad freed terrorists, in order to water down international support for Al-qaeda and Isis...

So, Assad freed terrorists in order to increase the number of terrorists fighting him?

Isn't that dumb enough?

And the source conveniently left out the roles of the Amerikkan CIA( note the 3 Ks ; it means something for the wise African/ Afro-American), Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Dear imam,take your sermon to Boko Haram,alqaeda,isis, the talibans or even Fulani terrorists.
There are your brothers.
Ranting on nairaland won't change a thing.

Go and preach your holy Quran for them,they need it more than I do.

Nova1988:


I knew it. lol.

have you read the Qur'an? you only went to the internet to get cherry picked verses without back story or context? why didn't you show me the verse before and the verse after?

this is the verse before and after the verse in which Allah said if the people you are with war with present a treaty, then you should respect it because Allah loves the righteous. And if any of them seek your protection then you should protect him, because they are people who do not know.


you hypocrite! Read the Qur'an before you come at me with rubbish.

BigRocky:
Dear imam,take your sermon to Boko Haram,alqaeda,isis, the talibans or even Fulani terrorists.
There are your brothers.
Ranting on nairaland won't change a thing.

Go and preach your holy Quran for them,they need it more than I do.

Thank you for taking your time to reply me.

well, I'm not an imam. I'm just a young Muslim who is passionate about his religion and trying to prove the haters, bigots and phobes wrong. but I'm honoured that you see me as an imam because of how I replied you and my knowledge. And I'm happy that you agree that those useless politically motivated extremists need to be taught the holy Quran in the right way. Please don't see what I'm doing as ranting I'm just trying to do my part and engaging in conversations with hater and people who are confused about my faith.

May you find happiness and peace in your life brother.

caye:
He said Assad freed terrorists, in order to water down international support for Al-qaeda and Isis...

So, Assad freed terrorists in order to increase the number of terrorists fighting him?

Isn't that dumb enough?

And the source conveniently left out the roles of the Amerikkan CIA( note the 3 Ks ; it means something for the wise African/ Afro-American), Israel and Saudi Arabia.

and it also left out how America funded the Mujahedin and osama bin Laden who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Nova1988:


Thank you for taking your time to reply me.

well, I'm not an imam. I'm just a young Muslim who is passionate about his religion and trying to prove the haters, bigots and phobes wrong. but I'm honoured that you see me as an imam because of how I replied you and my knowledge. And I'm happy that you agree that those useless politically motivated extremists need to be taught the holy Quran in the right way. Please don't see what I'm doing as ranting I'm just trying to do my part and engaging in conversations with hater and people who are confused about my faith.

May you find happiness and peace in your life brother.

Though you overrated yourself,go preach the quran in the right way to your Muslim brother terrorising the world.if you can change them with your knowledge of the Quran,then I will proudly go back to Islam which is my root.

May Allah guide and protect you as you embark on the journey of redeeming your brothers.

[quote author=BigRocky post=111712161][/quote]Same way crusaders and Europeans Christains kill name of Christainity.

BigRocky:


Though you overrated yourself,go preach the quran in the right way to your Muslim brother terrorising the world.if you can change them with your knowledge of the Quran,then I will proudly go back to Islam which is my root.

May Allah guide and protect you as you embark on the journey of redeeming your brothers.

The people terrorising the world are Christianity example is what is happening in Europe.

BigRocky:
Dear imam,take your sermon to Boko Haram,alqaeda,isis, the talibans or even Fulani terrorists.
There are your brothers.
Ranting on nairaland won't change a thing.

Go and preach your holy Quran for them,they need it more than I do.

and go and worry about the countless times terrorism committed in Bible

BigRocky

You are one big Islamaphobe. why don't you study about Islam yourself instead of copying ayat off of google and pasting it here out of context.

if I start writing things from the bible here, I am pretty sure you will be shocked at how much don't know even about your religion. (I assume you are a christian).

grow up man, learn about the religion by yourself. do your own research.

you don't see us here talking about the atrocities and awful crimes committed by the Christians