ISIS, Crabgrass, and Religious Imaginaries

Abstract

A review of seven recently published books on the rise of ISIS shows how it emerged after the Iraq War due to American policy, Iraqi Sunni alienation, the Syrian Assad regime's policies, and factional competition. But ISIS is unique in its use of social media for recruitment. Furthermore, the content of the ISIS message is religious, relying on Salafi teachings, apocalyptic imagery, and the legitimacy of a Caliphate. As with crabgrass, the most effective long-term anti-terrorism policy is prevention rather than eradication. But responding to the religiously inspired “imaginaries” of ISIS will require more inspired religious alternatives and savvier cyber-monitoring.