Unexpected Terrorists? Polish Links to ISIS

Abstract

Poland is regarded as a country relatively free from Islamic terrorist threat. According to official statements, the four-level terrorism threat scale assessed the terrorism threat in Poland as low (‘zero’). The Islamic minority living in Poland is small and very specific, connected with the historical background of the country and well integrated. For years, relations with most of the Islamic countries were good, or even very good, until the beginning of the XX century when Poland got involved in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and became a member of the anti-ISIS coalition. That might have attracted the attention of Al-Qaeda and ISIS to the country and its citizens as possible targets of attacks. Surprisingly, 20 to 40 Polish citizens went to Iraq or Syria to fight as foreign fighters (FTFs). More than 10 per cent of Polish criminals wanted by the Interpol is charged with participation in the terrorist organization (ISIS). The article aims to present the relations between this Central European country and the jihadist terrorist organization and to reverse the common belief that Poland has no links to ISIS and no reasons to regard the organization as its serious problem.