Juan Cole: Today's Top 7 Myths About Daesh/ISIL
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/28676-todays-top-7-myths-about-daeshisil
It isnt possible to determine whether Daesh a mainstream Muslim organization, since Muslim practice varies by time and place. I disagree. There is a center of gravity to any religion such that observers can tell when something is deviant. Aum Shinrikyo isnt your run of the mill Buddhism, though it probably is on the fringes of the Buddhist tradition (it released sarin gas in the Tokyo subway in 1995). Like Aum Shinrikyo, Daesh is a fringe cult
Daesh fighters are pious. Some may be. But very large numbers are just criminals who mouth pious slogans. The volunteers from other countries often have a gang past. They engage in drug and other smuggling and in human trafficking and delight in mass murder.
Ibrahim Samarrais caliphate is widely taken seriously. No, it isnt. It is a laughing matter in Egypt, the largest Arab country. There are a small band of smugglers and terrorists in Sinai who declared for Samarrai, but that kind of person used to declare for Usama Bin Laden. It doesnt mean anything.Ibrahim Samarrais caliphate is widely taken seriously. No, it isnt. It is a laughing matter in Egypt, the largest Arab country. There are a small band of smugglers and terrorists in Sinai who declared for Samarrai, but that kind of person used to declare for Usama Bin Laden. It doesnt mean anything.