European Realm

As the world debated how to approach the situation, some news finally came. One of the girls, Kadiza Sultana was killed by an airstrike in Raqqa, Syria. She was only 17. And she was desperate to return home to her family. For these young women and others with a similar trajectory, the "grooming" process is crucial for coercing her into leaving her country of residence. Often, ISIS propaganda and recruiters offer a utopian outlook for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate. It's not entirely surprising that young women and men are prime targets for their propaganda campaigns. Media and videos with children, festivities, and other fantasies are meant to lure vulnerable youth into joining ISIS. For some of these young Jihadi fighters, a sense of community, duty, and martyr glorification are key incentives for fighting on behalf of the Islamic State. Other reasons for defecting includes the desire for an identity, purpose and belonging as well as the prospect of adventure and an action-packed lifestyle. Unfortunately for those who fall for the deceptive marketing, their livelihoods are subsequently taken away. For young women who join, they are often sold off to other fighters, confined to a domestic setting and treated with disregard.

In recent years, ISIS has specifically targeted vulnerable populations in the Western world. Often we hear of terror attacks and the pervasive threat of radicalization. Unbeknownst to many, radicalization is a complex and poorly understood phenomenon. The reasons for wanting to join ISIS varies from individual to individual, but often group psychology and other similar methods are employed to "peer-pressure" a potential recruit. Likewise, the rise of social media also provides an additional platform for ISIS to recruit. As the world turns its back on the plight of similar cases, it may be detrimental to the existing efforts to assist people in precarious situations related to ISIS.